Laundry Stain Challenges: Remove Grass, Berries, Condiment and Sunscreen Stains Easily
Outdoor summer fun presents indoor laundry challenges. An afternoon game of football or berry picking can result in green grass stains or bright red berry stains. A fun day spent with friends around the pool and BBQ can land ketchup and mustard stained clothes in the dirty clothes hamper. And don’t forget the unidentified stains which are probably sunscreen. While these various stains present a laundry challenge, you can meet that challenge and win the battle with these stain removal tips.
Grass Stain Removal
Drizzle a little liquid laundry detergent that contains enzymes (check the label) directly onto the grass stain and rub it in. Let sit for five minutes, then launder in the hottest water setting safe for the garment and add color-safe dry bleach to the wash water.
Berry Stain Removal
Blackberry season in the south motivates many of us to go to the berry patches found on sides of highways and byways to pick the wild, juicy and deeply colored berries. Of course we must sample some of the delectable berries before reaching home and the berry tasting leaves us with blackish-blue stains on our clothing. To get out berry stains of all colors, apply cold water to the berry stain ASAP. Once the garment is removed, stretch the garment over a large bowl or dish pan with the berry stain(s) centered over the bowl and facing upward. Boil a tea kettle of water and pour boiling water directly on the berry stain. The stain should disappear as the boiling water is being poured through it. If any berry color remains, wet a paper towel with rubbing alcohol and rub it into the remaining stain, then launder garment as usual.
Remove Condiment Stains
Ketchup, mustard, barbeque sauce. Yum! Got to have them and somehow remnants of these colorful condiments end up on clothing. When that happens, scrape off as much of the condiment as possible with a butter knife, then blot the stain with cold water. Before laundering, flush the stain from the back side of garment with cold water. Turn garment right side out and drizzle liquid laundry detergent onto stain and scrub in with an old toothbrush. Wait five minutes and launder garment as usual.
Remove Sunscreen Stains
The must-have product which protects your skin also stains your clothes. If a dollop of sunscreen lands on clothing while applying it, scrape off the excess. At laundry time, spray sunscreen stain with an laundry stain remover (like Shout) which contains a solvent designed to remove oily stains. Launder as usual.
