Sometimes it really feels like stains only happen to our favorite clothes. And usually, it’s when we don’t have enough time to wash the thing properly or get it to the cleaners fast enough. But there are several hacks that will help you get rid of these annoying smudges in no time with whatever you’ve got at home.
ViralSection prepared a how-to list that will save you both time and trouble whenever you are attacked by an unwanted splash on your clothes or other favorite things.
1. Remove ink stains with milk.
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It’s easy to remove an ink stain from a broken pen or maybe some doodles made by your kiddo on your favorite shirt. Just use some milk from the fridge and watch it fade away. The milk actually dissolves the ink.
How to do it:
- Pour some milk in a bowl and put the stained area inside. Leave it for 15 to 30 minutes to soak.
- Use a toothbrush to rub the stain thoroughly and then rinse with water.
2. For an oily stain, use salt.
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Oil stains are pretty persistent. The solution to getting rid of them can be found on one simple ingredient: salt.
How to do it:
- Sprinkle some salt on it and leave it for a little while.
- Brush it away. The salt will have absorbed the oil.
- Use the corner of a cotton napkin to softly wash it away with water and once you are back at home, wash it as usual.
3. Take off a nail polish stain with nail polish remover.
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If you usually give yourself a beauty treatment at home, you’ve probably experienced this type of stain in the past. Well, nail polish remover is the solution, but the process of how to do it is important.
How to do it:
- Put the stain face-down on a few paper napkins and apply nail polish remover on the back of it.
- Replace the napkins with new ones once they’re soaked with the liquid.
- Rinse with cold water and wash it in the washing machine.
4. Blood stains can be quickly removed with hydrogen peroxide.
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Blood spots are undeniably the hardest to remove, especially when you leave them to dry. However, there is an easy way out: hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is an oxidizer and it reacts with the enzyme catalase in our blood, and we end up with water, oxygen, and heat.
How to do it:
- Get a bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide from any drugstore and dip the stained area in it.
- Use a butter knife to scrub away the blood or rub it with your finger.
- Rinse the clothing with hydrogen peroxide and then wash it with the rest of your laundry.
5. Make ring around the collar disappear using regular shampoo.
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Our clothes get stained from our body’s oils and grit all the time in the form of ring around collar on our button-down or polo shirts. A few drops of our shampoo can erase this in no time.
How to do it:
- Pour a few drops of your regular shampoo on the collar and rub the stained area. If you have a shampoo designed for oily hair, that would be your best option.
- Let it soak for 20 minutes and then rinse it off completely with water. Next, do your laundry as usual.
6. Grass spots are not invincible, toothpaste can erase them.
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There’s no need to get nervous every time your kids go out to play soccer. Grass stains can be removed with a product we all have at home: toothpaste. The grittiness in it works to loosen the grass stain.
How to do it:
- Apply a small amount of white toothpaste — it’s important to not use the gel ones — on the spot and leave it for a moment.
- Soak a toothbrush in a glass of water and rub away the stain. Afterward, just wash the clothing as you normally would.
7. For persistent tea stains, use cold water and some detergent.
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Depending on whether the stain is dry or wet, the clothing may need to be soaked in cold water for more time. But in any case, this is a great method to make those stains disappear.
How to do it:
- Pour cold water on the stain from the back and not on top. This way it’s easier for it to leave the way it came in.
- Pour any detergent on it and rub the area. Leave it for 3-5 minutes and then rinse.
- If the stain is dry, then soak it for 30 minutes after you’ve applied detergent to it.
8. Red wine fades when baking soda and salt come along.
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Most of us love a glass of red wine, but not a red wine stain on our clothes, which is a cleaning burden for sure. But, a mixture of baking soda and salt is our friend and will help us eliminate it in just a few minutes.
How to do it:
- Sprinkle baking soda on the fresh stain and softly tap it with a clean towel so that it can absorb the wine.
- Use a large bowl and stretch the clothing over it — you can use a rubber band to secure it on top — and pour some salt on the area.
- Let it soak for 5 minutes and then slowly pour boiling water on it. Next, wash it in the washing machine at the highest temperature possible, depending on the fabric.
9. Use a newspaper and an iron to remove the wax from a melted candle.
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This is an old trick and it’s extremely useful for candle stains, which are difficult to get off of our clothes or other linens. Just get yesterday’s newspaper, or any tracing paper you can find, and your iron.
How to do it:
- Place an old towel on the ironing board and on top place a sheet of newspaper. Then put the fabric with the stain on top, and add another sheet of newspaper.
- Start ironing right on top of the stain at a high temperature. The paper will absorb the candlewax. Repeat as needed by replacing the sheets of newspaper.
- Then wash it as usual.
10. Remove gum using an ice cube, glycerin, and dish soap.
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Gum is really hard to handle when it’s stuck on our clothes. However, it’s not impossible to get it off. You’ll need an ice cube, some glycerin, and dish soap.
How to do it:
- Rub the gum with an ice cube to freeze it.
- Then use a butter knife to get off as much as possible.
- To take off the remaining gum, apply some glycerin on top, leave it for a few minutes, and then scrub it off.
- Rinse with water and if some gum is still there, wash it off with dish soap.
Have you used any of these cleaning tricks? What are your top cleaning tips to fight dirt quickly and easily? Share your tips in the comments.
Preview photo credit shutterstock.com
