Please help the Quenn of Stains

[goodcents]

Please help me.

I am the Queen of Stains.

I think every shirt I own has a stain on it.

And it has nothing to do with the kid (yet - she just started solids).

I don't know why - but I always drop something on myself while eating. Strange because I think I have excellent table manners (is that an oxymoron? dropping food and good manners?). No really - I dont chew with my mouth open or make obnoxious sounds while eating..... Trust me - you wouldnt be embarrassed to bring me home to eat with your family. BUT!!!!!! Something always lands on my shirt.

It doesnt help that I have a large chest - it acts as a bib. Nothing lands below by boobs - so all my stains are on the most visible parts of my shirts.

Its depressing and makes me feel slobbish and frankly I dont want to buy more clothes. If it wasnt for stains - I wouldnt need any.

Any ideas? Spray and Wash sucks and I swear it makes stains worse.

TIA


The Stain Queen Miss Justine

[momto l&a]

Soaking in hot water and Oxygen Bleach takes almost all stain out of clothes for me, even the old set in stains. Of course this only works for clothes you can wash in hot or warm water. You must soak for at least an hour but I do over nights for my whites.

I also think that you get what you pay for in terms of laundry soap. I have found Tide to be one of the best in getting clothes clean the only thing i dont like about Tide is the price.

Calgon is also good at helping clean clothes, it takes residues out.

Erin, a gal who likes clean, stain free clothes

[spero]

Lava Soap. Best pre-treater I've found.

Wet stain with cold water, rub gently with Lava to make a paste, work in gently with old soft toothbrush if necessary, rinse with cold water, repeat as necessary, wash with regular cold water wash and your usual detergent.

I have used this on cotton, silk, wool, satin, and blends. It doesn't harm the fabric and works like a charm.

I find that I can even get some old/set stains out this way! A friend bought a white designer outfit, with a brownish streak of something down the front, at a consignment b/c it was cheap (due to the stain) and I assured her that she could probably get the stain out with Lava. My friend was doubtful, but bought the outfit. She e-mailed me a week later, in absolute amazement that my trick had actually worked!

[goodcents]

Hi,
Thanks for the responses, a few questions...

mom to l&a is the oxygen bleach this product
Oxy-Boost Destainer and Deodorizer.?

Have you used it on colors? I know that some colors fade in hot water but I don't notice much difference in warm water. Most of my clothes are colorful, like me :. If it does'nt what do you use for your colors?

Skellbelle do you use the the lava bar or liquid?

Thanks - I really look forward to being able to remove some of these older stains. It would make me feel great even if it requires some elbow grease!

[momto l&a]

Goodcents,

Yes, I use it on colors and I dont find it fades anything. Most clothes at our house are washed with hot or warm water as I have found that it get our clothes cleaner than just cold.

And yes that what we use is Oxyboost.

I am a yard saler so some clothes I buy do have stains but I only have about 2 stains that I havent been able to get out.

Calgon will fade some clothes so I would only use it for whites unless fading doesnt bother you.

Oxy-boost goes in just about every load of laundry I do.

[spero]

Originally posted by goodcents
Skellbelle do you use the the lava bar or liquid?

Either one will work just fine. I usually use the bar b/c it's cheaper and I have a hard time finding the liquid. It also makes a thicker paste.

I keep a bar in the bathroom to scrub up DD's (nowadays, infrequent) poopy accidents...it's perfect for that sort of thing

[reeseccup]

i'm a sunshine girl, it may take more than one sunning, but it does work...i've had old, and i mean OLD speghetti stains come out with a sunning....if you feel you need a little help, some lemmon juice will help too.

[goodcents]

Thanks for the tipp reese. We live in the city so it is hard to "sun things here. We don't have a line - and even if we did putting my clothes outside makes me think they pick up the pollution kwim? Thanks though.....

[reeseccup]

Originally posted by goodcents
Thanks for the tipp reese. We live in the city so it is hard to "sun things here. We don't have a line - and even if we did putting my clothes outside makes me think they pick up the pollution kwim? Thanks though.....

you can hang in windows or on a drying rack with a "plant light"...it'll take longer, but still works.

[tessamami]

Wear a bib? Old shirt (in the home, that is). Or tuck a huge napkin or hankerchief in your shirt while dining out.

Tons of sympathy here, I'm a bit sloppy sometimes, too.