Help with stain removal.....

[mingagreen]

Hi all, I know this is in the wrong area but I am hoping some of you might have some ideas for me. My Dh works as a GM for Restaurant, he has to wear crisp white oxford shirts everyday and he comes home with the most unbelievable stains on them. I am left to try and get these stains out and nothing seems to be working. I have tried all the usuals, Spray and wash, shout, etc. I have also tried oxi magic, clorox oxi stain and nothing really works. It is like these shirts are becoming disposable, which isn''t cheap! Any one have any tricks or wonderful products they can suggest?? TIA

 

[pearcrazy]

On all white shirts, dabbing them with full strength bleach works wonders. For small splatters, try the Clorox bleach pen. On blood stains I use pure undiluted hydrogen peroxide, dabbing with a Q-tip until it comes out.

 

[bluedawg]

Wow, I wonder what types of stains you''re dealing with? I use Shout and have great success, typically. I always make sure I treat them stain ASAP-- even if I am not washing them immediately afterwards. Have you tried to bleach the shirts after using a stain remover? I also use Tide detergent and have found that it works best for the types of dirt and stains that my kids get into.

 

[Jennifer5973]

What about dry cleaning the shirts? It''s not that expensive--in our area, maybe $1.25 a shirt? And it''ll save you all the hassle of washing & ironing.

 

[Maxine]

I''m with Jennifer!!! My BF takes his in each week for like .99 per shirt!!! It''s way more expensive and rough on shirts w/all those cleaners...(plus I have LOUSY water!).

 

[Kaleigh]

Yes dry cleaning would be a good idea. What about giving him some individually wrapped shout wipes to take with him to work so that he can work on the stain before it sets??

 

[Momoftwo]

I wouldn''t use full strength bleach on any clothes. It will eat the fabric away and put holes in it. What are the stains? We use the dry cleaners too, but for other clothes I use Zout. It gets more stains out than anything else I''ve tried.

 

[mingagreen]

Well dry cleaning is deffinately what I am thinking! It would probably equal the amount of money i spend on stain removal products anyway! The type of stains range from any kind of food stain to black stuff from the grill/fryer and pen. I don''t know how he gets so dirty!! I do use alot of bleach and it does help, it''s just not enough. Thank you all for your ideas, keep em coming!!!

 

[pearcrazy]

I've never had trouble with Clorox bleach eating holes in the fabric. Especially the bleach pen. With my three kids it does wonders on the food stains. I got the bleach tip from a patient of mine who runs a laundry/dry cleaning sevice. So if you take the shirts to be dry cleaned, that may be what happens to them anyway. However, if it's only .99 cents a shirt it's probably worth it to let someone else take care of it at the cleaners. Have you ever tried spraying the oil stains with Goo Gone? I got it to remove the sticker residue from my kids shirts but the label says it works on oil stains too.

 

[FireGoddess]

I know how hard it is to deal with those shirts...DH also works PT in a restaurant and it''s just exasperating. I''ve gone to just getting them dry cleaned because ugh - the oil stains? NEVER come out. I just let the cleaner deal with it.

 

[Momoftwo]

Date: 5/14/2005 12:20:26 PM
Author: pearcrazy
I''ve never had trouble with Clorox bleach eating holes in the fabric. Especially the bleach pen. With my three kids it does wonders on the food stains. I got the bleach tip from a patient of mine who runs a laundry/dry cleaning sevice. So if you take the shirts to be dry cleaned, that may be what happens to them anyway. However, if it''s only .99 cents a shirt it''s probably worth it to let someone else take care of it at the cleaners. Have you ever tried spraying the oil stains with Goo Gone? I got it to remove the sticker residue from my kids shirts but the label says it works on oil stains too.

Well, the Clorox bottle I have says "Do not use full strength" and to dilute it. The bleach pen is not as high a concentration as straight bleach. This is not just my opinion. See this: http://thekansan.com/stories/061298/acc_0612980017.html

 

[yellowfan]

try carbona line of stain removal at walmart they really work well and I also buy Zout

 

[pearcrazy]

Date: 5/14/2005 1:26:22 PM
Author: Momoftwo

Date: 5/14/2005 12:20:26 PM
Author: pearcrazy
I've never had trouble with Clorox bleach eating holes in the fabric. Especially the bleach pen. With my three kids it does wonders on the food stains. I got the bleach tip from a patient of mine who runs a laundry/dry cleaning sevice. So if you take the shirts to be dry cleaned, that may be what happens to them anyway. However, if it's only .99 cents a shirt it's probably worth it to let someone else take care of it at the cleaners. Have you ever tried spraying the oil stains with Goo Gone? I got it to remove the sticker residue from my kids shirts but the label says it works on oil stains too.

Well, the Clorox bottle I have says 'Do not use full strength' and to dilute it. The bleach pen is not as high a concentration as straight bleach. This is not just my opinion. See this: http://thekansan.com/stories/061298/acc_0612980017.html

Been doing it for years--no problems--besides my kids outgrow their clothes long before they can be damaged by the bleach. As long as you launder immediately after treating. Letting the garment sit in bleach is a definate no-no but occasional spot treatment of small stains has never caused any damage. Besides, when you consider that a permanent stain will make the garment unwearable anyway......

 

[Diachi]

Not to get stains out, but to keep the ones that make it nice and a great way to get many things bright and white-my "swear-by secret":
Mrs. Stewart''s Blueing!!!

It also is a show secret in the world of dogs to make the white breeds really shine without bleach! Just ONE drop or TWO diluted in water, sprayed into the coat and then rinsed is amazing! Just BE CAREFUL!!! If you use too much, it will stain everthing blue-including your hands and your pet if you decide to try it, LOL!

 

[yellowfan]

carbona got the ink out of DH work shirt, try it

go to www.carbona.com it talks about different stains

 

[LesleyH]

My 12 year old son had a major nose bleed last weekend and he was wearing a white oxford shirt!! I tried Clorox and hot water but the stains wouldn''t budge. When I went to the cleaners on Friday to pick up my husband''s shirts (85 cents a shirt and they iron the collar like he likes it!!) the owner suggested peroxide - I haven''t tried it yet, but that might work....

LesleyH
www.whiteflash.com

 

[Momoftwo]

Stains, before they dry and set, come out easier with cold water, especially blood. Run cold water through the fabric and stain or just soak in cold water. Hot water sets stains in. The absolute best prewash I ever used was by Amway. It would get grass stains out of my boys soccer uniforms.

 

[noobie]

Egads, where are you guys finding 85 and 99 cents shirt cleaning? In my area $1.50's the going rate. Even at that I figure I was paying myself about $4 and hour when I was trying to iron them. I'm also lazy, usually bring in 15 to 20 shirts at a time.

 

[Judi W]

I use the Clorox bleach pen all the time and it really works well - it''s amazing how the spots just dissapear! I''ve never had it "eat the fabric"....I also carry around those individually wrapped Shout spot remover packets. They''re great when you''re out and spill something on your clothing.

 

[Diamonds4Me]

Making a paste with baking soda and water helps me with grease stains (you have to let it sit over night). White tooth paste works good with some stains. I haven''t had to try it yet but I heard it gets blood stains out. Shampoo also gets a number of stains out for me.

 

[yellowfan]

Momoftwo:

is it called SA8 pre treater with enzymes?

Thanks,

Lori

 

[mingagreen]

Wow thank you all for the suggestions! I think I will try the bleach pen, but I am afraid it will take me an hour to hit every stain! I have used the carbona stuff, I washed my fav pair of jeans with a tube of lipstick.......bad!! But it look the listick out. I have also used peroxide for blood. A few weeks ago my dog broke her paw nail and ran inside and upstairs, stairs and upstairs are carpeted in white carpet and there was a major trail of blood, the peroxide worked like a charm, thank goodness! I always thought I was good at doing laundry till DH got this job!!!

 

[bluedawg]

Date: 5/14/2005 10:16:33 PM
Author: LesleyH
My 12 year old son had a major nose bleed last weekend and he was wearing a white oxford shirt!! I tried Clorox and hot water but the stains wouldn''t budge. When I went to the cleaners on Friday to pick up my husband''s shirts (85 cents a shirt and they iron the collar like he likes it!!) the owner suggested peroxide - I haven''t tried it yet, but that might work....

LesleyH
www.whiteflash.com

With my job, I do get blood on my clothes on occasion. As someone else noted, *hot* water will set a blood stain. Always soak it in cold water ASAP... and yes, peroxide does work!

 

[Momoftwo]

Date: 5/14/2005 10:41:22 PM
Author: Judi W
I use the Clorox bleach pen all the time and it really works well - it''s amazing how the spots just dissapear! I''ve never had it ''eat the fabric''....I also carry around those individually wrapped Shout spot remover packets. They''re great when you''re out and spill something on your clothing.

What I said was undiluted bleach will cause holes in fabrics, not the bleach pen. The bleach pen is made to use directly on the stain.

 

[fire&ice]

...just a clarification about the dry cleaner''s - you aren''t dry cleaning the shirt at that price. They are "laundering" them. If you ask them to dry clean them they will charge you the going rate of $5.00 per.

Some cleaners will charge to "pre treat" on shirts.

That said, is he wearing 100% cotton shirts? I have found them to be easier with stain removal. Clorox is about the only thing that seems to do the trick for me if it''s a nasty stain.

Good luck. Maybe buy white shirts in bulk.

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 5/14/2005 1:26:22 PM
Author: Momoftwo

Well, the Clorox bottle I have says ''Do not use full strength'' and to dilute it. The bleach pen is not as high a concentration as straight bleach. This is not just my opinion. See this: http://thekansan.com/stories/061298/acc_0612980017.html

Well, of course the bottle would say that. It''s the standard "idiot" disclaimer designed to avoid being sued to some brain surgeon who soaks a stain with 100% bleach and then leaves it SITTING for two hours.....and then decides to sue Clorox for the cost of his shirts because they disintegrated after such treatment.

Just because the bottle provides cautionary statements doesn''t mean other uses cannot be tried, especially with a piece of clothing that is essentially wrecked anyway if the stain won''t come out.

Pearcrazy said her tip came from someone who does laundry for a living. My money is on that tip.

 

[aljdewey]

Oh, and for those with oil/grease stains, I found a WONDER cure.....Dawn dishwashing liquid! I keep a bottle of it at the washing machine, and as I''m loading the washer, I pretreat all the greasy-type spills/stains with it. No water, just dish soap. I rub it into the stain and toss it in with the wash......stains are gone.

I thought I ruined a shirt last winter from olive oil stains. I was sauteeing a bunch of chicken in olive oil, and in handling the bulk transfers of food, I got quite a spattering of oil on my dark shirt. Washed it 3 times - wouldn''t come out. Let it sit in a corner for 6 mos trying to find a solution. Found the Dawn tip on the net, treated it, and stains came out instantly.

Great stuff!

 

[mightyred]

Date: 5/15/2005 12:48:12 PM
Author: aljdewey
Oh, and for those with oil/grease stains, I found a WONDER cure.....Dawn dishwashing liquid! I keep a bottle of it at the washing machine, and as I''m loading the washer, I pretreat all the greasy-type spills/stains with it. No water, just dish soap. I rub it into the stain and toss it in with the wash......stains are gone.

I thought I ruined a shirt last winter from olive oil stains. I was sauteeing a bunch of chicken in olive oil, and in handling the bulk transfers of food, I got quite a spattering of oil on my dark shirt. Washed it 3 times - wouldn''t come out. Let it sit in a corner for 6 mos trying to find a solution. Found the Dawn tip on the net, treated it, and stains came out instantly.

Great stuff!

Oooh thanks for the tip !! I always splatter olive oil when cooking!!

I''ll let the other half know about all these tips too.....he''s currently doing our weekly wash whilst I surf pricescope ! he he!

 

[ACORN SUPPLY]

how do you get the blueing stain out of the white fabric once you''ve used too much? I''ve tried bleach in hot water to no avail.

 

[AGBF]

Date: 5/15/2005 8:43:04 AM
Author: bluedawg

Date: 5/14/2005 10:16:33 PM

Author: LesleyH

My 12 year old son had a major nose bleed last weekend and he was wearing a white oxford shirt!! I tried Clorox and hot water but the stains wouldn't budge. When I went to the cleaners on Friday to pick up my husband's shirts (85 cents a shirt and they iron the collar like he likes it!!) the owner suggested peroxide - I haven't tried it yet, but that might work....


LesleyH

www.whiteflash.com

With my job, I do get blood on my clothes on occasion. As someone else noted, *hot* water will set a blood stain. Always soak it in cold water ASAP... and yes, peroxide does work!

Well...I feel unnecessary . I had always used cold water on blood-to good effect. A friend (who works in a dialysis unit and, thus, also deals with blood) suggested peroxide. Well, unlike Lesley, I *did* try it right after it was suggested...but I got a little carried away. I *soaked* my daughter's clothes in peroxide and water...and they came out of the dryer shredded! (Yeah, yeah...I'm one of those brain surgeons Al was talking about. But how could I know? Clorox *never* did a job on things the way peroxide did!)

I think peroxide is only good on organic matter (like blood). I have *never* had good luck removing pen stains. I have tried hairspray (as urged) to no avail. I'm willing to try the product (I have to get the spelling) suggested above. That's one thing I can *never* get out!

Deb