Take care to wash away any spots and stains on your washables. Here are a few tips:

 

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Identify the spot. The more you know about what made the spot or stain, the more likely you are to treat it appropriately. This means you have a better chance to remove it, plus you are less likely to set it further by using the wrong treatment. When in doubt, rinse or soak in cold water before treating or laundering.

Treat the spot immediately! The sooner you attack the spot, the easier it is to remove. Get into the habit of checking freshly washed wet clothes for stains that don't wash away. Instead of drying them, pretreat the stains and wash them again. Drying can permanently set the stains.

Pretreating a stain before it is dried or set increases your chances for removing it. Use a prewash stain remover, liquid laundry detergent, or a paste made from a powdered laundry detergent and a little water. First, test for colorfastness by pretreating a seam or other inconspicuous area. Then, launder the entire garment with a detergent — plus a bleach that's safe for the fabric.

Blot it out! Sponge a stain — don't rub it. Rubbing only spreads it and may even damage the fabric.

Beware of beverages. Beverages containing sugar, such as wine or ginger ale, may seem to disappear. But don't be fooled — they may still be there! Once the stain has been exposed to air, the sugar oxidizes and leaves an invisible stain, which ultimately turns yellow or brown. The stain never left ... it was there all along. To remedy? Treat even those light stains you can't see immediately — before they dry.

Using a bleach? Prevent uneven color changes by bleaching the entire garment — not just the stain.

Out with the old! Old stains rarely fade away — but it's possible! Try pretreating or soaking in a product containing enzymes, then launder.

Wash it away! After treating a stain, launder the complete garment to remove any residue left from the stain or stain remover.

 

About ACI

The American Cleaning Institute℠ (ACI - formerly The Soap and Detergent Association) is the Home of the U.S. Cleaning Products Industry® and represents the $30 billion U.S. cleaning products market.  ACI  members include the formulators of soaps, detergents, and general cleaning products used in household, commercial, industrial and institutional settings; companies that supply ingredients and finished packaging for these products; and oleochemical producers.  ACI and its members are dedicated to improving health and the quality of life through sustainable cleaning products and practices.