Health & Fitness
Remove Stains the Natural Way!
Great natural cleaning ideas from our local cleaning authority!
By Donna Cosola, a Contributor to Colleen's Blog
The holiday break has ended and school is back in full force. Between packing lunches, helping with homework and carpooling, you’re back in full-time parent mode and must prepare for any predicament…including stains. Here are some tips for putting the “green” into stain removal, while getting that green grass stain out of their clothes.
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For all your natural stain fighting needs, you’ll need five basic ingredients: baking soda, lemon juice, molasses, club soda, and vinegar. You’ll also need to remember that when treating any stain, it’s better to blot it instead of rubbing it.
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Grass Stains
Before treating the grass stain, brush away as much dirt, grass and mud as you can. When the fabric is free of debris, rub molasses into the stain. Let the fabric and molasses sit for 8-10 hours and then launder as usual.
Food stains on plastic
To get food stains out of your reusable plastic, you can use the sun! Pre-wash the plastic containers and then cover the stain in lemon juice or baking soda. Place the container outside in direct sunlight and let sit until the stain has faded. Rinse with cold water and repeat as necessary.
Oily food stains
The best way to remove an oily food stain is to soak up the grease from the fabric. Sprinkle chalk dust or corn starch on the stain, then soak the fabric in a mixture of baking soda and water. For tougher stains, dab rubbing alcohol on the fabric before washing.
Color stains
To remove colored stains, like those from juice or berries, blot up as much liquid as possible. Then, soak the stained area in lemon juice or white vinegar to lift the stain from the fibers.
Gum
Getting gum out of clothes is easier than you thought! Put the fabric in the freezer, wait until the gum is frozen and then pull it off the cloth.
Featured Image courtesy of Suat Eman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net