Urban Blog

Whether you’re trying to go green by using more environmentally friendly products, or you’re trying to save money by not wasting cash on bottle after bottle of pricey stain remover from the grocery store, you’ll appreciate these natural ways to clean stains.

• Rubbing alcohol is great for pen ink stains and markers.  You’ll want to blot or rub some on the item and let it sit for about 30 minutes to allow the alcohol to break down the fibers.  Then toss in the washer.
• Mixing vinegar and baking soda (just like that homemade volcano you might have made in the third grade) will break down grease and oily stains.  It will work well on arm pit stains and the ring around the neckline of a dress shirt as well.  Mix them together and scrub onto the stain.  Rinse and repeat until the stain is out, then toss in the washer for a normal cleaning.
• Hydrogen peroxide will work fantastically for pet stains, coffee, and tea and general stains.  Simply put some in a spray bottle and spray when it’s needed.  Blot with a cloth (preferably a micro fiber cloth), rinse and repeat until the stain is gone.  Wash as usual.
• Ice cubes will work perfectly to remove gum and wax from clothes.  The ice will harden the gum or ice, allowing you to simply pick them from the clothing.  Once the hardened pieces are off, you can then use vinegar and baking soda as described above to remove any residual stains.
• Clotheslines in the sun are a great stain remover as well.  The sun acts as a natural whitener, so putting your clothes out to the sun will keep your whites white and remove any small stains you may have.

It’s important to remember to not dry the clothing until you have removed the stain.  Drying will set the stain into the fibers of the fabric, making future stain removal extremely difficult, if not impossible.  If you’re out in public and spill on your shirt, but don’t have these items handy, simply use any type of soap you can find (hand soap from the bathroom is fine), dab it on the stain and let it be.  Don’t rub the stain as you might be rubbing it further into the fabric.

For more information about clotheslines, please contact us today!