I am one of the worst to get spots and stains on my clothing. It seem that everything finds it’s way to the front of my shirt eventually. Wearing an apron is a good thing but a habit that I have not used much unless I am on a baking binge. So when sorting clothes or when I take something off I set those items aside to be treated before hitting the washer. This stained relationship has been on-going for some time so I have made the rounds with Shout, Clorox, OxiClean, Dishwasher Detergent and the off brands. Not so much luck as diligence brought results. Google stain removal and you get quite the mother load of advice. Trial and error seemed to be the route and in the meantime I was not wearing the garments that I obviously had a relationship with or the item would have been gone. The best grease and oil absorber that I found was Dawn dish detergent. It is designed to absorb oil so naturally it would work but not consistantly and not on all stains. I wanted more – one product that would work on all stains. So – off to Pintetrest and research. Whoa – what a plethora of information, it’s another part of the Cult – the homebodies who care. I found one consistent ingredient – Dawn, so it dawned on me to try one recipe that had three simple ingredients, Dawn, Hydrogen Peroxide (whitening power) and Baking Soda (another absorber).
I have one stain story to share. I had a white cotton dress that everyone loved. It was a joyful sack like affair that brought comfort and ease when wearing it but being white and being me, eventually there was an accident. I was in a board meeting with a really good indelible permanent ink pen in my hand. The darn thing broke at some point and to all our shock and dismay it was on the front of my dress. Nothing to do there at the meeting but let the ink dry. I went home and tried hair spray – the sure fire remedy for ink removal, which faded it a little. Next came alcohol and paint remover as well as WD40, all to no avail. By this time I had a pretty good supply of stain removal items and trying all of those usual ones did not change the dark dark stain. Someone mentioned a spot remover sold at the Dollar Tree. So off to the local market to find said item and what the heck, it’s only one dollar! I brought that item strait to the stain and Viola! It worked instantly. I thought “I have found the perfect stain remover.” but alas it has since been a disappointment. I am not sure why but it’s not as good as it was on the ink. For ink stains, I could make the recommendation but for other stains, go with the following recipe. It’s cheap and easy to make, lasts a while and best of all it Works.
Simple Stain Remover
1 Cup Dawn – any color
2 Cups Hydrogen Peroxide – get the 16 oz bottle and use it all
1/4 Cup Baking Soda
Mix together and store in a spray bottle. Spray on stained area, let set and even dry before washing the garment. Re-apply if necessary. Don’t just spray and wash it right away, give the agents time to do their job. Here is another stain removal tip for small areas that might involve blood. Wash the spot as soon as possible and then (this sounds gross) take a wad of white sewing thread or a white cotton cloth and spit on it. Use this to dab the blood spot. Your saliva contains the same ingredients of you blood and thins out the pool of blood stain. Now that’s something you don’t hear every day. It works, I know from experience.
A word about the recipe. The original recipe I used called for a cup of baking soda which promptly hardened inside the sprayer and I had to deal with the clog. I bought a new sprayer at the hardware store and decreased the amount of baking soda. All is well. When you first prepare the mixture it will be the color of the Dawn but after a few hours or overnight it becomes clear from the use of the Hydrogen Peroxide. I just love chemistry and the science behind this recipe.
One more note about laundry. All fabrics are treated with chemicals for various reasons. The dyes can be poisonous to the blood system and the sprays used on fabric finishes include formaldehyde for one, bug spray if it is being imported and stiffening agents to make them crisp. These are in our fabrics by the bolt, all clothing items and textiles. Always wash everything before you wear it or if you are sewing wash the fabric before it is cut. If something is to be altered, wash it first if possible. Washing will remove the stiffness, formaldehyde and other agents which you do not want absorbed through the skin. Safety first.
8/12/18
I have to say that I am not a huge fan of the baking soda here. I reduced the amount used and will reduce that amount again in the next batch. The baking soda continues to clog the sprayer and it’s not so fun to have too much of it stuck to the fabrics either. Adjust to your liking.
More later!
Holly
The Humble Home 