Stains
How to treat different stains
Spot cleaning stains can help extend the time between washes and treating them quickly can make them easier to remove.
Treat stains as soon as possible. Leaving a stain too long can make it difficult to remove.
Always treat a stain before laundering. You can even leave some stain treatments overnight for effective removal.
Generally, to remove a stain, use a damp, cold cloth and a spot of dish soap. Place another clean cloth underneath the soiled item and press on the stain repeatedly with the damp cloth. Do not rub as this could damage the fabric or spread the stain further. Avoid using paper towels as they will shed on your garment.
Cotton and linen are highly absorbent, so it’s important to regularly wash them to avoid yellowing. Wool responds well to spot cleaning, as stains often quickly lift off with a damp cloth, so can be washed less often.
Grease & oil
Pre-treat stains with dish soap, rinse through and wash at the highest temperature recommended on the product’s care label.
Coffee & chocolate
Soak with a pre-wash stain remover (preferably organic) and leave to work before rinsing out. Rub the stain with a small amount of detergent before laundering.
Red wine
Using a dry, clean cloth, press on the stain to soak up as much of the red wine as possible. Then, sprinkle with salt and leave for a few minutes before thoroughly rinsing with cold water. Soak with enzyme presoak (preferably an organic stain remover) and leave it to work before rinsing. Wash at the highest temperature recommended on the product’s care label. If the stain remains, try treating it with white vinegar before washing again.
Tomato
Immediately rinse with cold water. Rub detergent on the stain and leave to soak for a couple of hours before laundering.
Lipstick
Soak the stain in a plant-based glycerine, found in most supermarkets and pharmacies, for an hour before laundering. Another option is to pre-treat the stain with detergent before a regular wash cycle.
Blood
Rinse a blood stain with cold water as soon as possible, before the blood sets. You can then pre-soak the stain in heavily salted cold water or detergent before laundering on a regular cycle.
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