JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – My husband has a knack for getting salad dressing on his work shirts! The oil stain is hard to miss. I know he’s not the only one. Many of you have likely been faced with the dilemma of trying to remove not only salad dressing but also blood and ink from your clothes. We’re here to help.
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We turned to Real Simple Magazine for some suggestions. Here’s what we found:
Salad dressing stain
The toughest part of this stain is usually the oil. Even if you can get rid of the color, the wet mark oil leaves is a dead giveaway. If you’re out to lunch or dinner when you drop salad dressing on your clothes, there is a quick way to start to remove the stain until you get home.
Real Simple magazine suggests you sprinkle the spot with artificial sweetener to help prevent the stain from setting in. Once you get home, apply dish detergent to the spot and rub it into the fabric using a soft toothbrush. Let this sit for a few minutes and then wash it.
Before you dry it, check the stain to see if it’s gone. If not, apply a stain remover and wash it again.
Getting blood out
First, dab the area with a sponge dipped in cold water. Do not use hot water, since it can help the stain set in. Then, dab the spot with hydrogen peroxide using a cotton ball or Q-tip. Let it sit for a few minutes and then use your regular stain remover to remove off any residue before washing it.
Removing ink
You’ll want to grab the rubbing alcohol for this stain. Before you apply it with a cotton ball or Q-tip, be sure to put a paper towel under the shirt or clothing since once you apply the rubbing alcohol the ink will likely bleed through the cloth and stain whatever is beneath it.
Apply the rubbing alcohol and then use a separate cotton ball dipped in cold water to remove the alcohol.
If you do not have any rubbing alcohol at home, Real Simple Magazine, suggests you pour a tablespoon of full-fat milk onto the ink stain and let it stand for 20 minutes. Rub the fabric together until the stain fades and then launder as usual.