Summer living can make your family’s clothing vulnerable to stains, splatters and more, even if you are spending more time at home these days. But it’s possible to restore your family’s clothing to like-new condition every time laundry day rolls around with these tips and strategies:
• Act quickly: The faster you treat a garment, the more likely you will successfully remove stains and odors. While portable stain sticks are a great option when out and about, you can also rely on some running water and hand soap.
• Understand stains: “Science shows that there is no one single ingredient that cleans everything well, so understanding the anatomy of a stain is essential,” says to Elli Frasier, director of product development for CR Brands, a cleaning products manufacturer.
For example, enzymes are required to treat protein-based stains like grass, while granular-based stains such as mud require detergents. For this reason, that quick soccer game in the backyard could easily become the precursor to laundry day difficulties. Throw some al fresco dining into the mix and your favorite item of clothing may really be in trouble. Here are a few common summer clothing pitfalls and how to handle them:
• Tough workouts: When washing sweaty workout gear and other clothing, be sure laundry products contain odor-preventing ingredients. If your machine has a sports cycle, this may be a good setting to choose.
• Barbecues: Ketchup and other condiments take center stage at barbecues, but when they make contact with clothing, it’s important to target these stains correctly. The same is true of juice drinks, spaghetti sauce and wine. Pretreat such stains for 30 minutes or more with peroxide-containing products before washing.
• Grease: Whether changing the oil in your car or fixing a bicycle chain, maintenance tasks such as these can lend themselves to tough-to-treat grease stains. Agitate garments with a degreasing agent along with warm water before laundering.
• Choose a powerful weapon: The best way to ensure clothing comes out of the wash good-as-new is to select products containing a variety of stain-fighting ingredients, including enzymes, peroxides, whitening agents and detergents. For example, Biz Stain & Odor Eliminator, available in powder, liquid and boosters, can be used to both pretreat garments (by applying directly on the stain), as well as an additive (by pouring it into the wash along with your detergent). Proven to be 80 percent more effective at stain removal than detergent alone in independent third-party laboratory tests, it’s also safe to use on both colored garments and whites.
• Examine clothes post-wash: Before tossing garments in the dryer, ensure stains were actually removed during the wash cycle, as applying heat can set the stain.
• Read labels: When in doubt, check tags for proper care, particularly for delicates and special fabrics.
With a few tricks up your sleeve, you can enjoy all the mess summer has to offer care-free.
