Laundry...I hate it.

The one thing I hate about being a stay at home mom is laundry. I don't mind any of the other chores, but there's something about putting away laundry that makes me want to sell my kidney so that I could hire someone to do it for me. But a few things that make me happy all over and get giddy inside concerning laundry...

I could look at this all day long... hello? Can we say more than one washer and dryer... A huge folding table, storage, and my favorite... Apothecary jars to hold laundry soap, clothes pins, dryer sheets, you name it.

HELLO? A chandelier... in the laundry room, yes please. It screams my name. And the wall paper...sigh, it makes my heart pitter patter. Oh I can't wait to build my dream home.

So, for me there's really no satisfaction in doing the laundry...Except when I annihilate a stain. or brighten a dingy shirt. My favorite weapon, Oxi clean. But here's a helpful list of the best ways to remove stains. Keep in mind a few basic rules for stain removal. The sooner you attack the stain, the better chance you have of removing it completely. Avoid putting fabrics that contain stains into the washer or dryer; doing so will “set” the stain that you are trying to remove. Good luck after that. It is also helpful to keep a separate bucket or container for bleaching clothing that has been stained. And  keep on hand a few different stain removal products, because some products work better on certain types of stains.

1. Blood Stains - Blood spots can be difficult to remove from certain surfaces, especially if the stains have been sitting for a while and have become dry or have spread. 
Remove bloodstains by rinsing the area in cold water, Look for additional, smaller adjacent droplets, which can be easy to miss with certain types of injuries or a speckled fabric. Pre-treat the spots by using a commercial stain removal product. I like oxi clean.. not the stick or spray, just good ol' powdered oxi clean.

2. Ink Discoloration - For ballpoint ink stains, apply rubbing alcohol. Remove ink stains completely by following this step by rubbing the area with detergent. Wash with detergent and liquid bleach or color safe bleach, in the hottest water allowable for the type of fabric. Repeat all steps if the stain does not completely disappear. Felt ink stains may not come out.

3. Grass Stains - Remove the stained clothing as soon as possible. Carefully apply a stain-removing product to the discolored areas again, resolve or oxi clean. Let it sit for five minutes. Launder the clothing in the hottest water possible for the fabric type, using detergent and liquid bleach.

4. Grease - Grease comes in many forms, such as foods that contain butter, margarine, certain types of chocolate, and mayonnaise. Remove oil stains by applying an appropriate stain removal product that treats oil stains of this type. Then wash the fabric in hot water, laundry detergent, and laundry bleach. If the stain is still visible, repeat the process again. (Do not dry in the dryer between treatments, as this will only set the stain more.)

5. Yellowing, Dinginess - Wash fabrics containing yellow, dingy stains in hot water with the prescribed amount of laundry detergent and all-purpose laundry bleach. 


6. Makeup and Cosmetic Stains - Pre-treat the makeup stain with a spot remover, taking care not to smudge or expand the stain, and let the item sit for five minutes. Follow this step by washing the item in the hottest allowable water, using laundry soap.

7. Nail Polish - Nail polish can be removed from fabric by applying acetone (nail polish remover) to the stained area. Use caution when removing nail polish stains from delicate fabrics because acetone can break down certain types of fabrics. Wash or sponge the stain with laundry detergent after treatment.

8. Glue and Adhesive Removal - To remove glue or sticker residue, mix one teaspoon of mild detergent (non-bleaching) with a cup of lukewarm water. Blot the stain and sponge with clean water. Artificial nail glue can usually be removed by with acetone. Soak the area with acetone and hold some absorbent cloth against the glue. The glue should soak into the absorbent cloth.
 
9. Crayon Stains - You can use WD-40 to remove crayon stains from fabric or walls. Simply spray WD-40 on both sides of the crayon stain and allow the solution to sit for 5 minutes. Rinse the item thoroughly then rub dishwashing liquid into the stained area with a clean cloth. The crayon stain should bleed away. For fabric stains, wash the item in the hottest water that the stain can tolerate. But really, let's be honest... just buy washable crayons.

10. Chewing Gum - To remove chewing gum from clothing, start by scraping away as much as possible. Rub the stain with ice. The ice will harden the gum and you should be able to pick the gum from the fabric. Treat any remaining gum residue by placing the stained item between white blotting paper. Iron over the blotter and change the blotter as it becomes soiled. Use a sponge containing a spot remover and blot the area. Or just don't give your 3 year old gum... I learned the hard way.