Top Five Summer Stains and How to Clean Them
Our easy tips make it easier to clean stubborn stains while still enjoying the long days of summer.
Summertime is filled with lots of great fun where we get to enjoy our favorite warm-weather activities and foods. Unfortunately, a few spills here and there can threaten to put a damper on things. No worries! We’re here to show you how to get rid of five top summer stains and the best ways to clean them.
First Things First!
It’s a lot easier to get rid of stains soon after they’ve made their mark and before they’ve had time to completely set in. Here are some key tips to help your stain removal become an easier task:
- Before removing the stain, try to remove as much of it as possible by blotting the stain. Don’t rub it, scrub it, or apply pressure from one side to the other.
- Instead, start at the outside of the stain and work towards the middle inside of the stain.
- Once stains are treated and the fabric washed, air dry the material, whether it’s clothes, furniture, or linens. Never dry them in the dryer or with other sources of heat. Once heat is applied to stains, it sets stains in, making it nearly impossible to remove them.
Top 5 Summer Stains
Now that we’ve addressed some common guidelines about removing stains, let’s talk about some of the more common summer stains and how to get rid of them.
- Grass
Grass probably tops the list as one of the most common summer stains. We’re often out enjoying the sunshine and children, in particular, tend to get their clothes full of grass stains.
The solution?
Let the kids have their fun in the sun and deal with the grass stains later.
- Pretreat grass stains with a quality, heavy-duty liquid detergent or a stain remover that’s full of enzymes. This will help the stain disintegrate before you wash it. Gently work the stain remover or detergent in with a soft brush and let it sit for around 15 minutes or so.
- Then, wash the garment in the warmest water allowed according to its label.
- If the stain is stubborn and still remains, soak the clothing in warm water and non-chlorine bleach for several hours.
- Wash it again and hang dry.
- Barbecue sauce
Summer just wouldn’t be summer without those weekend cookouts and barbecues. However, sometimes barbecue sauce makes its way onto our clothes and shoes. Don’t let it spoil the fun.
The solution?
Barbecue stains can be stubborn, but with a little effort, they can be removed.
- Place the item with the stain on a towel with the stain touching the towel, and flush it with cold water.
- Next, pretreat it with a liquid laundry detergent, and gently dab the detergent into the stain. Let stand for a few minutes, then rinse well with cool water.
- If any stain remains, use a sponge soaked with white vinegar and dab the stain again. Remember, not to rub it in and only gently work it in.
- Rinse again and hang to dry.
- Popsicle and ice cream stains
Kids love popsicles and ice cream to help them cool off when they’re out playing in the sun. Of course, much of it tends to end up on their shirts rather than in their tummies. It’s okay. Let kids be kids and deal with the stains afterwards.
The solution?
Popsicle and ice cream stains can be banished out of sight with these easy tips.
- Let their clothes soak for 30 minutes in cold water, which is great to keep bright colors like reds and purples from setting and making a permanent mark.
- After the item has soaked, pretreat with a stain removal or liquid laundry detergent, and then wash in the warmest water that’s safe for the article of clothing, according to the tag.
- Hang or lay flat to dry.
- Berries
Most of us have fond memories of foraging for berries during the warm summer months. Those berry juices, however, tend to find their way on our hands and clothes before we realize how invasive those stains can be.
The solution?
Thankfully, berry stains are easier to deal with than you think.
- Flush the stains with cool water, then mix a tablespoon of white vinegar with one-half teaspoon of liquid laundry detergent mixed into a quart of cold water.
- Soak the garment or stains in the mixture for 15 minutes. Then, rinse well.
- Finally, wash the garment in an appropriate bleach, chlorine bleach for white articles of clothing and non-chlorine bleach for colored garments. First, however, make sure the clothes can handle either according to their care tags.
- Hang or lay flat to dry.
- Sweat
One often overlooked summer stain is sweat. How often do we go to our closet to put on our favorite white shirt, only to see unsightly underarm stains?
Often, it’s hardly there, but once you know it’s there, you tend to put that item at the back of the closet, never to be worn again. Perspiration is inevitable during the summer heat, but if you address it before you wash your clothes, you can enjoy your tops all summer long.
The solution?
Sweat is often caused by a chain reaction between aluminum-based deodorants and our bodies.
- Soak your top in a solution of two cups of warm water and one cup of white vinegar for at least a half hour.
- Then, make a paste from one-half cup of baking soda, a tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide, and a tablespoon of salt. Take the shirt out of the warm vinegar water and squeeze the liquid out.
- Lay the shirt flat on a surface covered with a towel and put some of the baking soda mixture over the stains. The mixture should lift the stain after allowing it to sit for about 20 minutes.
- Then, wash the article of clothing as you normally would. If it’s a white clothing item that will tolerate bleach, add bleach to the wash cycle. Hang or lay flat to dry.
The five top summer stains are inevitable, however, having fun during the warm summer months should be a priority. So, enjoy your fun in the sun!
Summer was made for family cookouts, making homemade ice cream, time with the kids, and all the wonderful times that make for memories and seasons in the sun.
Hopefully, our easy guide will help make cleaning those stains a bit easier.