06/29/2022
Our Wash and Fold laundry service handles many different types of stains. Here are some tips/techniques on how to handle stains on your clothing.
Laundry Stains and how to remove them like a pro
1. Protein stains-blood stains, animal based secretions/products
If this happens, soak the clothing in cold water and leave it for approximately half an hour before laundering. Avoid soaking the stain in hot water as this will harden it and make it more permanent. You can also use a hydrogen-peroxide solution (3 percent) if dealing with a stubborn and dried blood stain but before doing this, always pretest the fabric to establish its color-fastness.
2. Oily stains i.e. sweat, lipstick, oil, grease,
The best way to treat these stains is to apply some liquid detergent in the affected area. Leave it in the applied area for 15 to 20 minutes and then go ahead with the laundering. The aim is to loosen and dissolve the substance thus making it easy to remove with the washing.
3. Fruit juice/dye stains
The best way to treat these stains is with a laundry detergent but make sure you use the hottest water based on the kind of fabric you are dealing with. When cleaning fruit stains, it’s always important to avoid natural soaps such as flake/bar soaps or even detergents that contain natural soap as these could worsen the situation by making the stain permanent.
If the stains are tough and stubborn, leave the stained clothes soaked for half an hour in a combination of warm water and enzyme presoak solution (ratio of a quart of water for I tablespoon).
4. Tannin stains ie. coffee, tea, wine, soft drinks
To eliminate these stains, you will need to pre-treat the affected clothes by soaking in cold water before washing them in the hottest water at the temperatures suited for the fabric. You can also use tannin stain remover or color-safe bleach.
5. Grass stains
This is one of the most common stains but it is also very stubborn as it contains a combination of organic matters and protein mixed with carotenoids, chlorophyll, and xanthophylls. If the stains are stubborn, soak your garments for 30 minutes in a mixture of cool water and washing products that contain enzymes (you can do it for longer periods if the stains are stubborn). Avoid using hot water so as not to coagulate the protein thus making the stain more stubborn and hard to remove. Once soaked, launder your clothes in warm water.
When clothes are stained, many people do not know how to deal with them and have to put up with funny looking patches or they just throw their clothes away. At WB Laundromat and Wash and Fold we encounter many different stains on laundry. We understand the science of removing stains and also have th...
