Tag Archives: Clothing Care and Stain Removal

Olive oil stains

How to Remove Olive Oil Stains from Clothes

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Olive oil stains

Cooking with olive oil is a great alternative to some of the higher cholesterol oils that are available today. Olive oil also adds a nice taste to many foods and leaves behind a wonderful aroma. But when you accidentally spill some olive oil on your clothes it creates a nasty stain that can be a hassle to get rid of you if you do not properly treat it.

As with any other oil stain, you do not want to dry the affected garment in the clothes dryer until the stain has been removed. If you do you will help to ‘set in’ that stain for good and once that happens there is little you can do. Here is how you can effectively remove those pesky olive oil stains from your clothes:

•    Baking soda: Before you get the garment wet take a pinch or two of baking soda and sprinkle it over the olive oil stain. This will help absorb some of the oil and leave you with less to treat. Let the garment sit for a few minutes and then use warm water to rinse out the excess baking soda.
•    Pre-treat the garment: You can spend a good amount of money on some fancy stain removers but many that are on the market simply don’t work that well. A better solution is to use Dawn dishwashing detergent. The reason is because Dawn is meant to take out grease when you are washing your dishes. Olive oil is in fact a form of grease and the same agents in Dawn that help clean your dishes will also help you clean your oil stained clothes. Simply put a few drops right in the middle of the stain and rub together for about five minutes or so.
•    Soak the garment: Mix together warm water and some more Dawn and let the garment soak in the solution for a few hours or even overnight.
•    Wash the garment: After the garment has soaked you can take it out of the soapy solution and wring it as dry as you are able. Then simply wash the garment in a regular load and use the hottest water possible going by the washing instructions of the garment. When the load is done do not put your garment in the clothes dryer.
•    Dry the garment: Remember, if you use your clothes dryer to dry the garment and the stain is not completely gone then you will be setting in the stain and your garment could get permanently ruined. Instead let the garment air dry and be sure that the stain is completely gone.
•    Repeat if necessary: You may need to repeat the process if the stain is very bad. Olive oil is sometimes fickle and some stains require more than one treatment. There is no set number but if you keep at it, the stain will eventually go away.

Once the stain is totally gone you can once again treat your garment as normal and wash and dry it with the rest of your clothes as you normally would.

Strawberry stains

How to Remove Strawberry Stains from Clothes

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Strawberry stains

One of the tastiest fruits known to man is the timeless classic known as the strawberry. The strawberry is used in many different desserts but can be enjoyed equally as well on their own. The best is getting a really ripe strawberry that latterly burst with flavor as soon as it hits your mouth. Unfortunately these strawberries also usually burst all over your clothes as well leaving a very nasty stain. These stains are some of the hardest stains you will ever have to deal with.

You can try to use the stain removers you buy at the store but they will have little to no effect on these tough stains. But don’t throw your garments away until you try the following steps to remove the strawberry stain:

•    Rinse and blot: As soon as you realize your clothing has been stained you need to run those stains under cold water for about five minutes. Then get a paper towel and blot at the stain. This will help to remove some of the stain right away and makes the removal of the rest of the stain easier on you. Be sure you are blotting and not rubbing as rubbing will simply make the stain worse.
•    Soak the stain: In a bucket of cold water and regular laundry detergent soak your garment for a while. You don’t need to soak the garment for very long, but a couple of hours certainly won’t hurt. Once the time is up take it out of the solution and wring it out.
•    Make a magic mix: Take this time to make a wonderful and easy mixture that will almost always remove the strawberry stain. To create this concoction you mix baking powder with white vinegar and mix it into a loose paste, it’s that simple.
•    Treat the stain: Next take the stained garment and spread some of the magic paste over the stain. Let this sit on the stain for twenty minutes or more and remember, no rubbing.
•    Rinse the stain again: After the twenty minutes has elapsed rinse once again with cold water.
•    Wash the stain: Now wash the garment in your washing machine using the cold water cycle. Do not throw it in the clothes dryer when the washer is finished.
•    Dry the garment: Let the garment air dry to be sure that the strawberry stain is completely gone. If you dry the garment in the clothes dryer and the stain is still there, you will set the stain in and then you may as well just toss it in the trash.
•    Repeat if needed: If the stain remains you may have to repeat the process. Strawberry stains are among the more stubborn stains in the stain family so expect to give it an application or two for best results.

Now just enjoy your strawberry eating and don’t worry about the stains that will come. After all, it is probably easier to deal with these occasional stains than it is to give up strawberries as part of your diet.

Perfume stains

How To Remove Perfume Stains

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Perfume stains

Perfumes are a wonderful way for people to add a special touch when they are getting dressed. Many people feel completely naked without perfume. For many individuals, their perfume is their signature and one of the must-haves before they are ready to leave home. With such a wide variety of perfumes on the market, there is literally something for everyone. Perfumes come in a mesmerizing blend of different scents and colors and have fascinating chemistry behind them. Despite the sexiness and complexity of perfumes, one simple thing remains as an issue for many people. Perfume stains clothing.

While we are always told to put on perfume while naked and let it dry before dressing, many people forget or neglect this advice. This means that countless individuals are left battling perfume stains when laundry time comes around. Knowing how to remove perfume stains will be a blessing for you if this is something you commonly have to deal with.

If you see that you have gotten perfume on an item of clothes, remove it right away and start stain removal techniques immediately. Getting to any stain as soon as it happens is the absolute best way to have a fighting chance at getting rid of it.

If the fabric of the item is silk, rayon or acetate, rinse it in water if it is indeed something that can be washed. By holding the item in cold running water you should be able to get rid of much of the stain. If some remains use glycerin and gently rub it into the spot. Rinse it again with more cold water. If you have still not completely gotten rid of the spot, use a weak solution of white vinegar and water. However, you should be very careful when using this type of solution. You may also want to pretest a hidden portion of the garment to check for color fastness. Rinse again with cold water before washing the item as usual.

If you have perfume stains on most other fabrics like cotton, linen, nylon, acrylic, wool, polyester, olefin and spandex, you will want to use a different stain removal method. Using a cloth that has been dampened, gently dab at the perfume stains to remove them working from the inside of the stain outwards. Be sure to place something absorbent underneath before you begin. Once the stain seems to be gone or at least, diminished, rinse the item in cold running water. Repeat the process until the stain is completely gone. If it continues to remain and the fabric is not acrylic, you can place a pad of rubbing alcohol on the stain to absorb it. It should soak up the stain and can be replaced with clean pads as necessary. When stain is gone, rinse well with water and wash as usual.

By knowing these top tips for getting rid of even the most stubborn perfume stains, you can feel confident in applying your perfume of choice, even if you’ve already dressed.

Milk stains

How to Remove Milk Stains from Clothes

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Milk stains

Milk stains are a pain in the neck and always seem to come when you least expect it. Usually they come in the morning when you are in a hurry to get to work and are trying to wolf down a bowl of cereal as you head out the door. Then you get to work only to realize that you are wearing some of that cereal in the form of a nice little milk stain. If you are lucky the stain won’t be so noticeable, but most of the time there is no such luck.

Once you have gone through the embarrassment of sporting a milk stain on your garment for the entire work day you need to know how to remove that milk stain from your garment. Well fear not because removing milk stains is not all that challenging and can easily be done with what you have in your home right now. Here is what you do:

•    Scrape away: Use the dull side of a butter knife to scrape away any excess milk that you see. The milk will dry crusty and by removing the crust you can better focus on the worst part of the stain which will be left behind deep in the fibers of the garment.
•    Rinse the stain: After you have scraped away as much of the stain as possible you will want to rinse the stain. Use cold water in this step and let it sit for a good twenty minutes.
•    Pre-treat: Using Dawn dish soap or some other type of pre-treater, apply a small amount in the middle of the stain and rub it in vigorously. Rub for about five minutes to ensure that the entire stain gets treated. You can also use a brush in this step if you prefer but again be sure that the entire stain is being treated.
•    Soak: Now without rinsing the pre-treatment, put the garment in a bucket of soapy cool water and let it sit for a while. If you want to you can soak it over night as the longer it gets to soak the better.
•    Wash: After removing the garment from the soapy solution and wringing it as dry as you can you can now launder the garment as you normally would. Once the load of laundry is done remove the milk stained garment and do not dry it in the clothes dryer with the rest of the load.
•    Dry the garment: Hang the garment up to air dry and ensure that you have successfully removed the milk stain. If you have then you can treat the garment as you normally would and if it is not then you will have to repeat the process until the stain goes away. Typically milk stains are effectively removed after one or two treatments.

Milk stains happen, especially when you are in a hurry or if you have kids. But if properly treated your garments will live to be stained another day and who knows, maybe next time it will be an entirely different stain that will challenge you further.

Butter stains

How to Remove Butter Stains from your Clothes

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Butter stains

With almost any type of food you eat butter makes it better. Butter can add flavor and taste to dishes that may otherwise not be for you. Really when you think about it, is there anything butter doesn’t make better? Well the answer is yes; clothes. Spilling melted butter on your clothes can be one of the most frustrating things you will ever do and no matter how many times you wash the garment it may seem that you can still see it. But good news, there are ways to remove butter stains from your clothes.

First of all you should never dry the butter stained article of clothing in your clothes dryer until the stain is gone because doing so will help set the stain. Once you have positively identified the butter stain here are some different tips to help you eliminate it:

•    Baking Soda: As soon as you remove your butter stained clothing, take some baking soda and sprinkle it onto the stain and rub it in gently. This will help to absorb the stain and make it easier to wash. After letting it sit for a few minutes, rinse out the baking soda with warm water.
•    Pre-treat: Once you have used baking soda and rinsed it away it is now time to pre-treat your stain. Many people like to use a pre-treat spray like Shout but there are a couple alternatives that may work even better. Using Dawn dishwashing detergent is a great way to help combat butter stains. The reason is because Dawn is designed to remove grease when washing your dishes. Well, butter is a form of grease. Another pre-treater that works well is regular hair shampoo. Not only does it seem to work very well in ridding your cloths of butter stains it is also a lot more cost effective when compared to other pre-treaters. Either way, take your pre-treater of choice and apply a small amount in the middle of the stain and then rub it in for about five minutes. Let it sit for a few minutes more and rinse again with warm water.
•    Wash garment: Now you simply wash the stained garment with the rest of your cloths but you will want to use the hottest water possible in accordance with the garment itself. Once the garment is washed do not throw it in the dryer with the rest of the load.
•    Dry the garment: Take the stained garment from the load and allow it to air dry. The reason for this is to be sure that the stain is completely gone. Remember, if you put butter stained clothes in the dryer before the stain is gone you will risk setting in the stain permanently.
•    Repeat if necessary: The stain should be gone by now but if it isn’t, simply repeat the process. Some stains are going to be more stubborn than others and may require an extra treatment or two.

Though the process may seem lengthy, it really doesn’t take all that long to accomplish and the end result may just be one of your favorite garments being saved.

Soy sauce stains

How To Remove Soy Sauce Stains

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Soy sauce stains

If you’ve ever cooked with soy sauce or eaten a meal with soy sauce what will strike you is the strong odor and salty taste. What might also strike you, if you aren’t careful, are splatter drops of soy sauce on your clothes. A single drop of soy sauce can be a very problematic thing to remove.

Of course, the best way to stainless clothes is to prevent the soy from splattering on you in the first place. Don’t wear whites and always wear something protective, like an apron. Even cover carpet areas that could become stained. If serving soy sauce to a group, have them spoon the sauce onto their plate rather than pour from anything potentially spill able. Also keep in mind that there are light and dark soy sauces. Cook with the light version as it contains lighter colors and is healthier for you too.

If the damage is done then this list modern and traditional methods should provide you with what you need to know to rid yourself of pesky soy sauce stains.

Act Fast. If you’re cooking and notice a stain on your outfit wash it as quickly as possible. Soy sauce contains a staining substance and this substance takes time to be fully absorbed into fabric. By running the affected area under lukewarm water this will be fixed.

Try Detergents. Mix some detergent with water and rub the ensuing foam on the area with the stain. Remember that not all detergents will be appropriate for your particular fabric. Some might be too strong. Read the labels and judge for yourself. Even better would be to administer the cleansing agent with a spray. Then put the garment in the washer. You’ll want to go through a wash cycle quickly because some of the very modern cleansing agents can themselves leave stains.

Dishwashing Liquid. One traditional method is to combine a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid in about a cup of water and pour it on the stained area. Then blot until dry. Next combine one tablespoon of ammonia with a cup of water and again pour it on the stained area and blot until dry. Finally, wipe the area with a clean water saturated sponge. Repeat these steps until the stain is no longer visible.

Ice. Another tradition technique involves ice. Simply rub an ice cube over the stained area. Then, run the fabric under cold water while rubbing the stained area with your hands. Hopefully, the stain will wear off.

Peroxide. For carpets that are made of stronger fabrics use a spray bottle with peroxide. Spray the stain, let it sit, and then blot up the stain with a paper towel. If the carpet is very wet, try a shop-vac on a high setting until you draw out the liquid. Just be sure to blot and vacuum without pushing the stain deeper into the carpeting.

Of course, if all else fails and you’re feeling totally hopeless, take the garment to the dry cleaner and plead for help.

Crayon stains

How To Remove Crayon Stains From Clothes

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Crayon stains

Crayon stains are the inevitable hallmark of having little kids in your home. Sooner or later a crayon makes its way into the washer and dryer or melts onto clothes in the hot sun. Nothing is more disheartening than to discover clothes that have been stained with crayons. No matter how your crayon stains happen, it is important to know how to deal with them so that they do not turn into permanent stains.

One of the trickiest parts of crayon stains is that it is a combination stain. You will have to deal with removing color and grease. Therefore multiple stain treatments may be necessary, however typically grease removal products should take care of both aspects. The main thing to remember when dealing with a crayon stain is to get started removing it as soon as you notice it. As with any clothing stain, the longer the crayon stain sits before you attempt removal the harder it will be.

The first thing you must do is to use a blunt knife or other fine-edged object to remove the excess crayon residue. Since the crayon is made of wax, you need to treat it as you would a candle stain. Place an ice cube on it to make sure it is as solid as possible and scrape off as much of it as possible.

In order to treat the grease portion of the stain, you will need to treat it as you would any grease stain. One of the best pre-treatments for grease stains is Dawn dishwashing liquid. Designed to cut grease, it can be applied directly to the stain and rubbed in. The item should then be laundered with the hottest water that is considered safe for the fabric. Another great grease-fighting pre-treatment is hand cleaner that is formulated for mechanics. The same technique is used when pre-treating using this type of product. For particularly tough crayon stains, pre-treat the stain with WD-40 before laundering the item in hot water, color-safe bleach and regular detergent. You should test check a hidden part of the garment first before using WD-40 on it.

After the item has been washed, check to make sure the stain is out. If it is not, do not dry it. Repeat the stain treatment or opt for a different stain treatment method and wash the item again. Be sure the stain is completely gone before drying the clothes. If your clothes have been stained by a crayon that made its way through the washer and dryer, make sure you clean out the dryer before you put the newly cleaned clothes back in there. The best way to remove crayon from the drum of a dryer is with WD-40.

Now that you know the secrets of removing crayon stains from clothes, you can rest easy when it happens. You surely won’t wish for crayon stains to appear because dealing with them is time consuming, but at least you know the tried and true methods to ensure your clothes are not ruined forever.

Gas stains

How to Clean Gas Out of Cloths

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Gas stains

You are in a rush and late for an appointment. You swing into the gas station and begin to fuel your vehicle up. When you are done you whip out the nozzle only to find that the gasoline was not finished going into the tank. The result is you and your clothing being soaked in gasoline. While all you have to do is take a shower to get rid of the gasoline smell, how do you get it out of your clothing?

There is perhaps no harder smell to get out of cloths and for this reason many individuals simply throw out their gas soaked garments. Before you give up though, here are some steps to take to help you rid your cloths of gasoline:

•    Pre-soak: First take the cloths off and completely soak them in warm water and then ring them dry as best you can.

•    Sunshine: Lay the cloths that are soaked with gasoline out to dry in the sun. This will completely dry the cloths and the sun and fresh air will help to start the smell of the gasoline to dissipate.

•    Soak clothing: Next mix warm water with some vinegar and swash the clothing around in it. Make sure you agitate the material of the clothing well so that the vinegar can penetrate the gasoline and do its job. Let the cloths sit in the solution for about 20 minutes. Take them out of the solution and put them back in the sun to dry.

•    Soak again: Mix another solution of warm water and this time use Dawn liquid detergent. In addition to putting the Dawn in the water, put it directly on the spots where the gasoline soaked the garment and rub it in. Then swash the cloths in the solution and let it sit for an additional 20 minutes. Take the clothing out of the solution and once again put them in the sun to dry.

•    Use baby oil: Since gasoline is an oil based product, it will need the help of an oil based product to get it out of your cloths. Put your gasoline stained cloths in the washer and use regular detergent and top it off with a small amount of baby oil. Be sure you are only washing the gas laden cloths and nothing else.

•    Sunshine again: You guessed it, more sunshine. Because the baby oil will be in the clothing now, you will want to set the cloths back out into the sun and let them dry. If you put an oil based product in the dryer you could be risking a fire. You will have to wash the cloths several more times before the baby oil is completely gone.

•    Repeat: For tougher gasoline stains, you may have to repeat this process a couple of times.

While it is a lengthy process it does in fact work. At the very least it is worth a shot before you just throw away cloths that are perfectly fine and can be saved.

Cigarette odor

How To Remove Cigarette Odor From T-Shirts And Clothing

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Cigarette odor

Taking care of the T-shirts and clothing we wear is something we all have to do. For many people clothing care is simply nothing more than tossing clothes in the washer and dryer with some laundry detergent and fabric softener and hanging them up or folding them when they are dry. Occasionally there will be the need to do a little stain pretreatment, if an item of clothing gets something on it that is hard to get off. So all in all, it seems a pretty easy process. However, some things that get on clothes can not be seen but they can easily ruin the impression of a clean T-shirt. Such offenders are odors, like hard to remove cigarette odors. If smoke has permeated your clothing you may even be able to smell it after you’ve laundered it.

If you are not about to wash the clothes in question you can remove the odor by hanging your odorous item of clothing in the bathroom. Put about an inch of very hot water in the bathtub with 4 cups of vinegar added to the water. Leave the T-shirt or other smoky item hanging there with the door closed until the item smells fresh again. This is the best way to get rid of smoke odors without actually washing.

If you’ve come back from a night out and your clothes need to be washed anyway, you can remove the odor of smoke by adding vinegar to the wash. Simply fill the washer with water, add the laundry detergent and a cup of vinegar; then add the clothes. Never pour vinegar straight onto your clothes and never leave your clothes sitting in water with vinegar in it. Vinegar has a natural bleaching effect and while this is great for white clothing, it will fade darker clothing. When the wash cycle is done, dry the clothes as usual.

Adding baking soda to your laundry detergent or using a detergent with baking soda in it will also do an effective job of removing cigarette smoke from clothes. Mixing washing soda, borax and ivory bar soap flakes together in your washer will also make a great homemade remedy for removing smoke odors. Another suggestion is to use heavily perfumed laundry detergent in hot water and dry the clothes in a hot dryer to rid your clothes of cigarette smells.

Hot sauce stains

How to Remove Hot Sauce Stains from Clothing

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Hot sauce stains

Nothing ruins the flavor of a great basket of hot wings quite like a giant splatter of hot sauce dripping down your white t-shirt. When this happens, it’s helpful to know a little about the ingredients in hot sauce and how to remove hot sauce stains.

There are countless recipes for hot sauce, with different variations found around the globe. Mexico, the United States, the West Indies, China, Thailand, Vietnam and Japan all feature unique versions of this distinctive sauce, among others. The primary ingredient in hot sauce is chili peppers. The peppers can be soaked in anything from vinegar, oil and alcohol to fruits and vegetable pulps. Other ingredients are often included to add flavor and/or heat, such as garlic or mustards.

Hot sauces vary in heat according to the types of peppers used in them. Jalapeño sauces are usually the mildest available, followed by sauces made from cayenne and red chilies. Sauces made with Tabasco peppers (such as the famous Tabasco® sauce) are hotter than jalapeño and cayenne sauces. Unlike some other hot sauces, Tabasco brand sauce is aged in casks before bottling, similar to wine. Habanero sauces rank among the fieriest, and are to be used with caution unless you’re a hot sauce veteran.

The staining ability of hot sauce is greatly affected by the recipe, particularly when ingredients such as tomatoes or carrots are added. Most Mexican-style hot sauces focus on the flavor of the pepper, so there is very little vinegar or other ingredients. In the United States, the primary ingredients of hot sauce are chili peppers, vinegar and salt. Some milder sauces also include tomato sauce to dilute the heat of the peppers. Asian chili sauces are more of a thick paste, or they are made by infusing the peppers in oil or brine.

Because peppers are organic and water-based, hot sauce stains should be removed the same way you would handle any tomato or red sauce stain. First, remove the shirt and run it under very hot water for several minutes. This will flush away most, if not all, of the stain. If a stain is still visible after several minutes of flushing, try rubbing it with a bit of dish soap or liquid laundry detergent, then let the stain soak for a half-hour. Follow with hot water flush. Repeat until the stain is gone, then run the shirt through your usual laundry cycle.

If the hot sauce ingredients include oil, it is also a good idea to soak the stain in a laundry treatment such as Shout or Oxyclean prior to washing to dissolve the oil. Never run stained clothing through the dryer as this will cook the stain into the fabric, making it nearly impossible to remove.

Chocolate milk stains

How to Remove Chocolate Milk Stains

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Chocolate milk stains

Those of us who don’t like chocolate are few and far between. The amazing taste of the cacao bean was discovered 2,000 years ago in the rainforests of the Americas. The ancient peoples of Mexico and Central America mixed the ground beans, found in the pods of the cacao tree, with other seasonings to make a frothy and somewhat bitter drink. Drinking chocolate was an important part of the lifestyle of these civilizations, much as coffee drinking is to modern times. Spanish conquistadors took the drink back to Europe, where it quickly became a favorite, so much so that native Americans and Africans were enslaved to farm and produce the beans. Over time, other concoctions using cacao were created. The popularity of the chocolate flavor gradually spread throughout the world, evolving into new textures and items that are now enjoyed by countless numbers of people.

The creation of chocolate milk is credited to Sir Hans Sloane, a British physician and collector. That gentleman discovered chocolate while practicing medicine in Jamaica in 1689. There the locals drank cocoa mixed with water. The good doctor is said to have found the drink disgusting, and devised a way to mix cocoa with milk to make the taste more pleasant. Upon returning to England, Sloane brought his recipe with him, and it was later dispensed by apothecaries for medicinal purposes. By the 1800’s, tins of Sloane’s “drinking chocolate” were being sold by the famous Cadbury brothers.

Chocolate milk is one of those simple pleasures in life that can be enjoyed by young and old alike. It can also cause major problems if it happens to come in contact with your favorite white shirt or little Johnny’s best khaki dress pants. This is because milk contains natural lactose sugar and fats, while chocolate syrup contains sugar and cocoa powder (with cocoa butter proteins). When combined, these two create a powerful stain punch.

To combat a nasty chocolate milk stain, move quickly. Grab some paper towels to blot up the excess and try to prevent a larger stain. Keep pressing a clean towel against the fabric to pull out as much moisture as possible. Next, wet a sponge with cold water (it’s very important that the water temperature be cold, otherwise you will help to set the stain) and wipe the wet stain over and over. Blot with a clean paper towel, and repeat.

Because milk and chocolate are organic, they should not be cleaned with chemicals and other non-organic cleansing agents. This will actually “cook” the stain onto the material, making removal much more difficult, if not impossible.

Another trick is to use a bit of lemon juice. Sprinkle the juice on the stain while the fabric is wet, then lay it in the sun. The juice and sun will work together to lighten and brighten stubborn organic stains. This will not be as effective if the stain is old or has been treated with chemicals which cooked it into the fabric.

Now even if the chocolate milk wins, you can rest easy knowing you’ll soon be able to get your stain-free groove on.

Cigar odor

How To Remove Cigar Odor From T-Shirts And Clothing

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Cigar odor

The smell of cigars is usually something that people either love or hate. Even nonsmokers often revel in the smell of a good cigar. It is a much more alluring scent than that of cigarettes. However, that interesting aroma that you can enjoy when someone is smoking a cigar around you is not the same when it is on an item of clothing. The stale, funky odor of cigar smoke on a T-shirt or other item of clothing is less than enjoyable. In fact, even if you are wearing perfectly clean clothes, the smell can make it seem as if your clothes are dirty. So what do you do about clothes that have picked up the rank odor of old cigar smoke?

If the odor is very faint it can still be significant enough to bother a non-smoker or someone who is very sensitive to odors. In the case of very mild odors, simply washing the item as you normally would tends to take care of the smell. Be sure to use a laundry detergent and fabric softener with a scent in it in order to completely eradicate the cigar odor. Adding vinegar or baking soda to your detergent also helps to intensify the odor-erasing power of it.

For stronger odors you can pretreat your clothes liberally with Febreeze fabric spray or some other similar product designed to eliminate odors. This is best done outside. Wash the item in a mixture of laundry soap, 1 cup of baking soda and fabric softener for the rinse cycle. Drying it outside or on high heat in the dryer will make sure that any lingering odor is completely gone.

If you don’t have time to wash your clothes out and want the smell of cigars gone now, you can again turn to a fabric odor eliminator like Febreeze and spray your clothes generously with it. Let the item dry or dry it according to care instructions before wearing it. The only drawback with this method is that Febreeze tends to have a rather perfume-like odor that can be overwhelming.

Urine stains

How to Remove Dog and Cat Urine Stains from Clothing

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Urine stains

While nothing in life gives you pleasure like your four legged friends, nothing gives you quite the same feeling of madness when they urinate on your favorite cloths. Anyone who owns a dog or a cat has experienced this at least once –and probably a lot more- in the life of a pet. While there is nothing quite as nasty as the pungent odor that comes with the ugly stain, there is a rather easy home remedy to get both out in the wash.

First of all if your cat or dog urinated on your whites, like your undershirts, you are in luck. A simple wash cycle using a healthy amount of bleach should do the trick. But usually fluffy finds your favorite shirt, skirt, jeans, or slacks to relieve himself on and the solution is not so cut and dry.

For all other clothing try this simple method. First it is important to absorb as much of the pet urine as possible with paper towels. Blotting the stain usually proves the most effective. Next mix 3 parts hot water with one part of white distilled vinegar and soak the articles of clothing in the solution. Soak the clothing for about 35 to 40 minutes and then launder as you normally would. If you wish, an added measure can be taken to ensure the smell comes completely out. Simply add a quarter cup of apple cider vinegar in with your normal detergent and that should insure that the smell is gone.

For delicates the process is much the same except instead of using hot water use cold water. Also do not use the apple cider vinegar for anything that is delicate. It is better to soak it twice in regular vinegar if need be.

Once your laundry is done, it is important to make sure that the area where the clothing was is also ridded of the odor. If it is not, that is like telling your furry friend that they can have a bathroom break there anytime they want to. Using the same solution of vinegar and water usually does the trick for carpets and bleach and water does the trick if the wall was hit.

There are a number of cat and dog urine stain removers that can be purchased at a place like Pets Mart but when you buy those products you are taking your chances. Besides, most of those products are rather expensive as compared to a bottle or two of vinegar.

Remember cats and dogs are like children that never grow up. They can be fickle little creatures and will urinate on your clothing for a number of reasons. Some cats do it because of a full litter box and dogs sometimes do it because they just can’t hold it until you wake up. The point is that your fuzzy companion will urinate on your cloths every now and then. It’s just one of the joys of being a pet owner. But with the remedy discussed above, hopefully the next accident your pet has won’t be such a big deal.

How to Clean a Chocolate Stain From a T-Shirt

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Chocolate can be a very difficult thing to get out of t-shirt. It is sticky and thick, making it easy for chocolate to attach itself to fabric. Unless it is removed properly, chocolate can ruin a t-shirt. But with a little effort, it is possible to get all of the chocolate out of your t-shirt.

Once chocolate is spilled on a y-shirt, it’s important to quickly remove as much as possible. You may need to scrape away some the chocolate to remove it from the fabric. To do this, use a brush to scrub away as much chocolate as possible. Use a scrub brush or tooth brush to scrub the fabric in just one direction rather than back and forth. This will minimize the amount of damage that can occur to the fabric. This will lift away some of the chocolate. To keep it away from your t-shirt, press a cotton cloth into the stain to take away the chocolate you have lifted out.

Once you get the excess chocolate out of the fabric, you’ll need to get the rest of it out. To do this, you will need a strong cleaner that can lift the stain away from the fibers. Washing powder is a good, neutralizing substance that can be extremely good for moving this type of stain. You can make a paste out of equal parts of water and washing powder. Press this mixture into the fabric and brush it into the fibers. Then, let the mixture sit and soak into the fabric. This will allow the washing powder to separate the chocolate from the fibers.

When this is completed, wash away the mixture with very cold water. Using hot water can set the stain if any chocolate is left behind. Once you have washed in cold water, try a pre-treating stain solution if any chocolate has remained behind. Let that solution sits on the t-shirt for as long as the directions indicate. Then, wash it in the laundry as usual.

If the chocolate spills on a white t-shirt, it is much easier to remove the chocolate stain. Simply use a small amount of bleach directly on the t-shirt to remove the stain. Using a small amount that is applied with a cotton swab will keep you from applying too much bleach. Bleach can weaken fabrics, so it’s best to use as little as possible. Use the cotton swab to paint the bleach all over the stain. Allow the T-shirt to sit for at least 15 minutes in order to let the bleach do its work.

Check on the t-shirt periodically to make sure it that the stain is fading. You may need to add slightly more bleach if any chocolate remains on the shirt. Once the chocolate stain has faded, rinse the bleached area in cold water and wash the t-shirt in the laundry on cold. If you have used bleach, be sure to wash your t-shirt only with other whites to avoid bleaching the other clothing.