Bluing
Treat stains as soon as possible after staining. The older the stain, the more difficult it will be to remove.
All stain removal methods should be applied prior to laundering washable garments. Stains that have been laundered and dried are almost impossible to remove.
Washable Fabrics
What you will need
- Heavy-duty liquid detergent
- Dilute solution of all-fabric powdered bleach
- Liquid chlorine bleach
- Commercial color remover
Steps to Clean
- Pretreat the stain with heavy-duty liquid detergent. Rinse.
- Soak fabric in dilute solution of all-fabric powdered bleach.
- If stain persists and garment is white or colorfast, soak entire garment in diluted solution of liquid chlorine bleach and water. Chlorine bleach may change the color of the garment or cause irreversible damage. Check for bleach tolerance on a hidden seam. If stain does not come out in 15 minutes of bleaching, if cannot be removed by bleaching.
- If bleaching is not safe or does not work, use a commercial color remover according to package directions. Note that color remover will take out the fabric color as well as the stain. Do not exceed 160 degrees Fahrenheit water with any synthetic fabrics*. Launder.
*Synthetic Fabrics are: Acetate, Acrylic, Polyester, Nylon, Olefin, Triacetate and anything labeled static-resistant, wrinkle-resistant, permanent-press, no-iron, stain-proof or moth-repellent
Carpet
What you will need
- Dull knife
- Rubbing alcohol
- Detergent
Steps to Clean
- Remove as much of the foreign material as possible by blotting with a white paper towel or scraping with a dull knife.
- Apply rubbing alcohol to a clean white cloth, white paper towel or cotton ball. If the spot extends deep into the pile use a blotting motion until the spot is removed or no color is transferred to the cloth. Do not allow the alcohol to penetrate into the backing as this will destroy the latex bond. If the spot is on the surface only, rub in one direction at a time. Never us a circular motion to remove spot as this may destroy the texture. Stop if spot is removed. If not, go to the next step.
- Apply a small quantity of detergent solution to the spot. (To make the detergent solution mix 1/4 teaspoon of a hand dishwashing detergent which does not contain lanolin or bleach with 1 quart of water) Use a blotting motion to work the detergent into the affected area. If spot is being removed continue applying detergent and blotting with a white paper towel until spot is removed.
- Rinse with tap water using a spray bottle, blot to remove excess moisture.
- Spray lightly with water, do not blot this time; apply pad of paper towels and brick and allow to dry.