How To Get Rid of Your Stains: Whiteout Edition
The stretch of days in white shirts begins with the whiteout starting today. The biggest fear when it comes to wearing white: stains. And since we’re hoping for a long playoff win, the chance of you staining your shirt are pretty good. You’re probably going to spill coffee on whatever white outfit is this morning. So, naturally, I googled the best way to get rid of stains. The answer, well, it depends on what you spilled all over yourself. The website “She Knows” had a fantastic article, but below are the coles notes version:
Protein stains: things like sweat and blood (well hopefully you don’t get the latter) but the former, there’s a good chance you’ll sweat once or twice in the day. So, if you find yourself leaking a bit because of stress and excitement, don’t worry, just pick up some alkaline stain removal solutions.
Mud Stains: there’s a chance with the weather we are getting, and when you’re walking to the rink a car may splash some mud onto your fancy new white jersey. Let the stain dry, remove the soil with a brush, and then soak in a mixture of water, dish detergent, and white vinegar. Afterwards, rinse for water and let it stand for several minutes. If that doesn’t work, give your jersey a sponge bath with some rubbing alcohol on the stain.
Combination stains: if you enjoy nachos, hot dogs, burgers, anything loaded with sauce or salsa, you’re probably going to dump something on your shirt. Ketchup, you are my worst stain enemy. Even makeup is considered a combination stain. And if tears are shed because of a loss, then the mascara may drip as well. First you’ll want to rinse off any extra excess from the stain, and throw it at someone. Use some cold water to help rinse it off. Then rub some detergent on the stain, rinse that off, use a stain stick, and then throw it into the wash.
Coffee: Since it’s a dye stain, mixed in with a protein stain of milk or cream, you’ll want to immediately rinse it with cold water. Then add laundry detergent directly to the stain, and rub the cloth together with cold water. Then soak it for 30 minutes, and rub every five to ten minutes. Finally, wash the clothing on the hottest setting…just make sure it’s all whites in the laundry or you’ll end up celebrating a pink out.
This all sounds like a lot of work, so instead you could turn your shirt inside out and get two uses of it at least. All of this information is on the blog, so good luck with your stains. Now you know, pass it along!