How to remove old stains from clothes at home?

The most unpleasant thing that can happen to your favorite thing is a stain that appears unexpectedly and in the most inconvenient place. Unfortunately, a universal stain remover does not exist in nature, so every housewife needs to know how to remove old stains from clothes at home. In order not to have to put beautiful things in the closet or even take them to the country because of one unpleasant spot, use our simple tips outlined in this article.

In order for the fight against stains to be effective, it is necessary to adhere to the general rules:

1. If possible, remove all dirt from the fabric immediately, since a dried stain is much more difficult to remove. Most fresh stains can be removed with clean water. Rinse the problem area first with cold and then with hot water.
2. Before treating the pollution with a special agent, find out the nature of the origin of this stain. This will help you choose the most effective way to remove it.
3. Test the effects of chemicals first on an inconspicuous area of ​​the product (on the hem, on a spare piece of fabric, on stocks at the seams). If the fabric is not affected by the exposure to the product, proceed to remove the stain.
4. Do not use overly concentrated chemical solutions. It is better to repeat the treatment of the tissue with a weak solution several times, alternating the procedure by washing the problem area.
5. Before removing any stain, the thing must be cleaned of dust, first with a dry and then with a wet brush.
6. Remove dirt from the wrong side by placing a sheet of blotting paper (paper napkins) under the fabric.
7. To remove stains, use cotton pads (tampons), a soft white cloth or a soft brush. To prevent the blot from blurring, wipe the contaminated area from the edge to the middle.
8. Do not use bleach to remove stains on colored fabrics, as they may destroy the dye.
9. After removing the stain, be sure to wash the product in the usual way.

Important! Carry out the washing of products, adhering to the simple rules that we have collected in our separate reviews:

Determining pollution correctly

The origin of the spots is very different. You can just accidentally sit on a dirty bench, drop something on your favorite shirt (blouse) while working or at a feast, drop a piece of cooked food, etc. Conventionally, all stains can be divided into the following groups:

• Soluble in water. This category includes food products containing sugar, wood glue, water-soluble dyes.
• Soluble in organic agents (gasoline, alcohol). This category includes the following contaminants: grease, machine oil, varnish, resin, cream, shoe polish, wax, parquet mastic, oil paint.
• Insoluble in water and organic solvents. This type of pollution includes: blood, pus, mold, urine, tannins, water-insoluble natural and artificial paints, protein substances, salt and metal oxides.

To remove each type of stain, special treatment and special tools are needed. An important condition for a successful fight against pollution is the correct determination of its origin and the material of the product.

Important! It should be remembered that aggressive preparations (vinegar and acetone) cannot be used on nylon, acetate, PVC fibers, as they destroy them.

To correctly recognize the nature of the spot, carefully consider its borders and color:

• Fat spots do not have pronounced boundaries. Contours of pollution are blurred or appear in the form of rays spread in all directions. Old grease stains are lighter than fresh blots and most often appear even on the reverse side of the material.
• Stains that do not contain fat (beer, tea, wine, fruit juice) have a sharp outline. The contour of the contamination is darker than the stain itself. The color of pollution varies from yellow to brown.
• Combined stains containing fatty and non-fatty substances (milk, blood, soup, sauce, coffee with milk, street dust) have more or less defined spots. It all depends on the fat content in the pollution. Such stains usually linger on the surface of the material, and the fat only penetrates deeper. These are the most common contaminants.
• Oxidized spots have different edges. Depending on the time of formation, they turn yellow or red, and some become brown. Such spots appear on old pollution under the influence of light, oxygen and other factors. For example, stains from cosmetics, berries, fruits, tea, coffee, mold usually oxidize over time, and it is most difficult to remove such problem areas.

Important! All of these contaminants are most often found in abundance on kitchen towels. To remove each stain with a separate tool, you see, is very difficult. Follow the link to find out on our portal of useful tips all the information about.

Fat spots

Grease stains are the most difficult to remove because they penetrate deep into the fibers of any fabric.

Important! The older the stain, the more effective and aggressive the product should be. In addition to the untidy appearance, such areas of the fabric also have a persistent odor.

To get rid of the problem, use the following recommendations:

• To remove grease stains from dense rough fabrics, use aggressive solvents: gasoline, white spirit, nail polish remover (acetone). Apply a small amount of the product to the sponge and wipe the problem area.
• For delicate fabrics, use glycerin and ammonia. Heat glycerin to 40 degrees, apply to the stain and soak the problem area in water with ammonia.
• Dishwashing detergent can easily deal with grease stains on colored fabrics. Apply the product to the fabric and it will dissolve the fat without ruining the color of the product.
• Wipe greasy places on the collar of outerwear with a cotton swab dipped in a solution of sodium chloride and ammonia (10%). To prepare a solution, 5 g of salt per 25 g of ammonia is enough.
• Wipe old fat blots with white soap diluted in gasoline in a ratio of 1:10. Leave the item on for 1 hour and then wash off the stain with gasoline.
• Light products from greasy blots will be relieved by a mixture of refined gasoline and potato flour (starch). Prepare a slurry of the ingredients and apply to the contamination. Wait until the mixture dries, shake off the remnants of the product. Rinse the treated area with clean water.

How to remove old sweat stains?

Most often, clothes suffer from sweat. Even observing all hygiene standards, using deodorants and other cosmetics, no one is immune from ingrained unpleasant yellow stains on everyday clothes that leave sweat stains.

Important! These contaminants contain inorganic salts (sulfates, salt, phosphates) and organic wastes (acids, urea, fat, cholesterol). The acids found in sweat stains damage fabric fibers and decompose fabric dyes. Regular washing of the product, unfortunately, does not always solve the problem, so light-colored summer clothes very often become unusable in one season.

To prevent this from happening, you need to know how to remove a stain on white clothes at home in order to extend the life of your favorite things.

We suggest you take advantage of folk wisdom and use the following recipes to combat pollution:

• Rub the sweat stain with laundry soap, leave the product for a while. Laundry soap has a whitening effect and does not harm even delicate fabrics. Rinse the cloth, if traces of sweat remain, then wipe them with a strong saline solution. Salt removes dirt without destroying the fabric.
• To remove old sweat stains, add a little ammonia to the water during washing (1 teaspoon of alcohol per 1 liter of water).
• If you do not know how to remove stains from a white shirt at home, then use hydrogen peroxide (an incomplete teaspoon of the product in a glass of water). Rinse the cleaned area with warm boiled water.
• For colored items, use vinegar (9%). Dilute 10 ml of vinegar in 80 ml of water, wipe the contaminated area with the solution. Rinse the fabric immediately after treatment so that the solution does not cause discoloration during prolonged exposure.
• Remove the oldest and most difficult sweat marks on collars and folds of clothing with a benzine soap mixed with ammonia. Rub the composition on problem areas before washing the product.

How to remove old stains from clothes at home?

In addition to grease and sweat, our clothes are exposed to other contaminants. The most common stains are food, cosmetics, paint (ink), drinks (tea, coffee, juice, wine, beer, etc.). All pollution, of course, is better to remove immediately after the appearance, but if this did not happen, then we suggest that you familiarize yourself with effective folk remedies for old stains.

Dairy

Remove milk stains with a mixture containing 2 tablespoons of glycerin, 2 tablespoons of water and a few drops of ammonia. Treat the problem area with a solution, place it between two layers of white cotton fabric and iron it.

Important! Soak colored woolen items contaminated with milk or ice cream with glycerin heated to 35 degrees. Leave the item on for 10 minutes, then wash the treated area with soapy water and rinse in warm and then cold water.

Blood

Soak old blood stains in cold water first (hot water causes blood to clot). After soaking, treat the area with a solution of ammonia (1 teaspoon per glass of water) and then with a solution of borax (1 teaspoon per glass of water).

Cosmetics

Remove the trace of cosmetic cream or perfume with alcohol. Treat hair dye stains with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia, taken in equal proportions. The trace of lipstick is well removed by borax crystals. Cover the stain with brown, then rinse the fabric first with soapy water and then with clean water.

Fruits and juices

Remove contaminants from fruit juices with a mixture of vodka and glycerin, taken in equal proportions. Old stains will come off easier if you hold the cloth over steam and wipe them with vinegar or lemon juice, diluting the component in half with vodka. After treatment, wipe the fabric with a cotton pad soaked in a solution of water and ammonia.

Dye

Old paint after repair can only be removed with turpentine. However, along with the paint, you can also remove the color of the fabric, so before applying the product, test it on an inconspicuous area. After the paint has softened under the influence of turpentine, remove it with a knife or brush. Wash the item after cleaning.

Grass

Herbal stains lend themselves perfectly to treatment with alcohol (vodka) and a solution of table salt.

Important! If the clothes are made of fabric that cannot be washed and processed, then entrust the removal of stains to professionals. Dry cleaners are highly experienced and have professional tools in their arsenal that can deal with any old and problematic stains.

Alcohol

Remove traces of beer, champagne, wine with soapy water and baking soda. Since old wine stains are difficult to remove the first time, use a mixture of glycerin and egg yolk in a 1: 1 ratio to combat them. Apply the mixture to the stain, and after a few hours, wash with soapy water and rinse in warm water.

Chocolate, tea and coffee:

• To remove old chocolate marks on whites, wipe them for 15 minutes with hydrogen peroxide.
• Remove coffee and strong tea stains first with a brush dipped in warm water, and then wash in warm soapy water with the addition of ½ teaspoon of soda ash and 1 teaspoon of ammonia (per 1 liter of water). After processing, rinse the product first in warm, and then in cold water, slightly acidified with vinegar.

Mold

Remove mold marks on cotton fabrics with chalk. Cover the problem area with dry finely crushed chalk. Cover the top of the stain with a paper towel or blotting paper and run a hot iron over the treated area. Carry out the cleaning procedure several times.

Important! The smell of dampness, mold and mustiness can be found even in the most modern housing. The reason for this phenomenon is excessive moisture, which contributes to the reproduction of fungi. As soon as you feel that an unpleasant smell comes from your clothes from the closet, proceed to.

Rust

It is quite difficult to remove rust, because with a long stay on the fabric, iron oxides destroy the fibers:

• Remove traces of rust with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Wet the stain with juice and iron it with a hot iron through a clean white cloth. After that, wipe the stain again with a cotton swab moistened with juice and rinse the treated area with warm water.
• Remove rust marks from colored fabrics with a mixture of glycerin, soap and water, taken in equal proportions. Rub the contamination with the mixture and leave the product for a day. After processing, wash and rinse the item.

Important! If you have managed to get stains out of delicate fabrics without damaging them, then we hope you will be able to not ruin clothes during ironing. Our review will be your faithful assistant in this.

Ink

Remove ink stains with glycerin. Keep the blot in glycerin for at least an hour, and then rinse the fabric in warm, slightly salted water. Remove remaining marks with warm soapy water.

Burns:

• Moisten the trace of a hot iron on clothes with onion juice and leave for several hours. Then wash the item.
• If the pollution is large, then put onion gruel on it and leave it for a while. After this treatment, the item should be thoroughly rinsed in cold water.
• Remove burn marks from white fabrics with a mixture of 0.5 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide and a few drops of ammonia.

As you can see, there are many ways to get rid of unpleasant stubborn stains of any origin. You can use grandmother's secrets for this purpose, or you can use modern professional stain removers. All these means are able to restore the former purity of things, moreover, they do not take much time and effort. We hope that in our article you have found effective ways to remove any dirt, and now you know exactly how to remove stains from a white shirt. Take care of your favorite clothes and they will decorate your wardrobe for a long time to come!