Tammie's Take~

Whether you are looking for a cheap, DIY stain remover or you are trying to make your home

chemical-free, there are some effective common household products you can use instead of

expensive and artificial chemical products that are just as good. Have a look through your

pantry for any of the following products and give them a try!

Vinegar

Bog standard vinegar can actually be one of the most effective methods of stain removal. Mix

equal parts vinegar and warm water and soak the stain for a few hours. For more stubborn

stains, scrub the liquid into the stain with a soft bristle brush and rinse the garment through

thoroughly. For more tips on using vinegar to treat laundry stains, take a look at this helpful article.

Dish soap

If you have a tough food stain on your clothes that you want to remove, try some liquid dish soap.

You can mix a little washing up liquid with warm water and leave the item to soak for a few hours.

If you have a particularly stubborn stain, you can apply the dish soap directly to the

stain and scrub it. Once the stain has been treated, rinse the suds out of the item. Dish soap is

particularly useful at treating greasy food stains. Baking soda If you are looking for a

way to remove stains without having to scrub the item, add ½ cup of baking soda to your

normal wash cycle. This will effectively lift any built-in grime or food stains

without any added effort. You should add baking soda to your load of whites. The baking soda

will make your whites brighter and cleaner looking.

Rubbing alcohol

Have your kids gotten a little too creative with a permanent marker? Not to worry, you can lift

their scribbles out of your clothes with a little bit of rubbing alcohol. Soak the stain thoroughly

and scrub it until the stain comes out. Once the stain has lifted, put the item through your normal

wash cycle.

Toothpaste

Toothpaste is an especially good stain remover, especially for food or coffee stains – not

surprising really, seeing as it is designed to do this for your teeth! Simply apply some toothpaste

directly to the stain and apply a little water. Rub the stain until it begins to lift.

Denture tabs

If you are running low on toothpaste, denture tabs work just as effectively as toothpaste. Dilute

one denture tab in a bucket of water and leave the item to soak for a few hours. If you have a

particularly stubborn stain you want to deal with, try crushing a denture tab, mixing it with a drop

of water and applying the paste directly onto the stain.

Shampoo

Squirt a blob of shampoo directly onto the stain and leave the shampoo to soak in for a few minutes. Once the

shampoo has set into the stain, dab at it with a cloth until the stain vanishes.This works effectively well on oil and

blood stains. If all else fails and you can’t find any of these products in your home, sick to good old fashioned water.

For new stains, treat them with cold water. Scrub the stain and leave it to soak for a few hours. For older stains, try

wash setting your washing machine to boil wash.