Removing stains is important because it can happen quickly: red wine on a white shirt, coffee on a fresh blouse or grass stains on the kids' pants after playing football. The stains cannot always be removed when washing, especially when washing at lower temperatures and with environmentally friendly detergents - a stain remover is needed, but does it also have to be a chemical product? Or are conventional household funds sufficient?
Stains are definitely not the same as stains . In this article you will find out how to successfully combat the most common stains with simple household products and without any chemicals.
For stains: react quickly!
In general, it helps with all types of stains: Whoever reacts quickly and correctly wins! Because the faster a stain is treated with the right agents , the less dirt can take effect and dry up. However, it is just as important to use the right means at the first step .
Because careless rubbing or water can cause the stain to penetrate even deeper into the fibers.
These most common types of stains can be removed with common household products:
- coffee stains
- red wine stains
- Grease and oil stains
- Blood, egg, urine stains
- Deodorant and sweat stains
- chocolate stains
- Baby defecation and vomit
In general, of course, it is also important to follow the care instructions in the garments, because particular caution is required with delicate materials, colored and dark fabrics. Stain treatment can also create new stains due to fading and residues in the fibres. With silk garments in particular, you should rather have them professionally cleaned to avoid lasting damage.
But how exactly do you remove the individual types of stains?
Dark coffee stains on clothing or textiles
With coffee - as with most other stains - it is important to act as quickly as possible . First of all, the moisture should be removed from the coffee stain. It is best to dab the stain with some kitchen paper. Then wash out the coffee stain by hand with warm water. If there was milk in the coffee, you should use some environmentally friendly detergent, e.g. ¼ cleaning strips from bluu .
If you're on the go and don't have kitchen paper at hand, or you only discover the stain the next day: it's best to put some baking soda on the spot and leave it to work overnight, then wash it out with cold water and put it in the washing machine with the next wash cycle wash with your eco-friendly detergent.
Red wine stains on clothing or tablecloth
Who does not know the hot tip for red wine stains ? sprinkle salt on it! In fact, salt generally draws out the liquid, so the stain cannot spread any further, but there is also a disadvantage : on a non-white fabric, this method can very well leave discolorations and new stains . Especially on dark or colored ones Textiles are therefore recommended to put some carbonated mineral water (as much as possible carbonated ) on the fresh red wine stain and wash in the washing machine after approx. 10 minutes.
If you're at home and have white wine vinegar handy: soak a non-staining cloth in white wine vinegar and gently blot the stain with it. Then wash the garment in the washing machine.
Grease and oil stains
As with red wine, the carbonated mineral water also helps with grease or oil stains .
Drizzle the mineral water onto the grease or oil stains and leave on for about 10 minutes. Then wash in the washing machine.
Older and dried-in stains are best treated with our stain soap : Moisten the stain with water, gently rub in the stain soap and leave to work for a few minutes. Wash according to the textile care instructions with bluu washing strips in the washing machine or by hand.
Blood, egg, urine stains
The most important things for blood, egg and urine stains : : only use cold water and no warm or hot water. Because from 40° C, the protein contained in blood, eggs or urine coagulates and penetrates even deeper into the fabric fibres.
The stains can usually be washed out relatively easily by hand with cold water.
If this doesn't work, it's worth using the miracle cure baking soda : rub the stain carefully, leave it on overnight and rinse it out with cold water. Then wash in the washing machine.
Brown chocolate stains
Chocolate stains can be washed out with various household products . As with red wine or grease stains, carbonated mineral water helps with fresh chocolate stains. Drizzle mineral water onto the chocolate stain and leave to soak for about 10 minutes, then wash in the washing machine as usual.
If the stain is older and more stubborn, it can be treated first with our stain soap , also let it soak for about 10 minutes, rinse by hand and then wash the item of clothing in the washing machine.
Deodorant stains and sweat stains on T-shirts
We all know annoying deodorant stains and sweat stains on T-shirts. These can normally be easily washed out with lukewarm water . In the case of yellowish stains, we can also use common household products here , depending on how stubborn they are, there are various options.
Citric acid is very suitable for white clothing. You can soak the clothes in a mixture of citric acid and water (3 tablespoons of citric acid is enough) for a long time, preferably overnight. Then wash the clothes in the washing machine. Caution: With colored or dark fabrics, the citric acid could lead to fading.
For colored or dark laundry in combination with deodorant stains or sweat stains, something else is recommended: vinegar or vinegar essence . To do this , soak the items of clothing in a vinegar-water mixture (in a ratio of 1:4 ) for a longer period of time, preferably overnight. Then rinse and wash in the washing machine as usual.
Particularly stubborn sweat stains or deodorant stains can also be removed with baking soda , but special caution is required with colored and dark laundry. And this is how it works: first mix a packet of baking powder with water to form a paste. Apply this paste to the deodorant stains on the clothes and let it work for about 15 minutes before you wash the clothes in the washing machine on the usual washing program.
Baby defecation or vomit
In the case of stains from baby stool or vomit, it helps to rinse the stains thoroughly with cold water , rub any residue with curd soap (or alternatively a water-vinegar mixture), then wash it out and, if possible, let it dry in the sun. Then wash the clothes in the washing machine.
Important: in order to avoid allergic reactions in baby's delicate skin, it is advisable to use as few chemicals as possible and to use mild and environmentally friendly detergents such as the "Unscented" washing strips from bluu .
Stubborn wax stains and wax residue
Here's something that everyone knows and doesn't get out that easily: Wax stains or wax residue. The cold helps best with wax stains . You can put the piece of textile in the freezer for at least 30 minutes , after which the frozen wax should be able to be removed from the surface. What usually remains is a visible stain. Then the iron and some blotting paper are used. Simply place the blotting paper on the wax stain and iron over it with the iron (low to medium setting). This liquefies the wax in the textile fibers and the blotting paper absorbs the wax . When no more wax is visible, finish by washing the garment in the washing machine.
Our conclusion
Stubborn stains can be quite annoying, but they don't have to make you desperate. In most cases, common household products are completely sufficient to combat and remove all kinds of stains in a targeted manner. The important thing is to act as quickly as possible and avoid some mistakes. Chemical stain removers should only be used in exceptional cases, because they are not normally biodegradable and heavily pollute the waste water.
