Remove Common Stains from Clothing

It doesn't matter what time of year it is, we all take pleasure in entertaining our relatives and friends to dinner. Yet food and drink can play havoc with fabrics such as table linen, upholstery and clothing.

Usually in the event of spillage of food or drink substances, stains can be prevented if items are washed immediately, but be sure to always follow the instructions on the fabric care labels and if unsure, contact Barker Group for professional laundry and fabric care services as soon as possible.

Enjoy a stain-free way of life by taking note of some simple advice, courtesy of the Barker Group;

1. Remove chocolate by firstly placing it in the fridge within a plastic bag to allow it to go hard. Once you have removed as much as possible, the stain can be sponged with warm soapy water, rinsed with cold water and then washed in a biological powder.
2. Treat red wine stains by absorbing as much of the liquid as possible, then rinsing overnight in lukewarm water with a well diluted mixture of washing powder. NB, This is not advisable for silk materials.
3. Lipstick stains can usually be removed from fabrics through the use of a suitable stain remover, although check the fabric care label first.
4. Coffee and tea can usually be removed if washed immediately with biological powder, before the drink has the opportunity to dry.
5. To remove grease and animal fat stains on fabrics that can be laundered, remove as much as possible and then wash in warm water. For fabrics that cannot be laundered, use a stain removal product.
6. Beer stains are easy to remove if treated with a biological powder as soon as possible.
7. Candle wax must be left to go hard, and then removed by sandwiching the fabric between several layers of kitchen roll or brown paper and then pressing a warm dry iron to melt out the remaining wax. A stain remover can be used to wash out the last traces, and then the item should be washed normally.
8. Curry stains are particularly difficult to be removed, and should only be attempted by a specialist laundry company.
9. Finally, if anyone should fall ill through over-indulgence or otherwise, remove vomit from fabrics by running the area under the cold tap, then treat by immersing it in a solution of biological detergent, then wash normally.