Raise your hand if this has happened to you - you throw on a sweater or t-shirt only to find a stain you haven’t the foggiest notion the source of. As a rule of thumb, when treating stains, it’s always important to consider these two things: where the stain came from and the type of fabric and garment it’s on. But when the answer to that first one is a total mystery, here’s what to do.
ID Clues
The location of the stain, how the stain smells, and the color of the stain may be able to offer you some indicators as to what it's from. For instance, old oil or grease stains may smell a little rancid, but appear dry. If the color and scents correspond with a potential stain source such as wine, chocolate, or fruit, then you will have more information to go off of. As a rule of thumb, if a stain appears brown or rich in color, it is protein-based and will require a stain treatment with enzymes to lift it. If the stain is gray, it is rich in oil or grease and will require a stain remover treated to latch onto oil molecules to dissolve it. If the spot is yellow, it is either a sweat stain or a combination stain, consisting of both protein and oil.
Treat Protein Stains
Treat the stain with Stain Solution and work in with a Stain Brush until it begins to lift. Next, soak the garment in a bath of warm or hot water for 30 minutes to help further break up the spot. Machine or hand wash with the appropriate detergent to help whiten and brighten the garment. We love Signature Detergent for everyday laundry. Before drying, do a once-over to ensure the stain is completely gone. Machine drying a stained garment will make it more difficult to remove later on. If remnants of the spot remains, repeat the above process.
Tackle Oil Stains
Use Stain Solution and work into the fabric. This formula effectively removes new and old/set-in protein, tannin, and oil stains – from stubborn pit stains to ink, tomato sauce, salad dressing and grass stains. Machine or hand wash with the appropriate detergent to help whiten and brighten the garment. We love Signature Detergent for everyday laundry. Before drying, do a once-over to ensure the stain is completely gone. Machine drying a stained garment will make it more difficult to remove later on. If remnants of the spot remains, repeat the above process.
