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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Can you all tell me how you get stains out of clothes please?

28 replies

BeerHunter · 03/04/2014 12:06

Ideally I would like to put all the stained clothes in a bucket, add some sort of magic potion to soak. Then when I take the clothes out, ta da, the stains are gone.

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misscph1973 · 03/04/2014 12:16

Isn't that what you do with Vanish powder?

I find that a lot of stains disappear if you put a bit of washing up liquid on it and leave it to soak overnight wrapped in a carrier bag. Liquid glycerine (in the baking department) is also good.

jeee · 03/04/2014 12:17

Vanish powder, wash, and then several days on the line.

Doesn't get rid of banana stain or pen, but most other stains yield to this treatment.

anklebitersmum · 03/04/2014 12:20

Soda crystals and hot water in a bucket is my 'go to' or, for whites that are almost beyond redemption, ace bleach instead.

I do follow up with a 40 wash though.

BeerHunter · 03/04/2014 16:42

Going to try the washing up liquid tonight.

The stains have already dried. Will that matter?

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CountessOfRule · 03/04/2014 16:47

Oily stains including food and grass are easily removed with Swarfega which you can get in the car maintenance/hardware bits of shops. Spread on and wash as normal.

Don't get stains hot. Soak cold and wash at 30, 40 if you must. Heat sets stains.

BeerHunter · 03/04/2014 18:41

I did not know that about the cold/hot water!

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Furball · 03/04/2014 18:47

Are they whites?

I had a blob of orange from a tomatoey food - I bleached it and allsorts with no luck. Left it outside on a not that sunny a day and - wow the stain had gone.

ResponsibleAdult · 03/04/2014 18:54

Thanks for this thread, I have DD t shirt and my trousers with stubborn oily stain. I will try washing up liquid first then swarfega.

Please be cautious with Vanish. I got an oily stain (vinagrette dressing) on my favourite blue trousers. I put Vanish stain wash in the drum and did a normal wash. Stain wouldn't move. Did a patch test for 10 mins, seemed fine, so then put stain powder, in solution, as per instructions, onto stain patch on trousers. Then I washed the trousers.

Vanish bleached the entire patch, trousers were ruined. When I contacted customer services they were v helpful but explained Vanish is basically bleach and not entirely appropriate for coloured fabric. Confused Who knew?

BeerHunter · 03/04/2014 18:55

They are a lights, with various food stains.

A friend mentioned putting stained clothes in the sun and it disappearing. It sounded like voodoo magic to me. Stains can't just disappear without you even touching them, can they?

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BeerHunter · 03/04/2014 18:58

Oh my, I didn't know that about the powder either.

I hope it's not the same as with the soap bar. I have just smothered all the clothes with stains in fairy and rubbed a load of the vanish soap on for good measure!

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Furball · 03/04/2014 19:05

try the sun - like I say my one just vanished - it really was magic

AntoinetteCosway · 03/04/2014 19:10
  1. Rub with vanish
  2. Wash as normal
  3. Observe stain has not gone
  4. Curse
  5. Add item to 'home clothes only' pile

I am shit at laundry.

HolidayCriminal · 03/04/2014 19:14

It depends very much what the stain is from, ime. Some stains never shift if they get set in for too long.

CountessOfRule · 03/04/2014 19:16

Sunlight is incredible on stains, especially bodily fluids.

ibbydibby · 03/04/2014 19:53

For foody stains & blood I soak in cold water for a while then put in washing machine as usual. Trouble with hot water is that it "sets" the stain, cold water seems to help shift it out.

BeerHunter · 03/04/2014 19:58

That's exactly what I do Antoinette, that's how I got in this mess.

I went through my toddlers wardrobe today. There were so many lovely clothes ruined because of my laziness!!

I am now trying to rectify this situation but I think it's probably a lost cause, as it sounds like I have set the stains.

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cerealqueen · 03/04/2014 23:38

Vanish, flash with bleach on whites, sunlight.

Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme · 03/04/2014 23:43

Do not use Vanish on whites. I now have four different items of white clothing with yellow stains on thanks to that bloody stuff. Well one I managed to bleach out with sunlight but the rest are ruined. It leaves a nasty yellowy stain on anything white.

misscph1973 · 04/04/2014 13:07

Tomato based food stains are a nightmare! Bleach won't work, because the grease sets it. I have had very good results with any food great stains with washing up liquid.

I had a lovely coloured skirt that somehow got black mould stains. I put lemon juice on, rubbed salt on and left it in the sun. Gone! I treated pomegranate stains with lemon juice + salt + sun and it worked again!

I do find that stains have to be treated BEFORE washing - if they come out with stains on after washing, it's often too late. And I second the cold water, a cold water rinse can work magic.

Also, a soak in vinegar and bicarb is quite good.

And if you have colour run, make a bath of soap flakes and very hot water (use a pot om the stove to keep it warm) and put the clothes in, stir irt around with a wooden spoon ofr ages, and change the solution if it gets coloured from the colour run, it really works! I washe dmy DDs delicate pinks with dark colours, it came out grey, but the soap flakes solution saved it!

BeerHunter · 04/04/2014 18:06

misscph these are the sort of tips I love!

Washing ap liquid and vanish soap didn't work so I am now going to go and raid my larder!

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BeerHunter · 04/04/2014 18:08

Is baking powder the same as bicarb?

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GemmaTeller · 04/04/2014 18:10

Rub a bit of fairy liquid on the stain, wash as normal, all stains gone

BeerHunter · 04/04/2014 18:12

Malt vinegar?

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TheNightIsDark · 04/04/2014 18:20

I just shove vanish in with the wash and wash at 50 for an hour. Only stain that has defeated me is dry wipe marker!

BeerHunter · 04/04/2014 18:27

Have just made a past consisting of washing up liquid, lemon juice, baking powder, salt and vinegar. It fizzed when I put the vinegar in and doubled in size!

I don't think this is going to end well.

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