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Ahh, summer vacation. Even with shelter-in-place orders happening in some spots around the country, it can offer a break to most – except your washing machine. Though there’s a lot to love about summer, any parent with a kid old enough to hold a popsicle or wear white sneakers to the park knows it’s only a matter of time before a pile of laundry with seemingly impossible-to-remove stains starts accumulating in the hamper. Before you give up and buy your kids all-black jumpsuits, we reached out to cleaning expert Melissa Maker, founder of the Clean My SpaceYouTube channel, as well as Ewa Sidwa, All’s director of heavy duty detergent development, to ask what can be done about some of the most popular summer stains. Read on, stock up on products and end the summer surprisingly stain-free.
Deal With Stains Immediately
Sidwa echoes that you can’t move too quickly when it comes to stain prevention. “The faster the stain is addressed the better the process of removing the stain will be,” she says. “As stains dry, their chemical makeup can change – resulting in stronger interactions with fabrics and making them more difficult to remove.” She adds that if the stain doesn’t come completely out in the wash, re-treat it and wash it again before putting in the drier; otherwise, “the heat will set the stain and then ‘all is lost!'”
Treating Stains on the Go
The Best Stain-Fighting Equipment to Always Have on Hand
Maker says your laundry kit should contain the following: “Dish soap, hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol and a cleaning toothbrush. Also, any specialty stain removers that meet the specific needs of your home (for instance, a mechanic would need a car grease remover, or gardener would need something that easily removes grass and dirt stains).”
In addition to the stain-fighting tricks she shared above, Sidwa suggests pretreating with the liquid detergent you already use like All Oxi (which uses enzymes to break apart protein-based stains to allow detergent to remove them more easily): “You can dab it on right away and then wash when you get to it.”
How To Treat ‘Specific and Challenging’ Stains, Including Grass, Juice and Mud
Summer activities tend to lead to some of the most stubborn stains around, including ketchup, fresh fruit and grass. Maker says each stain should be approached individually (and she has tons more tipson her site).
How to Clean White Sneakers So They Look New
“If you have leather sneakers, use a properleather cleanerand follow package instructions. In general, you want to apply product with a clean sponge or cloth, and wipe off,” Maker says. “For the soles of shoes, I use a cleaning toothbrush, dish soap and some baking soda if needed. Dampen your toothbrush, apply the solution and rinse off with a clean cloth. For canvas or nylon shoes, you might be able to machine wash in a delicates bag to get them looking extra clean. Just check the care label or manufacturer’s website.”
How to Get Sunscreen Out of Stroller Fabric or Car Seats
If you’re ready to tackle it once and for all, Maker recommends blotting the stain, then “sprinkle corn starch and let sit for 30 minutes. Gently brush off the stain, and you should notice the corn starch is cakey, which means that it’s taking a lot of the oil out with it. Once that is done, you can squeeze half a pinky nail worth of dish soap onto a cleaning toothbrush, scrub the stain, let it sit for a few minutes and then wipe with a clean, damp cloth. Repeat as needed.”
Stain-Treating Mistakes to Avoid
Maker lists her “cardinal stain sins” to make sure you’ve got your best shot at a clean start.
source: people.com
