The Hen House Community Group
This Group is for Hens only. A place where we can share and flock together:) May friendships grow here.
Restore Whites
You should be able to restore your clothes to white (and not damage the fibres of the fabric) by soaking them them in lukewarm water and color safe or oxygen bleach for 24 hours, then rinse them with vinegar and water. Use one tablespoon of vinegar to one quart of water. After treating them overnight, wash them in hot water with chlorine bleach added. This should refresh them to their original white state. If possible, dry them in the sun.
Tea and Coffee Stain Removal from Clothing
For a fresh tea or coffee stain, immediately pour boiling water over the stain until it disappears. Or, soak the stain with borax and water, then wash as usual. On old stains, make a paste of borax and water, leave on for 15 minutes, then wash as usual.
Hair spray is a great ink stain removal tool for clothing. Simply spray the hair spray onto the stained area—make sure you're generous so the spray penetrates the fabric—and let it sit for a few minutes. Throw the clothing item into the wash straight away and the ink should be removed when the washing cycle is done.
Grease Stain Removal from Clothing
To remove a black grease stain from clothing, try saturating the stain with rubbing alcohol, then blot with a clean white cloth. If the stain persists, try using a grease cutting dish detergent, such as Dawn, and rub with a soft toothbrush. Another option, although it seems crazy, is to soak the soiled area overnight in a solution of detergent, Coca-Cola and water. Launder as usual
Softer Flannel
A great alternative to commercial fabric softeners (which work, but tend to leave a build up over time, thus the flannel loses softness after awhile) is vinegar. If you add 1 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle of your washer, it removes any soap residue and naturally softens the fabric. Also, be sure not to use too much detergent, as this makes fabric stiff and hard; and you could add an extra rinse cycle to ensure that all the detergent is removed.
Whiter White Cotton Socks
Return white socks to sparkling white by boiling them in a saucepan with a few slices of lemon. The lemon is a natural bleach. Dishwasher detergent also whitens socks - just add a little to the regular washload.
Softer Towels
The cause of stiffness in laundry is usually that too much detergent has been left in the clothing. To make your towels softer, use less detergent than normal, and add white vinegar to the first rinse cycle. You may also want to add an extra rinse cyle when washing towels. Line dried towels do not get as fluffy and soft as ones dried in the dryer, but this should help.
Cooking Oil Stain Removal from Clothing
The most effective way to remove grease stains from laundry is to treat the stain with a dishwashing detergent that is formulated to remove grease. Rub it into the stain, let sit for a few minutes, then wash as usual. Waterless mechanic's soap (from an auto-parts store) is also very effective at cutting grease. Grease is very effective at removing grease, so you could also rub Crisco into the stain, then launder.
Grass Stain Removal from Clothing
To remove grass stains, dab the area with rubbing alcohol or diluted hydrogen peroxide before washing. Or, try putting liquid dishwashing detergent on the stain, let sit for ten minutes then wash.
Remove Gasoline Odor From Clothing
To remove the odor of gasoline from clothing, place the clothing in a large bucket of cold water. Add two cans of coke to the water and a box of baking soda. Allow the clothes to soak for 24 hours. Then, hang the clothes on a clothes line to air dry. Finally, place the dry garment into the washing machine and launder as usual.
Unshrink a Sweater
There is no guaranteed way to unshrink a sweater, but I have a few ideas for you to try. 1) Soak the sweater in hair conditioner and water solution, and pull gently to reshape, lay flat to dry. 2) Dissolve one ounce of borax in a couple of tablespoons of hot water, add the mixture to a gallon of warm water, immerse the garment. Pull the sweater gently into shape, and rinse in a gallon of warm water to which you have added 2 tablespoons of vinegar. 3) Dissolve two cups of non-iodized salt in enough hot water to cover the garment. Let cool, and leave the sweater to soak in it for three hours. Wash it in mild suds, rinse three times, roll the sweater in towels, then reshape and let dry.
Fruit Stain Removal from Clothing
To remove a fruit stain, sprinkle some salt on the garment, and then rinse in cold water. Wash it in warm water with liquid detergent. If the stain persists, try applying a little hydrogen peroxide.
Perfume Stain Removal from Clothing
To remove a perfume stain, sponge or soak the stain in cool water. If stain remains, soak 15 minutes in a solution of 1 quart lukewarm water, 1/2 teaspoon liquid dish detergent and 1 tablespoon white vinegar. Launder as usual.
Makeup and Foundation Stain Removal from Clothing
To remove makeup stains, rub shampoo or dish detergent (preferrably a grease cutting formula), or shampoo into the stain. You could also try spraying with hairspray or using a non-oily makeup remover to remove the stain. Then, launder as usual.
Chocolate Stain Removal from Clothing
To remove chocolate, rub with a borax and warm water solution before laundering (4 tbsp. borax to 2 1/2 cups water).
Mustard Stain Removal from Clothing
To remove mustard stains, first rinse in cold water. Then you can either wash the item in cold water while rubbing with laundry bar soap or rub a liquid enzyme detergent into the stain and allow it to sit for a few minutes. Soak 12 hours in soapy water. If necessary, you can try a bleach solution on white garments. Glycerin applied to the stains and allowed to sit for about an hour may remove stubborn mustard stains.
Spaghetti or Tomato Sauce Stain Removal from Clothing
Unfortunately, heat sets in spaghetti stains, so if you have put them in the dryer they are going to be difficult to get out. Although it is tempting to wash them in hot water, cold will work better. The only other stain treatment that you haven't already tried would be dry cleaning solvent. You could also try placing the stained item in the sink with cold water dripping on the stain. Leave overnight, with the drips falling directly on the stain. This should loosen the stain
You should be able to restore your clothes to white (and not damage the fibres of the fabric) by soaking them them in lukewarm water and color safe or oxygen bleach for 24 hours, then rinse them with vinegar and water. Use one tablespoon of vinegar to one quart of water. After treating them overnight, wash them in hot water with chlorine bleach added. This should refresh them to their original white state. If possible, dry them in the sun.
Tea and Coffee Stain Removal from Clothing
For a fresh tea or coffee stain, immediately pour boiling water over the stain until it disappears. Or, soak the stain with borax and water, then wash as usual. On old stains, make a paste of borax and water, leave on for 15 minutes, then wash as usual.
Hair spray is a great ink stain removal tool for clothing. Simply spray the hair spray onto the stained area—make sure you're generous so the spray penetrates the fabric—and let it sit for a few minutes. Throw the clothing item into the wash straight away and the ink should be removed when the washing cycle is done.
Grease Stain Removal from Clothing
To remove a black grease stain from clothing, try saturating the stain with rubbing alcohol, then blot with a clean white cloth. If the stain persists, try using a grease cutting dish detergent, such as Dawn, and rub with a soft toothbrush. Another option, although it seems crazy, is to soak the soiled area overnight in a solution of detergent, Coca-Cola and water. Launder as usual
Softer Flannel
A great alternative to commercial fabric softeners (which work, but tend to leave a build up over time, thus the flannel loses softness after awhile) is vinegar. If you add 1 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle of your washer, it removes any soap residue and naturally softens the fabric. Also, be sure not to use too much detergent, as this makes fabric stiff and hard; and you could add an extra rinse cycle to ensure that all the detergent is removed.
Whiter White Cotton Socks
Return white socks to sparkling white by boiling them in a saucepan with a few slices of lemon. The lemon is a natural bleach. Dishwasher detergent also whitens socks - just add a little to the regular washload.
Softer Towels
The cause of stiffness in laundry is usually that too much detergent has been left in the clothing. To make your towels softer, use less detergent than normal, and add white vinegar to the first rinse cycle. You may also want to add an extra rinse cyle when washing towels. Line dried towels do not get as fluffy and soft as ones dried in the dryer, but this should help.
Cooking Oil Stain Removal from Clothing
The most effective way to remove grease stains from laundry is to treat the stain with a dishwashing detergent that is formulated to remove grease. Rub it into the stain, let sit for a few minutes, then wash as usual. Waterless mechanic's soap (from an auto-parts store) is also very effective at cutting grease. Grease is very effective at removing grease, so you could also rub Crisco into the stain, then launder.
Grass Stain Removal from Clothing
To remove grass stains, dab the area with rubbing alcohol or diluted hydrogen peroxide before washing. Or, try putting liquid dishwashing detergent on the stain, let sit for ten minutes then wash.
Remove Gasoline Odor From Clothing
To remove the odor of gasoline from clothing, place the clothing in a large bucket of cold water. Add two cans of coke to the water and a box of baking soda. Allow the clothes to soak for 24 hours. Then, hang the clothes on a clothes line to air dry. Finally, place the dry garment into the washing machine and launder as usual.
Unshrink a Sweater
There is no guaranteed way to unshrink a sweater, but I have a few ideas for you to try. 1) Soak the sweater in hair conditioner and water solution, and pull gently to reshape, lay flat to dry. 2) Dissolve one ounce of borax in a couple of tablespoons of hot water, add the mixture to a gallon of warm water, immerse the garment. Pull the sweater gently into shape, and rinse in a gallon of warm water to which you have added 2 tablespoons of vinegar. 3) Dissolve two cups of non-iodized salt in enough hot water to cover the garment. Let cool, and leave the sweater to soak in it for three hours. Wash it in mild suds, rinse three times, roll the sweater in towels, then reshape and let dry.
Fruit Stain Removal from Clothing
To remove a fruit stain, sprinkle some salt on the garment, and then rinse in cold water. Wash it in warm water with liquid detergent. If the stain persists, try applying a little hydrogen peroxide.
Perfume Stain Removal from Clothing
To remove a perfume stain, sponge or soak the stain in cool water. If stain remains, soak 15 minutes in a solution of 1 quart lukewarm water, 1/2 teaspoon liquid dish detergent and 1 tablespoon white vinegar. Launder as usual.
Makeup and Foundation Stain Removal from Clothing
To remove makeup stains, rub shampoo or dish detergent (preferrably a grease cutting formula), or shampoo into the stain. You could also try spraying with hairspray or using a non-oily makeup remover to remove the stain. Then, launder as usual.
Chocolate Stain Removal from Clothing
To remove chocolate, rub with a borax and warm water solution before laundering (4 tbsp. borax to 2 1/2 cups water).
Mustard Stain Removal from Clothing
To remove mustard stains, first rinse in cold water. Then you can either wash the item in cold water while rubbing with laundry bar soap or rub a liquid enzyme detergent into the stain and allow it to sit for a few minutes. Soak 12 hours in soapy water. If necessary, you can try a bleach solution on white garments. Glycerin applied to the stains and allowed to sit for about an hour may remove stubborn mustard stains.
Spaghetti or Tomato Sauce Stain Removal from Clothing
Unfortunately, heat sets in spaghetti stains, so if you have put them in the dryer they are going to be difficult to get out. Although it is tempting to wash them in hot water, cold will work better. The only other stain treatment that you haven't already tried would be dry cleaning solvent. You could also try placing the stained item in the sink with cold water dripping on the stain. Leave overnight, with the drips falling directly on the stain. This should loosen the stain
Just yesterday, I had a little run in with some ravioli sauce that splattered all over a good tank I had on. My husband took over by soaking my shirt in cold water with a little bit of liquid detergent. Then he sprayed the stains with a stain remover and let soak overnite. He rinsed the shirt out today and 99% of the stains came out. What is there is barely even visible.
That'll teach me to wear something nice when eating "red sauce". lol
Hugs,
Carrie
Hugs,
Cindy
Any ideas for removing tomato soup from a pair of white jeans? Should I get the dry cleaning solvent? I have used spray n wash, mixed a paste of oxyclean and all soap and then put oxyclean liquid....the second time, I put dawn liquid on it and same paste and oxyclean liquid....Thank you for this post. I am going to save it.
xo
Thanks for sharing!
Remove as much of the excess tomato sauce as possible from the fabric. I use a spoon or the back of a butter knife. This won't damage your clothing, but will allow all the excess to come off.
Run cold water through the back of the stain as quickly as possible. This will force the stain back out through the fabric. Don't run it through the front of the tomato stain, which will only force it more deeply into your clothing.
Rub a liquid detergent into the stained portion of the fabric. Work it into the fabric gently in a circular motion beginning on the outside of the stained area, and working in.
If the garment is white, or you have tested it for colorfastness, apply a mild bleaching agent. Possible agents include hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar applied with a sponge. You can also use lemon juice on white fabrics. Rinse well.
Repeat with detergent followed by mild bleaching agent until the stain no longer appears.Hold the stain up to the light to make sure it is fully gone.
Apply a stain remover stick, gel, or spray. Allow it to sit for at least 5 minutes while you wait.
Wash normally with detergent. Before drying, double-check the stain. Stains that are dryed will often be permanent.
If it remains, rub detergent into the tomato stain. Next, soak in warm water for 30 minutes. Rinse well.
If the tomato stain is still stubborn, apply stain remover stick, gel, or spray and launder according to directions. I usually do this step even if I can't see any lingering stain, just to be sure I get all traces of tomato stain out.
will let you know how it comes out....