Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Coffee Chat!

Missy, here. It's Wednesday, time for our weekly chat!

This may be totally off the wall. But I've had a problem with grease stains lately. I'm blaming Ruthy--just because it's fun, and she blames me all the time. :)



So I have this new T-shirt from Target. The first time I wore it, I splattered grease on it. And it won't wash out! I think the problem is that it's 95% Rayon, 5% Spandex.

Do you have any special "recipes" for stain removal you'd be willing to share?? Even if it's not for grease stains, we'd still love to hear.

14 comments:

  1. I hate when that happens...and it always does and I think it's even worse on cotton clothes. Those are the shirts that seem to never let go of that dark spot for me.

    Try dish detergent...the liquid soap kind. Squirt some on as soon as the stain appears, let it sit for a bit and then toss it the wash. It's supposed to also work on old set-in stains too. But it has to be the grease-fighting kind of liquid detergent. I use an organic, earth-friendly variety and it doesn't work with that.

    Wish me luck today -- I'm in book fair mode...again. The perils of splitting my time between two schools!

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  2. Missy, I'm getting those same grease stains all the time. Andnimusually don't discover them until they come out of the dryer. Tide is my detergent of choice, so as soon as I discover one of those dastardly stains (which, like I said, isn't until they come out of the dryer), I treat them with some liquid Tide and let them set anywhere from 10 minutes to 24 hours. It never fails. The stains wash out every time.

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  3. Kav, thanks! I'll try my Dawn if Mindy's recommendation doesn't work. Good luck today!!! I LOVE book fairs. But I'm speaking as a parent attending with my kids. I haven't ever worked one! Pretty chaotic, I imagine. :)

    Mindy, I used Tide on it in the wash. I'll have to try again putting it directly on and letting it soak. Great idea! Thanks.

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  4. BTW, I wore it yesterday because I was just working around the house. And I got MORE olive oil splattered on it last night while searing the salmon! I was so mad.

    I guess I should just be happy it wasn't on another shirt.

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  5. No, seriously, I used to deal with this all the time.

    Do you remember my husband is in hospital food service? Back when his job was more hands-on, it seemed he couldn't walk through the kitchen without getting grease on him somewhere! His pant legs, his shirt sleeves, etc. etc.

    I always use a pre-wash spray like Shout or Spray and Wash. Even if I miss the stain the first time through the wash, it will still work if I rewash it.

    It also helps that he pays attention to what goes on during the day and lets me know when he's gotten into something. Then I can get to it right away and it doesn't have time to set.

    The one thing I was never able to get out was the commercial floor cleaner they used at one of the hospitals where he worked.

    And yes, he used to go through a lot of clothes. I'm so glad he spends more time in the office now.

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  6. LOL, Jan! You know, I don't think I even tried stain remover. I thought detergent would take it right out. I'll give that a whirl, too!

    And I won't get anywhere near commercial floor cleaner! Because I'm sure it would jump right up on me, especially if I had on something new. :)

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  7. Missy, I remember reading to sprinkle either baby powder or cornstarch on it to absorb the grease before washing.

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  8. has anyone tried the Tide To Go thingy? they used to have this really annoying commercial advertising them - it's a small container and you rub the stain with it. sigh..for me it has to be an awfully expensive shirt(which I dont' have!) to mess with more than trying to rub some liquid detergent in it - my wally world (walmart) shirts just aren't worth it..well unless they're still new...

    Susanna

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  9. That's a great idea, Mary! Thanks for sharing.

    Susanna, the one I know of is bleach, so you can only use it on whites. But I'll look for it!

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  10. Oh, these stains are such a pain in the booootie! I use the Tide with bleach alternative and it helps (I rub it in first) but like you guys, it's often when I take them out of the dryer that I first see it.

    Oy. Oy. Oy!!!

    I have taken to wearing an apron in the kitchen, just a simple cotton one while I'm doing dishes and baking with the kids, because I'm always getting oil or peanut butter or something gooey on my clothes. And olive oil, Missy, YES!!!!

    Blame me all you want. We're clutzes together. Dagnabbit! ;)

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  11. An apron!! Oh my gosh, that's brilliant. Preventive measures are so much better than battling a mess! I think I have one around here somewhere that the kids decorated for me. Of course, then I'll worry about ruining it. I need to buy a plain one. :)

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  12. see this is why we should stick with butter! at least a solid you have a chance to flick it off before it stains - olive oil is just sorta automatic :-)
    Susanna

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  13. I checked out the Tide to go at wally world today and it said itw asn't good on grease :-(

    Susanna

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