Hints and Tips

Perspiration Stain

It is not easy to remove unless you apply a thick coat of paste made from baking soda and water. Leave this paste on for 15 minutes. Then rinse and wash the garment as usual.

Rust stains

Rub on lemon juice and salt made into a paste. Let this stand until thoroughly dry. Rinse. Repeat if necessary.

Wet Cloths in Cupboard

Never hang clothing in the closet until it is thoroughly dry. An unventilated closet can cause staining.

To use bleach or not to use bleach

That question can be answered by making a mixture of 1 tablespoonful of bleach and 1/4 cup of water. Put a drop or two on a seam inside the garment, leave for a minute, then blot dry with a paper towel. No change in color means you can use bleach. If it fades only slightly, you can use bleach two or three times, when you need to remove a stubborn stain.

Mothball Alternative

A better idea than using mothballs is to take your leftover soap slivers and put them in a vented plastic bag. You place the bag with seasonal clothes before packing them away. Not only will the scent prevent them from moth harm but also they'll smell great when you pull them out. I especially like this for sweaters, which can be difficult to remove the odor of mothballs from. Using soap you simply have a clean smell rather than the smell of storage.

Grass

The quickest and easiest way to remove these is with some dry cleaning fluid, followed by diluted methylated spirits. After sponging the stain, rinse and wash normally. For really stubborn grass stains, however, apply a layer of washing powder paste to the stain and leave it to soak overnight, before washing.