Coffee stains on your brand new shirt, grass stains all over your jeans or ice cream dripping on your dress. What is common in all three situations? The fact that these can leave tough stains on your clothes which can be difficult to remove. Stains can make even the newest of clothes look dull and old and can make the person look unimpressive.

Stains can be of various kinds – coffee stains, mud stains, grease stains, dye stains, food/juice stains etc. The good news is that it is not impossible to remove stubborn stains and you won’t need to throw off that favourite t-shirt of yours just because it got stained. All you need to do is act smart and try a few of these helpful tips to get rid of ugly, stubborn stains on your clothes-

Act quickly

The first and foremost thing that must be done after a garment is stained is to pre-treat it. The quicker you get to the stain, the more likely you are to get it removed. Wash the item as soon as it gets stained so that the stain does not set in completely. Stains become very difficult to remove once they’ve set in. Make sure the stain mark isn’t visible when the garment is put to dry, as heat from the drying process often causes stains to become permanent.

Recognise the kind of stain and act accordingly

This is the most crucial step in removing stubborn stains from fabrics. Stains are of different kinds and different processes are required to treat them.

Dye stains like coffee, ink or tea stains should be run under cold water as soon as the garment gets stained, and then it should be washed in the hottest possible setting. If this method does not work, one can go for dry cleaning.
Combination Stains like makeup, ketchup and crayons should be treated under cold water first. Then, gently rub a little detergent on the stains. Rinse out the detergent and launder.
Fruit and Fruit Juice stains are dye stains. To treat them, wash with detergent in hottest water safe for the fabric. Avoid the usage of soap as soap based products can cause the stain to become permanent. For tough stains, soak the fabric in warm water for 30 minutes. Old stains can be treated with bleach that is safe for the fabric.

Mud Stains are protein stains that must be allowed to dry first. The soil should then be removed with the help of a brush. The stained area should be then soaked in a solution of 1 quarter warm water, 1 teaspoon white vinegar and 1 teaspoon liquid dish detergent for 15 minutes. Rinse with water and let it stand for several minutes. If the stain remains, sponge it with alcohol and wash with clean water.

Coffee Stains – The fresh stain must be rinsed with cold water immediately. Add laundry detergent directly on the stain and rub together with cold water. The fabric, then, must be soaked in water for 30 minutes, rubbing the stain gently every 5-10 minutes. This should be followed by washing the fabric in the hottest setting and ensuring that the stain is gone before putting it in the dryer. As an alternate solution, baking soda can also be used along with a wet cloth to rub away the stain.

In case, the tips mentioned above do not work, you always have the option of going to a reputed dry-cleaning shop, for e.g.; dry cleaning in Brentwood by Fazio Cleaners.

	Created by Hannah Mayer about 8 years ago