by Stefani Andrews

Created on: August 05, 2009

Spot treating stains on your clothes is the best way to protect your clothes from unnecessary damage and fading. There are many spot treating options available, the key is simply knowing which one to choose.

First you need to check the clothing label. Certain materials will fade, the color will bleed or the item may shrink if certain precautions are not taken with it. For example, if the label says to avoid bleach make sure the method of spot treatment you are using does not contain bleach. If the label says it is dry clean only, you certainly don't want to be soaking it in bleach and then throwing it in the washing machine. There are several methods of spot treatments available on the mass market. Some are pens or wipes that can be carried with you just in case of an accident. Some are sprays that you can use once you've removed the article of clothing from your person. You can also use your regular laundry detergent as a stain treater. But keep in mind that some of these mass market items may not work on every stain, and some may not work as well as others. Trial and error is the best way to start with any stain. And if one method fails then you can move up a step in how aggressively you treat the stain.

Now you need to prepare the stained clothing. Lay it out flat, with the stained area over a paper towel. Be sure that none of the unstained material is underneath the stain or it might bleed through to the other side. If there are any food or other substances dried onto the stain, lightly scrape these away. Using your fingernail or the side of a spoon should get the job done efficiently. Now you need to hold the garment and run the stain under cold water, make sure the back of the stain is under the faucet. This will help loosen the stain from the cloth. Then apply the spot treatment according to the directions on the package. Most of the treatments will suggest letting the treatment sit for five or ten minutes or to soak the garment for some time before applying. All of these directions should be followed exactly.

Once the spot treatment has done its work, rinse the garment under cold water until the water runs clear. If the stain has not been completely removed, simply repeat the process. Once the stain is completely gone, you can wash and dry as normal. Some stains may not be able to be removed with this simple method, but never fear they can be removed.

Chewing gum: You need to apply ice first to harden the gum before attempting to remove it. Scrape off all excess and then spray the area with a pretreatment product. Let it sit and then rub the area with your laundry detergent. Rinse it under hot water to completely remove the gum.

Paint: Try to treat it while the paint is still wet and use a paint thinner recommended for that kind of paint if possible. You can also use turpentine or alcohol to soften the paint so that it can be rinsed away.

Blood: Blood stains can be the most persistent kind of stain on any cloth. There are a few methods that work very well in removing it. First combine very warm water with some salt (sea salt is best but table salt will work too), let the blood stain soak for several hours. Then rinse the fabric to ensure the stain is gone. If it isn't then you can spot treat with any other method to completely remove it. Another option if to mix some meat tenderizer powder with warm water. This works very effectively on all biological materials including blood. let it soak for several hours and then rinse clean.

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