If you feel like it's your only option, though, start with diluted oxygen bleach and move on to chlorine bleach if necessary. Really old, stubborn stains sometimes respond best to liquid glycerin. Rub it in, let it soak and then launder again.
Make a paste using equal parts baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Cover the stain and let it sit for over an hour in direct sunlight. At this point, check your progress to see how much of a dent you've made in the stain. Continue to let sit, then hand wash or launder according to care instructions.
1. Apply white vinegar directly to the stain, let it soak in for a few minutes (don't let it dry). 2. Wash the garment in your machine using the hottest water the fabric can tolerate.
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Unfortunately you can't treat every stain immediately so sometimes they set. But OxiClean™ Max Force™ and its 5 Powerful Stain Fighters, can help you get out old stains.
Unfortunately for everyone, some stains are permanent. They simply become part of the fabric. Continued attempts to remove them will cause dye loss or fabric damage, known as chafing or fraying. Many stains are removed by the dry cleaning machine and require no additional effort from the cleaner.
Hydrogen peroxide works differently than vinegar and is better at removing different types of stains. Hydrogen peroxide doesn't actually remove stains—it just makes them invisible! It breaks up strong chemical bonds in stains including ink, and in doing so it makes the stains colorless—but they're still there!
Greasy / Oil Stains – such as hand lotion, hair mousse, lard and butter. Oxidisable Stains – key ingredient in alcoholic drinks, coffee and tea (without milk) and soft drinks. Particulate Stains – such as mud and ground in dirt. Combination Stains – these stains can be a mix of two or more of the above stain types.
Apply hydrogen peroxide or equal parts meat tenderizer and water to the stain and let it sit for several minutes. You can rinse the spot clean with water and if the stain remains, apply the hydrogen peroxide or meat tenderizer a second time and allow to sit for longer.
Certain types of fibers, such as wool, cotton, silk, and some nylons are particularly susceptible to permanent staining from coffee, tea, wine, etc. Be aware of hot liquids, especially. Of course, bleach and household chemicals (see below) can cause permanent staining as well.
Yes! Vanish is capable of removing old stains as well as new stains.
Removal is Not Always Necessary
While it's never a bad idea to sand and strip old stain, doing so can certainly be time-consuming and challenging.
Distilled white vinegar is actually one of the best stain removers we have been given from nature. Found in invariably every household, it is mildly acidic, so acetic vinegar removes the tough spots and blotches without ruining the fabric of your clothes.
Mix 1 tablespoon of liquid laundry detergent with enzymes with 1 cup of water. Add 1/4 teaspoon of white vinegar and stir. Use a Dobie All Purpose Cleaning Pad to apply the detergent-vinegar mixture to your unidentified stain. Blot with the pad until the stain is gone.
If you leave it on for too long, the chemicals in the stain can start to break down the surface of the wood, causing it to flake off or peel. Sometimes, the excess stain may redissolve, giving you undesirable results.
“Use a solution of 50 percent vinegar and 50 percent water on the stain. Apply liberally and then treat with laundry soap and water. “DO NOT put the garment in the dryer until you have seen that the stain is gone,” he warns.
By comparison, OxiClean suggests that you don't leave it on a garment for more than six hours, because it can start to damage the fabric.
Don't give up if your first soak in OxiClean isn't completely successful. It's expected that “some stains require repeated or longer treatments.” Try, try again. Rinse your fabric or surface with clean water, then try another OxiClean soak and see if the stain improves.
You can't use Oxiclean to clean everything
The Environmental Working Group warned that materials such as silk, leather, and wool should not be cleaned with Oxiclean. Instead, you should follow the recommended washing instructions on the label or have them dry-cleaned.
The longer a stain is left untreated, the less likely it is to be removed. When a spill first occurs, it sits on the surface of the fabric, but over time, that spill can start to react with the fabric causing the fabric to actually change colors.
Hydrogen Peroxide 3% - Oxygen PlusTM is safe to use around your entire family, from your children to your pets. It also leaves a light, clean scent behind, as opposed to the strong fumes that cleaners such as bleach leave behind.
Richardson recommends The Laundress' All-Purpose Bleach Alternative, which you can use as a pre-soak or as a laundry boost in a normal load (just follow product instructions). Other options include Nellie's Oxygen Brightener Powder or Branch Basics' Oxygen Boost, which you can find in the brand's laundry starter kit.