How to Remove Pollen Stains from Fabric
We know what pollen does to our sinuses and respiratory systems, but consider what the yellowish-green powder does to fabric. Pollen ruins the look of outdoor cushions used on patio furniture, leaves behind stains on our outdoor sports wear and will even leave unsightly spots on fresh laundry hung out on clothes lines to dry. If you discover a yellowish-green spot you know (or presume) is caused by pollen, here’s how to remove pollen stains from fabric.
Don’t Brush or Dab
When you see pollen on clothing or chair cushions, the first reaction is to brush it off with your hand or dab it with a damp cloth. Don’t do either. Pollen particles are so fine and disintegrate so quickly, that the slightest touch will push the particle deeper into the fabric.
Shake It Off
Carefully shake the pollen particles off of clothing by bending slightly over and grabbing a skirt or skirt from above the particles and shake. If any pollen remains, use a piece of tape to lift it off the fabric (don’t use a lint roller) or use a hand held vacuum.
Stain Removal
If your best efforts have still left you with pollen stains, remove them with dry cleaning fluid and paper towel. For washable clothing article, place the stain face down on a sheet of paper towel and dab the back side of the stain with dry cleaning fluid. Shift the garment to a dry area of paper towel after every three dabs so the paper towel will absorb the pollen. Continue dabbing and blotting until the stain is gone, spritz stain with a laundry pre-treater and wash as usual.
For upholstered furniture, dab with dry cleaning solution and blot with paper towel until pollen stain is gone. Then dab and blot with laundry pre-treater and follow that by mixing a little laundry detergent in warm water and dab on upholstery. Finish by blotting dry with paper towel.
Prevent Pollen Stains
Outdoor pollen can’t be controlled, but indoor pollen can be. Before bringing a fresh bouquet of flowers indoors, spray a lite coat of hairspray on the flower stamens to hold the pollen particles in place. Or if the stamens add no beauty to the flower, grasp them with a tissue and snip off before bringing flowers indoors.
