Category: Home Interior Tips

General Information:
To clean comforters without the expense of dry cleaning there are a few key points you should know. Is the comforter or duvet made from synthetic fibre or goose down?

Tools & Technique
Twin comforters and some light queen size comforters can be washed in a regular washing machine, but be sure to use only ½ of the regular amount of detergent.
Treat stains before washing, as described in our quick reference stain guide, as the limited soap will not remove heavy stains.
A film of soap residue may be evident, especially on dark comforters. If this is the case, remove the comforter and put the residue side of the comforter into the washing machine first, then re-wash with NO soap.
For larger comforters, utilize a front load coin washing machine at your local Laundromat.
Drying comforters is very important, especially with down comforters, which take a very long time to dry, and if not fully dried will become moldy inside.

Tip:
Use half a dozen clean tennis balls in the dryer to keep the comforter fluffy and from wrapping up on itself.

Here is a tip submitted by Debbie:

To remove cooking oil from clothes – first sprinkle some baby powder onto the stain.

Then rub in with a little cold water. Then wash as usual and the stain should disappear.

WD-40 works well for removing crayon, as does as a product like Goo Gone. You may have some work ahead though since the heat from the dryer will have set the stain. Try using a green scotch brite scrubber pad, found on pot scrubbers in any grocer store. This pad is abrasive enough to remove the crayon without damaging the interior finish of the dryer.

Precautions:

For all dryers we would recommend that you wipe down the interior of the dryer with a damp rag to remove any residue, and if you have a gas dryer leave the door open and allow it to air out for at least 24 hours before using. (This will help prevent your dryer from blowing up.)

This Question was submitted by Annie

“I just discovered my son left a yellow crayon in his clothes, my clothes is all stained yellow, can you help?”

The dyes in crayons can cause permanent stains especially if set by heat, but here are things you can try.
The crayon is basically a wax you could refer to the site on wax removal from carpet. Basically you will want to place the stained area of clothes between an old white terry towels, using a iron (medium setting) melt the wax and the towel will act as a blotter, be sure to move the stain to a clean part of the towel frequently. Once there is no longer color transfer you have done all you can. The next thing to do is use the dry cleaning solvent as described in the tip on removing “Crayon from carpet” The technique is to blot or tamp the stain with the dry-cleaning solvent(use the same techniuw as described in the tip). The solvent can be purchased at some grocery stores or a carpet cleaning supply retailer.

Some people recommend WD-40 or a product called Goo Gone (found at most home centers) which you can try, but then you will have to remove the oil stain from the clothes, however that maybe a last resort WD-40 is effective in some cases. You can remove oil stains with a dry cleaning solvent. Recently I saw an article on these new crayola crayons that only mark a special type of paper and leaves nothing on any other surface, sound like a parents dream, but I guess that doesn’t help you now.

Precautions:For fine fabrics you should go to a good Dry Cleaner and explain the nature of the stain for best results.

Tools & Techniques:
Colored items must be pretested on a hidden area of the item.
Physically remove the stain by scraping with a rubber spatula or professional scraper.

Use a spot remover or pre-treat with laundry pre-treat. Only blot or tamp to prevent damage to the color of the fabric.
Wash normally using the permanent press cycle.
Do not dry and repeat procedure if stain remains, or take to a professional cleaner.

Tools & Techniques:
Colored items must be pretested on a hidden area of the item.
Physically remove the stain by scraping with a rubber spatula or professional scraper.

Use a spot remover or pre-treat with laundry pre-treat. Only blot or tamp to prevent damage to the color of the fabric.
Wash normally using the permanent press cycle.
Do not dry and repeat procedure if stain remains, or take to a professional cleaner.

How do I get my blouses and shirts back to the “white” they used to be? Since I take them to the dry cleaners, they seem to have become rather dingy.
Thanks!

If the articles are dry clean only, I would suggest trying a different drycleaner. It is possible they are re-using very dirty chemical or they arenot separating the colors properly.

If the articles can be cleaned at home, try a laundry booster, or a brightener like oxi-clean in addition to you regular laundry soap.

Many times, even dry clean only fabrics can be hand washed and air dried. For a home remedy soaking in lemon juice and water does help, as does air drying in the sunshine. The sun is a natural bleach, and it works very well.

Goodluck

Here is a question submitted by Lynda:

What is the easiest way to clean dried, caked-on dog poopout from between the grooves of my Nike shoes?

Here is a question near and dear to my heart 🙂 since I have a dog and a backyard I have direct experience with this problem. What I do is use a pointy tool like a nut pryer(used to get the small pieces of broken nuts out of nut shells) or a small screwdriver. It gets in the groves well and will with a little patience get most of it. I also clap the shoes together (outside) as I am working and the poop works free. For a final cleanup I get up early and walk my dog across a grassy field and the morning dew does the rest. Oh the things we do for our pets! I hope that helps and good luck.

General Info:

Dye Stains or dye Transfer are the hardest to remove. Read the care instructions and any warnings on the garment label.

First soak up or blot any liquid and nueralize the stain by using a Ammonia solution of 1 teaspoon of Ammonia in 1 cup of water.

Next rinse and use a laundry pre-treat and let it soak for 30 minutes. Launder.

If the stain remains and the garment is colorfast, soak the entire garment in a dilute solution of liquid chlorine bleach (safe for the fabric) and water. (Test for colorfastness first.) Launder with a fabric safe bleach.

There are also a number of dye removers which are available in drug and grocery stores. However, color removers will also take out fabric colors as well as the stain.

Precaution: Chlorine bleach may change the color of the garment or cause irreversible damage. Therefore, it is important to check for color fastness before using. If the stain does not come out within 15 minutes of bleaching, it cannot be removed by bleaching.

General Info:
Be sure to check the helpful hints for the Do’s and Don’ts of stain removal and Six Sure Ways to Set Stains.

Tools & Chemicals:
Dish washing or fine fabric detergent, white terry towels, a large pot or strainer, a lemon, vinegar.

Technique:

• This is involved, so here we go! First, if the fruit juice was mixed with alcohol the stain may be set permenantly, but this is still worth a shot. Don’t wash this article in hot water, or dry in a dryer. Heat will set the stain forever, and possibly longer.
• Be certain that the fabric is durable, and not damaged by boiling water. Test a shirt tail for colourfastness and for durability by dipping into boiling water. If the fabric shrivels up into a crumpled, wrinkled mass, check our Find a Pro section to locate the closest Dry Cleaner.
• If the stain is dry or old, moisten with glycerin. Take the stained area and stretch it over a large pot or strainer. Secure with an elastic band or two. Put the shirt and pot in a tub or large sink, in case you spill any water. Boil a big pot of water, and from a couple of feet above slowly pour the water through the stains. Contrary to washing in hot water, this passes through the article taking the contaminents with it.
• If any of the stain remains, cut open a lemon and rub the lemon on the stains, then hang to dry.
• If the stain remains, mix some white vinegar and water 1:2, and then apply that to the stains, then hang to dry.
• If the stain remains soak in a digestant for 30 minutes, launder as you normally would in cold water, and hang to dry.
• If the stain persists, and the article is white and bleachable, wash in a bleach solution as directed by the manufacturer, and hang to dry. Never dry this article of clothing in the dryer until the stain is removed, or it will be set.

Last Resort:
If the stain remains, soak the whole article in fruit juice so it is at least the same color, or consider replacing the article of clothing.