Fabric | Laundry

Removing Blood Stains from Washable Fabric

Washing-up Liquid or Hydrogen Peroxide

Dab the blood stain with a cloth dipped in cold water (not warm or hot)

If the step above doesn’t work, then soak the mark in cold water with a squirt of washing-up liquid for 10 minutes, then dab dry

If the item is white or colourfast (test on an inconspicuous area if you’re not sure), pour hydrogen peroxide through the fabric, scrub and rinse in cold water.

Salt Water

First rinse the garment completely in cold running water.

Then soak the garment in a solution of 1 cup of salt to 8 cups of COLD water.

Soak for 60 minutes.

Rinse the garment through in cold water.

Then wash as directed.

Removing Blood Stains from Hardwood Floors

Use paper towels to soak up as much of the blood as you can.

Now soak a clean damp cloth in cold water and thoroughly ring it out.

Scrub the stain and get as much of the blood out as you can.

Next use a dry clean cloth to dry the area.  Do not let the water sit on the wood or it will stain it.

If the cold water did not remove all of the blood stain then soak another clean cloth in hydrogen peroxide, and thoroughly ring it out.

Scrub at the stain again.

Rinse the cloth and wood with cold and water.

Using a clean dry cloth dry the area again.

On lighter wood you can repeat this process with bleach.

On darker wood, only use bleach if you think it is worth staining the wood to remove the stain.

It can leave a lighter spot that is less noticeable on light-coloured wood.

Allow any clumps of chocolate to harden, then scrape away as much as possible using a spoon or dull knife.

Apply either Laundry detergent, stain remover or soap to the stained area..

Allow the product to soak for several minutes.

If the stain is large or ground into the fabric, allow the stained area to soak in a bowl filled with cold water with one of the detergents/soaps.

Launder as usual with cold water -  warm or hot water as this can set the stain.

Hang the clothing to dry completely and ensure the stain is removed before placing it in the dryer for future cleaning.

To remove chewing gum from clothes, place the item of clothing in the freezer. Once the chewing gum is frozen, you can just pick it straight off.

On items that can’t be placed in the freezer, you can remove the chewing gum by hardening it with ice and then use a blunt knife to pick it off.

Baking Soda will soften your clothes, boost your washing powder properties, and keep your whites white.

Just add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your washing powder.

1. Spray the area with bug spray
2. Rub the clothing/fabric together, blotting frequently with paper towel
3. Repeat as necessary

Option 1 - Water and stain remover

Shake out the fabric or use sticky tape to remove as much pollen as possible

Soak the garment in cold water for half an hour and then rinse it thoroughly, repeating these steps until most of the stain has been removed

Now apply a spot stain remover to the area and wash the garment in the hottest temperature possible (if it’s a washable fabric). Otherwise, rinse as before.

Before the garment is dry, check the area. You may find, in many cases, you will have to repeat steps 2 and 3 again before the stain completely disappears.

Option 2 - Enzymatic detergent

If your garment is washable, then an enzymatic detergent may work well on pollen stains.

Option 3 – Dry Cleaning Fluid

Using dry-cleaning fluid, try to blot from the outside of the stain, inwards.

Option 4 – Sunlight

Once you have gently shaken off or lifted the excess pollen with stick tape, lay the garment out in direct sunlight for a few hours. In a lot of cases, the pollen stain will disappear.

Do not:

Rub or brush the pollen stain off the fabric/carpet, as this will push the pollen further into the fibres.

Use your fingers to brush the pollen stains off the fabric/carpet. The oils from your fingers will set the stain.

Rub the stain with a wet cloth. This will spread and set the stain.

1. Dampen the entire stained area with water and allow it to air dry
2. Hold the stained area of fabric over steam from a boiling kettle or pot, or
3. Hold the stained area of fabric over steam from a boiling kettle or pot, or
4. Dampen the stained area with water and iron the stain away (if the fabric allows ironing). Read the manufacturer’s label before proceeding, or
5. Apply Borax to the stain and rub gently with a cloth. This works on seats in vehicles, or
6. Rub the stain gently with a cloth dipped in vinegar. Rinse the stained area in cool water and allow it to dry.

1. Place the stained clothing on top of a clean dry towel or cloth.

2.  Apply water to the ink stain and blot with another clean cloth.

3.  While you blot, the ink stain it will begin to transfer onto the cleaning cloth.

4.  Apply a small amount of liquid washing detergent to the ink stain and allow the fabric to sit for between 3-5 minutes.

5.  Using the hottest water recommend for your clothing wash normally.

6.  Before drying, check to make sure the entire stain was removed.

7.  If any trace of the stained area remains, repeat the steps above.

Please note that drying the stained area before all the stain is removed will make it harder to remove the stain later.