Have you got a stain on your new jumper? Sometimes it's impossible to keep your favourite garments free of tough stains, and often they are discovered far too late. The worst in this category are blueberry stains, red wine stains and blood stains. In general, you need to work quickly to remove stains. The sooner you treat them with some form of stain removal, the more likely the garment will survive.
Remove blueberry stains
Blueberry stains are not to be trifled with, as the berry easily stains both clothes and hands. Therefore, it can be difficult to avoid blueberry stains when you are in the kitchen or in the blueberry forest. But if you do get a stubborn blueberry stain, there's a simple housekeeping trick you can use. All you need for this tip is boiling water and a colander. Before you get started, it's a good idea to try hot water on the fabric. Some textiles are sensitive to hot water, in which case you should wash the garment according to the washing instructions instead.
Do this:
- Place the colander upside down in the sink
- Place the garment over the colander so that the fabric is smooth
- Carefully pour the boiling water over the blueberry patches
- The warm water causes the stain to dissolve
- Wash the garment in the washing machine according to the washing instructions
This method allows you to spot treat a specific stain. If the garment is severely affected by blueberry stains, you can also put it in a deep bowl and cover it completely with hot water.
Removing red wine stains
Red wine stains are another devastating stain that can be difficult to remove. Red wine gets its intense colour from the skin of the grape, and it quickly gives off colour when it comes into contact with textiles. To remove red wine stains, there are a few classic housewife tricks: using salt, bicarbonate of soda, potato flour or washing-up liquid. The reason why salt and bicarbonate of soda work against red wine stains is that they absorb the red wine before it sticks to the fabric. Again, it is important to act as quickly as possible for best results.
Salt, bicarbonate of soda or potato flour - here's how
- Act quickly and grab what you have closest to hand, usually salt
- Sprinkle the red wine stain liberally with salt, bicarbonate of soda or potato flour
- Leave on for 10 minutes
- Use the vacuum cleaner to remove the powder
Once you have dried out the stain, you can wash the garment in the washing machine as usual. For furniture or carpets, you may need to resort to the next tip below: washing-up liquid.
If you serve red wine at a dinner party, it's almost inevitable that you'll spill it on your tablecloth or shirt.
Book party cleaning for a sparkling clean home the next day here!
Detergent to remove red wine stains
Dishwashing detergent is useful if you can't wash the fabric in a washing machine. If you have a stubborn red wine stain on your carpet or armchair, you can continue to remove the stain with washing-up liquid and a damp sponge. Apply a small drop of detergent to the centre of the stain and rub in. Then dampen a sponge and dab the stain. Avoid rubbing the sponge around the fabric, as this can cause the stain to spread and become even worse. Voilà! The stain is gone.
Removing blood stains
Bloodstains are not quite as stubborn as blueberry stains, but they still require some time and patience to remove. A fresh bloodstain can be removed quickly by rinsing under cold water. An old bloodstain, on the other hand, needs to be soaked to really disappear. Whether it's fresh or old, it's a good idea to dry it out with salt before putting the garment in the washing machine.
Did you know that you can also get rid of small blood stains by soaking them with your own saliva? According to the laws of chemistry, saliva contains enzymes that break down the chemical bonds in the blood. Note! This only works if it is your blood that made the stain.
Remove grease stains
Here you can read about how to remove grease stains step-by-step.
