How To Get Out Those Tough Stains

A woman compares two white shirts before and after washing. The girl is holding one blouse, clean and ironed, and the other, dirty with coffee stains

Everything from baby formula to barbeque sauce can ruin a nice piece of clothing if the stain isn’t cared for properly. If you’ve ever had to retire a favorite shirt, dress, or pair of pants due to a stain you couldn’t get out, you’ll appreciate this list of stain removal tips.

Removing a Baby Formula Stain

New parents soon learn that feeding time can get a little messy even when your little bundle of joy isn’t throwing fistfuls of mashed sweet potatoes yet. Spilled baby formula or breast milk can create protein based stains on your clothing, your baby’s onesies, or on their favorite blanket. To get it out follow these steps.

  1. Soak the stain using a product that contains enzymes.
  2. Soak it for at least 30 minutes for a fresh stain. For an older stain let it soak for a few hours.
  3. Launder it using heavy duty detergent.

Barbeque Sauce Stain Removal

Don’t wear your favorite shirt to your favorite BBQ restaurant. You won’t like that finger-licking good sauce half as much if its decorating the front of your button down. If you do make the mistake of staining a shirt you love with barbeque sauce it doesn’t have to stay stained. Follow the instructions below to fix it.

  1. Flip the clothing item inside out and flush the stain with cold water.
  2. Pretreat the stain by using a soft brush to work a liquid laundry detergent in an up and down motion over the stain.
  3. Rinse well.
  4. Sponge the stain with white vinegar then rinse it  again.
  5. Repeat steps two through four until you’ve removed as much stain as possible.
  6. Pretreat the fabric with a prewash stain remover, then launder it with a  bleach that’s safe for the fabric.

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Removing Deodorant Stains

Deodorant keeps you fresh throughout the day but it can stain the armpits of your shirts. To remove the stains and return your shirts to their former glory use the solution outlined below.

  1. Pretreat the stain with a prewash stain remover.
  2. Allow it to sit for five to 10 minutes.
  3. Launder it using an oxygen bleach.

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