How to Remove Laundry Stains. An Expert’s Guide


My sister-in-law, Lucinda, is one of my favorite people on the planet (and not just because she is the main caretaker to the cutest kid under 18 on the planet, my niece, Elsa…) She’s a great cook, a huge encouragement to my kids, and she puts up with my baby brother on a daily basis. A saint, really.
But little did I know the secret talents that my sister-in-law possessed in the stain-removal area. (Honed to perfection by the cute girl sliding down the tube, pictured…)
My mom told me, with great admiration in her voice, that Lucinda could “Get any stain out of anything.”
And since this blog is all about getting to the good stuff in life, I thought that if we all had a sure fire stain removal system, that could free up hours every year to do more exciting things like write a book, start a non-profit, or redecorate a room. (Or perhaps I am just REALLY bad at stain removal…)
Here is Lucinda’s surefire strategy:
How to Remove Laundry Stains
- Spray with stain remover. Honestly – what kind doesn’t really matter. Pick your favorite and really douse it.
- Rub and let set for a while. Patience is important here.
- Put garment in 1/4 c of Oxi Clean and 1 gallons of water and let soak until you wash a load of clothes.
- Wash with other like clothes.
- Check the stained items before transferring them to dryer; if the stain is still visible put the garment aside and start the process over again (though the stains often come out even after going through the dryer). Sun exposure helps lighten stains.
Other note on how to remove laundry stains from Lucinda: “Peroxide with liquid laundry detergent works wonders on wine stains, and my mom even used it to clean a doggie vomit stain from her carpet. I rarely follow the advice of testing for color fastness on a section of fabric that is inconspicuous; I either try to get rid of the stain or just live with it.”
“I think it all comes down to a little elbow grease & persistence (like many things in life). Oh, and it is probably true that smarter women (and/or men) worry far less about the stains in their children’s clothes.”
I couldn’t agree with her last couple of sentences more…
Want Kathi’s Wildly popular Homemade HE Laundry Detergent Recipe?
Hydrogen peroxide is great for getting blood out. I rub in blue Dawn dish soap on grease stains and let it sit for a week or so. I make my own stain remover spray with 1 part blue Dawn dish soap and 2 parts hydrogen peroxide.
Wonderful! I have a section of my blog dedicated to what I call “The Hamster Wheel”, (you know dishes and laundry) the two chores that seem to never end! I will have to add this to my postings! I also am a firm believer in vinegar. It’s good for so many things related to laundry.
I started making my own laundry soap about 18 months ago. I make it in bulk and only have to make it once a year! Where most laundry soaps cost between .06 -.12 cents a load and are not very good at getting stains out, mine costs .03 cents a load and is GREAT for those residual stains!
Thanks for sharing!!!!
Oh, and here’s the link to the Hamster Wheel posts in case you’re interested!
http://spergerswoman.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Hamster%20Wheel
Great idea! Thanks will try ; )
I use amonia to get stains out, and it really works great and it does not hurt any type of material. I even put a capfull in all my loads of laundry and you can’t smell it on any of the clothes. My mom told me about this years ago ; )