Stain Removal Guide

If the best way to get rid of stains is still not to do them, here you will find some recipes that have proven themselves. But before we begin, here are some commonly accepted basic principles.

The golden rules of stain removal

• Act as quickly as possible to remove stains before they become embedded.
• Always dust the fabric before detaching, this will prevent you from generating a halo of dust around the theater of operations.
• Always dab in a circular fashion going from the outside to the inside.
• Never rub a liquid stain but absorb it carefully with a cloth or absorbent paper before any treatment.
• During the stain removal operation: always keep an absorbent cloth on the back of the stain.
• Once the stain has been treated, rinse and blot to remove the stain remover used.
• Finally, in the event of using an industrial stain remover (aerosol, solvent, etc.), carefully check beforehand that the stained material allows the use of this stain remover. Read the instructions for use on the stain remover carefully before using it to avoid any disappointment.

Stains from A to Z

Butter

Mix one third of vinegar and two thirds of water and soak the stain. Then absorb with a cloth or paper towel and wash as normal.Or even…Dilute a tablespoon of Detergent in lukewarm water. Apply to the stain by dabbing it. Repeat the operation as many times as necessary.

Candle

Take a butter knife and work on a flat work surface to carefully remove excess candle solids. Roll the fabric between your fingers to remove the candle that has penetrated the fabric. Then hold the stained fabric under a running hot water tap. The hot water melts the wax which flows through the fabric. All that remains is to wash the tablecloth at 60°C.Or even…Start by scraping off the wax with a butter knife as seen above. If it is still soft, harden it first with an ice cube. Then place the wax-stained fabric between two sheets of slightly thick paper (ideally Kraft paper, wrapping paper, etc.) then iron with a hot iron. The remaining wax is then absorbed by the paper. If the wax was colored, then use diluted bleach to avoid altering the color of the fabric.

Coffee

Apply a Borax solution (1 part Borax to 6 parts water) directly on the stain, then wash with warm, soapy water.

Sludge

Soak the stain with oil then absorb with a blotter. Then treat the oil stain with trichlorethylene. On wool, use benzine. On silk, use lukewarm water. On cotton: soap dry and wash in cold water.

Chewing gum

Put a few ice cubes in a plastic bag that you place on the chewing gum, then wait about an hour until the chewing gum is very hard. Once hardened, it will crack and easily detach from the fabric.

Ink

Soak the stained fabric in milk and rub it with your fingers. If necessary, renew the milk. Please note: the garment must not have been washed beforehand.

Fruits and Berries

Rinse the stain with cold water then dab it with a white cloth soaked in rubbing alcohol to remove as much of the color as possible. Then rub the stain with dishwashing liquid, rinse with cold water and only then machine wash.Or even…If the stain is still wet, sprinkle with salt and mild liquid soap. Leave it on for a few hours and rinse thoroughly.

Tar

Apply glycerin to both sides of the fabric and press between two blotters. Then degrease with perchlorethylene (if the fabric supports this stain remover). If there is any tar remaining, soak it in fresh unsalted butter before starting the operation again.

Fat

Grease stains don’t wait! Sprinkle the stain with baking soda or Terre de Sommières and leave to act for a few hours until the powder thickens. Scrape and repeat the operation. Brush to remove powder and wash as usual.

Grass

Mix one third vinegar and two thirds water. Apply to the stain and dab. Then wash with warm, soapy water.

Milk

As with blood, do not clean milk stains with hot water but soak in cold water then wash as normal.

Mercurochrome

On cotton and linen, rub with 90° alcohol. Then, rinse with lightly bleached water and finally with clean water.

Mold

Apply white vinegar or lemon juice to stop mold. Leave to dry in the sun for a few hours. Wash as usual, but separately.

Egg

Again, do not clean egg stains with hot water but with cold water and Marseille soap.

Lipstick

Rinse the stain with cold water, dab with a white cloth soaked in rubbing alcohol to remove as much of the color as possible, then rub the stain with dishwashing liquid and rinse with cold water. Only then machine wash.Or even...Scrape the stain as much as possible with a knife with a blunt blade. Use a spray can to remove stains from textiles before washing and rub with a clean white towel, then wash as usual.

Rust

Place the stained fabric over a pan of boiling water and add a few drops of lemon. Rinse with a mixture of water and ammonia, then clean water. Never use bleach as this will set the stain.

Scorched

Treat the same as mold.

Blood

Clean blood stains immediately. Rinse thoroughly with cold water and never with hot water, as this will permanently set the stain by “cooking” the blood. Then soak in cold water with two cups of salt for 24 hours and wash as usual.

For textiles or products that cannot be washed, it is also possible to remove stains with a cloth soaked in a solution composed of 50% water and 50% white vinegar or spirit vinegar.

Tea

Apply a Borax solution (1 part Borax to 6 parts water) directly on the stain. Then wash with warm, soapy water.

Wine

White wine stains are easily removed with normal washing. Red wine stains can be treated as follows: Absorb the spilled wine as quickly as possible with white absorbent paper or a white cloth then sprinkle the stain with coarse salt or, failing that, fine salt. Then wet the stain with alcohol vinegar or, failing that, white wine or alcohol at 60°C. The alcohol will act on the tannin of the red wine and help dilute the stain. Finally, wash your tablecloth as quickly as possible after the meal. NB: If you cannot wash your tablecloth right away, let it soak in cold water while you wait.