Removing Stains From White Clothing

We've all had that accidental spill on our nice white shirts. The kids/grandkids accidentally splatter paints, mud or food. Someone at work, not looking where they're going, runs into us, spilling their drink down your shirt.... it happens. But that doesn't mean it's the end of that shirt. It just means that you need to have a bottle of Clorox Clean-Up and a toothbrush on hand at home. :)

There are some small things you can do to ensure that the stain is not permanent. Here's a few:

1. As soon as you notice the stain, dab it with cold or Luke warm water to get as much of it off your shirt as possible. Let this air dry so what's left does not get rubbed into the fibers of your shirt (and never use heat - type driers for this)
2. You can use a touch of hand soap with the water to try and help remove any stains that may have already soaked into the fibers (such as stains caused from liquids or paints).
3. If possible, change your shirt immediately. If not, Change the shirt as soon as possible. This way you are not allowing the stain to soak further into the material's fibers.

Now, let's remove that stain (and by the way, you can do this with older stains as well). IF the shirt is pure white (i.e.: still looks brand new and is not discolored in any way), use the following steps:

Step 1: Soak the shirt in warm to hot (but never scalding) water. For finer material shirts (like washable satins and such, use cold to Luke warm water).
Step 2: Spray some Colorox Clean-Up on the stained area of the shirt, and GENTLY begin 'scrubbing' it with the toothbrush. Note: The softer the bristles, the better on your shirt's material fibers.
Step 3: If it is an older stain you are trying to remove, that has set into the shirt over longer periods of time, allow the cleaning solution to soak for about 30 seconds to a minute before scrubbing it.
Step 4: Once you see that the stain is gone, rinse thoroughly in warm water and wash in your machine as you normally would.

Notes: Always check the washing instructions on your shirt's tag(s). If it says 'Do not bleach', never use this stain removal method. Most white shirts can be bleached, but not all of them. This is because of the materials which the shirt is made from, not the color of it. Some fibers will almost immediately fall apart when in contact with any type of bleach substance.

Also, if you have any allergic reactions to caustic cleaning materials, use latex-free cleaning gloves while doing this. You can also try using solutions like a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water, or a 10/90 mixture of Amonia and water.