stain tips Archives - St Croix Cleaners Dry Cleaning

February 2, 2015 In "Geeky" Stain Tips, Fashion, Green Cleaning, Uncategorized

Valentine's Stains

Every holiday comes with its own assembly of tough stains. Valentine’s Day is no exception to that rule.
With the celebration of friendship and love comes the chocolate, strawberry, lipstick, candle, and pollen stains.
But if you’re in a pinch and don’t have time to get your garment to the cleaners,
we’re here to help with some methods that can come in handy.
Keep in mind all these suggestions do depend on the type of fabric the garment is made of.
These methods are safe on cotton, however may not be successful on fibers like silk or rayon.
So proceed with caution. If you’re ever unsure, bring it to us and we can get our experts working on it.

1. Chocolate

Whether it’s truffles, fudge, or cake, chocolate always seems to find its way on to your whitest top. The best way to approach this stain is to immediately flush it out with warm water. Then, create a solution of water with a small amount of dish soap and blot (dont rub) the stain. The dish soap breaks down the oils in the chocolate and prevents the stain from setting.

2. Strawberry or Red Wine

Both strawberries and grapes contain plastic elements in them. So when you get a stain, you want to prevent it from setting. We suggest flushing this with COLD water first. Using an ice cube, go over the stain in a circular motion. Then continue by blotting the stain and again, repeat using the ice cube. Continue this process and slowly the stain should pull out. Sometimes a solution of dish soap and warm water may help; however, these stains are very tough to get out. If you can’t seem to get it, bring it in to us while the stain is still saturated. Once the stain dries, its harder for us to get it out.

3. Candle Wax

Place a thin terry cloth towel on top of a wax stain. Then gently iron over the top of the towel – this will pull the stain right out. The terry cloth acts like a sponge and absorbs the wax as you iron it.

4. Flower Pollen

This is the trickiest of them all. Pollen is literally a dye that is used to color treat fibers. So when you get some on your clothes, it’s hard to get out. We suggest bringing this one straight to our team. Whatever you do, do not attempt to rub this one. By rubbing or trying to brush the pollen off your’re simply deepening the stain. Rubbing can also damage the fabric itself.

November 11, 2014 In "Geeky" Stain Tips, Dry Cleaning Tips, Press

Stubborn Stain Tips!

WATCH: Kare11 – Stubborn Stain Tips

Kelley Nemec from St. Croix Cleaners joined us with the dirt on stains and how to get rid of them. Here are some of her top tips.

Nylon sock: Deodorant’s worst nightmare

Rub the nylon sock lightly over the deodorant marks or foundation to remove the top layer of the stain before it blends into the fabric.

You can still wear the garment for the day, but make sure to clean it soon after, as remnants of the stain may still remain.

Dish soap: Grease’s toughest competitor

Create a solution with the following: 1 pinky’s dip worth of dish soap (the original Dawn works the best!) + 1 to 2 cups water

Flush the stain with this solution (do not just use straight dish soap). Then dab, do not rub, the stain.

Flush with water once more.

If the garment will still not come clean, bring it to the professionals!

Ice cubes: Red wine remover

Treat a red wine stain immediately by placing a paper towel under the garment’s stain Gently dab an ice cube on the top After a few minutes, place a paper towel on top of the stain and pull the stain away!

Vacuum brush: Increases longevity of your garments

Next time you’re vacuuming, take an extra few minutes and vacuum your clothes with a vacuum brush.

Dust finds its way into your closet and settles on your clothes, causing fume fading (color loss) of colored garments and browning of white garments.

By removing this dust, your garments will store and keep their color much longer.

AVOID using stain sticks or DIY stain removing tips found on the Internet. Every stain and fabric is different and some of these “fixes” can actually damage your clothing!

July 7, 2014 In "Geeky" Stain Tips, Dry Cleaning Tips, Green Cleaning, Specialty Cleaning, Uncategorized

Quick Fix For Chap Stick Stains

Ever forget to check and miss that chap stick
that’s hidden at the bottom of the pocket before putting your clothes in the washer or dryer?
We’ve seen more than our fair share of stains due to grease and chap stick come through our doors.
Some of these stains can be taken care of right at home! They often look similar to the image shown below. The fabric will appear darker and splotchy.

For a quick fix at home, try laying a piece of cardboard or paper bag under the stain and using a hot iron, go over the stain. The cardboard or paper will act like a sponge and absorb the grease or wax (depending on the brand). Its best to catch the stain before putting it in the dryer because the heat can cause the stain to set.

When all else fails bring it to us and our team will work on the stain!

June 25, 2014 In "Geeky" Stain Tips, Dry Cleaning Tips, Green Cleaning, Specialty Cleaning, Uncategorized

Grass Stains

In honor of the world coming together in the world cup games in Brazil, we thought we might remind you on how to remove the notorious grass stain.

Grass contains chlorophyll which is the substance that makes plants green. The green is what you see on the surface of this stain. Bleach can work great on white items however use caution with this because sitting in bleach too long can cause damage to the fabric. If the garment is not able to withstand bleach, try soaking it in a solution of water and detergent, then gently brush or dab the area. Be sure not to rub the stain because that may cause the stain to spread. After, wash the item. Before drying it be sure to check the stain is gone. Drying a stain such as this can cause the stain to set and make it very difficult to get out.

The quicker you deal with the stain, the better chance you have of getting it out.

When all else fails and the stain is a bit stubborn to get out at home. Bring it to us and our experts can work on getting the stain out.

July 2, 2013 In "Geeky" Stain Tips

How to Remove BBQ Sauce

As the 4th of July approaches, backyard barbecues are favorite family activities, especially if Dad does the cooking. However, it’s easy to get a barbecue sauce stain on your clothing. Here’s a few simple steps to get that barbecue sauce stain out in no time. If you still can’t remove the stain after all of this, bring the garment to us, and we’ll give it our best shot!

Remove excess barbecue sauce off the stained item. Dab it off with your finger, a sponge or a paper towel. (But do not start rubbing the stain – this can damage the fabric.
Rinse the stained fabric with cold water. Run the water through the back of the barbecue sauce stain to help get the stain out of the item.
Rub detergent into the barbecue sauce stain. You can use a regular liquid detergent or a solvent such as glycerin. Use your fingers or a sponge to work the detergent into the fabric. Continue rubbing the stain with detergent until the stain no longer appears and then rinse with cold water.
Use a spray or a gel stain remover and apply it to the barbecue stain. Allow the item to sit for 5 to 15 minutes for best results.
Wash your item with detergent in a regular wash cycle.
Check the item for any remaining evidence of the barbecue sauce stain after washing. If any stain remains, bring the garment to us.
Dry the item in your clothes dryer or hang the item in the sun to dry.

**do not put the garment in the dryer unless the stain has been removed or the stain will set.