Getting Stains Out – Part 4

By L. Paul Cline 

The right product applied the wrong way can make the stain set worse.

Never Apply Direct Force.

Dab gently or soak indirectly. Do not scrub with a cloth or with your fingers.

To properly remove the stain, follow these steps to draw the stain out.

• Soak the stain with water immediately even if you are still wearing it. I cannot stress this part enough.  Always dab some room temperature water onto the stain with a bit of toilet paper or tissue as soon as possible. Make sure the whole stain gets soaked, and make sure the water soaks all the way through the fabric rather than just sitting on the surface.
• When you remove the garment, re-wet the stain and apply an absorbent.  Salt is the most common and cheapest, but some people use cornstarch or talcum powder for a similar effect. This works best on smooth fabrics like cotton knits — applying salt to a  wool, or a tweed jacket is just going to be a pain to scrape off later.  Let the absorbent sit for ten or fifteen minutes, then scrape the bulk of it off and rinse the rest out with water.
• Apply your solvent lightly to the back of the garment, underneath the stain. You want it to be soaking through and driving the stain back toward the surface, not deeper into the garment.  Applying it to the inside also gives you a little more security in case the solvent ends up discoloring the fabric (but you checked first on an unobtrusive area like we told you to, right?)
• Lay the garment face down on a clean paper towel.  Like the absorbent, this gives the chemicals that are actually causing the stain something to soak into.  If you don’t provide that blank medium, all you’re really doing is spreading the stain out so thin that it’s not immediately visible — it’s still there in the cloth.  The paper towel gives it somewhere else to go.
• Let the garment rest face down on the paper towel for an hour or so.  Different solvents have different reaction times, but give it a while.  The only real guideline here is to get back for your final rinse before the solvent dries completely.  Keep an eye on it.  If it is allowed to completely dry, you may just end up with a bigger, lighter-colored stain than before.
• Give the garment a final water rinse to remove both the stain and the solvent.  If you can, immediately wash it, either in a laundry machine or by taking it in for dry cleaning.

Some stains can be removed simply by a wash or a dry cleaning, but it’s best to apply the specific treatment as well. In the case of delicate wools or silks, that may mean nothing but water.

Les Paul Cline has spent the past 20 years helping men perfect their image, both inside and out. He has worked with hundreds of business executives to help them design their wardrobes in the privacy of their own home or office.

In January 2003 he started Les Cline Company, a bespoke clothier that offers custom made suits and shirts at an affordable price. Today, Les Cline has grown to help hundreds of men find greater confidence through a bespoke suit.

LesCline Clothiers

Les Paul Cline has spent the past 20 years helping men perfect their image, both inside and out. He has worked with hundreds of business executives to help them design their wardrobes in the privacy of their own home or office.

In January 2003 he started Les Cline Company, a bespoke clothier that offers custom made suits and shirts at an affordable price. Today, Les Cline has grown to help hundreds of men find greater confidence through a bespoke suit.

Lescline.com  [email protected]
1-855-712-7312
Greenville, SC 29615