The Handbook - How To Guides, How To Clothes, How To Tie a Tie

 
 

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Clothes

How To
Remove Stains

Nothing sucks the cool right out of you like spilling. Whether it was your fault or not, you can easily restore your rep by saving your shirt in a few quick and simple steps.

 
 
The Rules
 
1)
Move fast.
 
The odds of getting that stain out lessen with each minute.
2)
Blot. Don't rub.
 
Rubbing, wringing or squeezing can often damage a fabric's fibers and spread the stain even more.
3)
Go pro.
 
You might do more harm than good with some stains. If it's not coming out, take it to the cleaners.
 
 
The Stains
 
Wine
 
Blot with club soda. The salt helps prevent permanent staining while the bubbles in the soda help lift the stain.
Lipstick
 
Remove as much as possible with a credit card or dull knife. Dab with baby wipes, then rinse with hot water to dissolve the oils.
 
Coffee, Tea, Soda
 
Rinse with white vinegar or commercial stain-remover. Blot.
Ink
 
Spray (heavily) with hairspray or douse with rubbing alcohol and blot. Sponge on detergent before dropping into the washer.
 
Grease, Butter, Oil
 
Blot excess oil with a cloth or napkin. Work baking soda or constarch into the stain to draw it out. Wash with a healthy dose of detergent.
Blood
 
Hold the fabric under cool, running water while rubbing it against itself. Avoid hot water, as it will only set the stain permanently.
 
Tomato Sauce, Ketchup
 
Scrape off excess then apply a mixture of cool water and liquid dish soap (or bathroom soap, if you're at a restaurant). This should be good for splatters. For heavier stains, move onto blotting with white vinegar.
Have On Hand
 

Celebrity stylist Samantha McMillen swears by the Tide to Go pen and it's saved us on many occasions. Portable and quick-drying, stash this little guy in your bag or desk drawer. $7 for 3 pens, at Drug
store.comicon.

 
 

FYI

Work from the center of the stain outward to help avoid leaving a ring around the cleaned area.

 
 
 
 
 

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