Do you have that favourite outfit that can’t be worn again because another outfit has transferred its colour onto it? You do not have to throw it away or leave it at the bottom of the closet. A quick fix with white vinegar can remove the stain and return your cloth to its former state. White Vinegar (not Apple Cider Vinegar) can be used to remove a lot of household stains effectively. Try the steps below to give a quick fix to your stained items around the house.
Items Needed
White vinegar
Baking soda
Water
Aluminium foil
Bowl
Sponge or Microfibre cloth
Fabric Stains
Clothes can transfer colour onto each other during washing. To remove colour stains, soak the cloth in a bowl of water mixed with white vinegar for a few hours, then wash as normal. If the stain persists, soak the cloth in the vinegar mixture overnight. The acid in white vinegar will wash out the stain. Do not soak clothes in undiluted vinegar.
Quick Tip: To stop clothes from transferring colour onto each other in the wash, set your washing machine to cold wash, not warm or hot. Warm temperature make clothes more susceptible to running colours.
To remove ink, blood, wine and crayon stains from fabric, rub the spot with a vinegar and water mixture, then wash as normal.
Remove Rust Stains
To remove rust stains from fabric, make a paste of white vinegar and baking soda, then rub on the stain. Leave for a few minutes then wash as normal.
To remove stains from a dish drainer, make a paste of white vinegar and baking soda and coat all the rusted spots. Leave for a few hours, then either scrub off using an aluminium foil, a sponge or microfibre cloth. Depending on the extent of the rust, you may need to try this method more than once.
Quick Tip: If you find that cooking grade vinegar doesn’t remove the stains totally, try using cleaning grade white vinegar.
About the author: Amina Salau is a writer and editor running The Illuminated Pen. You can find her online at www.theilluminatedpen.com and on Twitter (@_Aminah)
