Water Damage & Flooded Basement Restoration Services

Stain Removal Guide - M

By Kimberly Duncan

Makeup Stains
For makeup stains that are not oily, you can immediately brush them off the fabric and afterwards rub a wet cloth on the stained area. Wash with detergent and dry as usual. If the makeup is oily, you can use shampoo or liquid detergent mixed with water to treat the area. Apply just a small amount of this solution on the affected area. Rinse off using warm water and then launder in the normal manner.

You can repeat these processes until the makeup stains are completely removed. Make sure that you do not allow the affected areas to dry up unless there are no more stains visible. Otherwise, the stain will become much harder to remove.

Milk Stains
When milk gets spilled on clothes or on carpets and rugs, the resulting stains must be treated immediately. Do not rub the stain because this might cause the stain to spread. Quickly wipe the stain with a wet tissue or a soft cloth. Get rid of the excess milk fluid. If the stain is very recent, you can use warm, soapy water to remove it. Grease solvent may also be applied afterwards. Rinse the clothing afterwards with cold water.

For stains that are a little more permanent, use undiluted lemon juice instead of soapy water. Gently rub the juice on the affected clothing with a light-colored cloth. Rinse thoroughly if the stain is still there. For flavored milk that has color, you can use unseasoned meat tenderizer. Mix the tenderizer with a small amount of water to make a pasty solution. Dab a bit of this solution on the stain. Rinse off and then launder with cold water. This should hopefully take the stain out.

Mud Stains
In contrast to other types of stains, you must first let the mud dry up before attempting to remove the mud stains from clothes. After it has dried up, try to manually remove the mud. Run a vacuum over the stained area to remove the remaining dry mud.

Prepare warm water mixed with a strong detergent. Soak the stained fabric in this solution and let it sit for at least ten minutes. After this, brush off the mud using a toothbrush or a bigger laundry brush. The mud stain should be loose by this time.

Rinse off and launder the fabric. If the mud stain is still present, you can spray and apply a stain-removal formula before washing it again in warm water. The above procedure may be repeated until the stain is completely removed.

Mustard Stains
Use a knife or spoon to scrape off the excess mustard. Work from the outside inward so that the stain will not spread to other areas. You can work on the inner part of the shirt so that the stain will be lifted easily. Insert a piece of light-colored cloth to the shirt in order to avoid the stain from spreading to the other side.

Mix dishwashing liquid with warm water and dab this solution on the stained area using a clean piece of cloth. Wash the clothing with strong detergent and warm water. Do not allow the fabric to dry until the stain is completely removed.

Recommended Reading
Stain Removal Guide - N