Wear & Care
How to add years to the life of your clothes!
And other cautionary tales about eating spaghetti in a clean white shirt….
Granny was right. Despite the dizzying array of specialised laundry products available, the tried and traditional methods are often the best way to get rid of those stubborn marks from your clothes.
| PROBLEM | REMEDY |
| Adhesive Sticky Tape | Rub gently with mineral turps |
| Alcohol | Blot with lukewarm water and neutral detergents. |
| Battery Acid | Neutralise with weak solution of baking soda and water. |
| Beer | Sponge with water. |
| Beetroot | Cover with salt and moisten with milk, then rinse. |
| Blood | Wet with lukewarm water (never hot) and bar soap, rub on cold moist starch and allow to dry. |
| Chocolate & Cocoa | Wash in warm soapy water then rinse. If stain persists sponge with water and a few drops of hydrogen peroxide. (Watch out with coloured garments – hydrogen peroxide = bleach!) |
| Chewing Gum | Soak with oil of eucalyptus, then rinse. |
| Coffee | Sponge with warm water and detergent. |
| Cream | Sponge with cold water and detergent. If necessary follow with mineral turps when dry, then rinse. |
| Deodorants | Warm water and detergent with a few drops of cloudy ammonia. |
| Fruit or Jam | Soak in solution of warm water, detergent and white vinegar. |
| Grass | Sponge with cold water, then cover stain with cream of tartar and brush off when dry. |
| Iron (rust) Stains | Rub gently with lemon juice and rinse. |
| Lipstick | Apply eucalyptus oil then rinse. |
| Mascara | Blot gently with mineral turps. |
| Mayonnaise | Weak solution of water, detergent and cloudy ammonia. |
| Nicotine | Weak solution of detergent and bicarbonate of soda and water. |
| Oil (vegetable) | Keep moist with kerosene ASAP and take to drycleaners. |
| Paint | Light surface stains can be removed with mineral turps. |
| Perfume | Wash with baking soda and water solution. |
| Perspiration | Treat with bar soap and expose to sunshine. |
| Polish (shoe/furniture) |
|
| Soft Drink | Providing stain is still wet, sponge with water. |
| Soot (on fabric) | Use stiff brush followed by mineral turps, then wash. |
| Tar | Blot gently with mineral turps and rinse. |
| Tea | Sponge immediately with warm water and detergent. |
| Tomato Sauce | Sponge with warm water and detergent. |
| Urine |
|
| Vaseline | Apply mineral turps, then rinse. Warning: Vaseline sets with heat. |
| Vomit | White vinegar, warm water and detergent. |
| Wine (Red) | Apply white wine or salt and let dry. |
| Wine (White) | Apply white vinegar then rinse. |
NB.
• Many stains become “set” if left untreated. Never apply heat to a stain for too long.
• The suggestions for removing stains have been compiled as a service to our consumers. We are unable to guarantee or be responsible for the results obtained by these procedures. You may also wish to consult your local cleaner for further recommendations. Before attempting the stain removal method, test each procedure on an inconspicuous area of the material to be cleaned.
