How to Remove Stains Quickly from Shirts

Stains seem to pop up in the worst places, such as the front of the shirt where everyone can easily view the mess that has been made. Nothing is more frustrating when there is a stain on a shirt, and the shirt is ruined because the stain was not removed quickly enough.

One of the first steps that should be taken to solve the problem of a ruined shirt due to a stain is to try and find out what type of stain it is and remove it as quickly as possible, hopefully right away.

Here you will find some common stains that occur on shirts and also the solutions to removing those stains quickly and efficiently.

Wine and Coffee Stains

Rinse the stain with very cold water and then pour a generous amount of salt on the stain, salt is an absorbent so the salt will not only absorb the water but also the wine and coffee stain. Then using club soda, wipe the stained area off and place the shirt in wash machine and was as usual.

Ink Stains

An ink stain can be removed by spraying the affected area with hairspray and making sure the area is fairly saturated, then blotting at the ink stain with a rag. The process usually lightens up the ink the first time but most likely will need to be repeated multiple times depending on the size of the ink stain and how much the ink has penetrated the fabric.

Grease Stains

Dishwashing soap not only works great on greasy dishes, but it also works excellently on greasy stains on shirts. Gently rubbing dishwashing soap into the greasy stain using a soft rag will help to break the grease particles up. The shirt can then be washed in the normal cycle.

Lipstick Stains

Soak the lipstick stain with vegetable oil and allow it to saturate in the shirt fabric for a small amount of time, then blot at the stain with a rag, the lipstick will start to fade. Make sure to rinse out the area really well with water and then blot with rubbing alcohol. This process does an excellent job the first time but may have to be repeated multiple times.

Gum Stains

Gum is a very tricky stain because it is so sticky, but it does clean up fairly easily if you place an ice cube on the gum stain for a short period of time and allow the gum to harden up and then scrape of pick off. Gum does take a bit of time to harden up so if you are limited on time you may want to place the entire piece of clothing in the freezer for a short amount of time so that it is ready for the stain removal process. Gum removal in the hair also reacts pretty well with an ice cube application.

Blood Stains

Trying to removel a blood stain as quickly as possible is really important as blood stains can set in so fast. The best remedy for a blood stain is to use a soft rag and dishwashing soap and gently rub and blot at the blood stain. The most important point to remember when dealing with a blood stain is to always soak the shirt in cold water after you have attempted to clean the stain with dishwashing soap. Never use hot water on a blood stain as hot water causes the stain to really set in.

Determine what type of stain you are dealing with, acting upon the stain quickly and being patience with the stain removal process will really help to make removing stains from shirts much more manageable.