Stain Remover and Whitening Soak

Members of my family really enjoy creating sweaty, grimy, greasy stains on their clothes! This, combined with a limited spending budget for replacing clothes, has encouraged me to look for an all in one stain removal procedure that's easy and effective. I've used this recipe on jeans, colorful clothing and whites. Although it hasn't been used as much on delicate fabric, I would not think twice to give it a try if I had a outfit which wasn't getting used because of an unsightly stain. On the occasion that a stain is very firmly set that it will not be removed, I possibly dye it darker or send it to the scrap bin.

You will require two 5-gallon buckets with lids.

Combine the Following:

* 2 cups borax

* 2 cups washing soda

* 1 cup OxiClean®

* 1 cup Cascade Complete All-in-1 Gel

* 1 cup hydrogen peroxide

* 2 cups vinegar

* 1 to 2 gallons of HOT water

Gradually add 1 to 2 gallons of HOT water while stirring the ingredients. Be sure you stir well or the powder will clump into hard lumps. Should this occur, these might be smashed with a wooden spoon against the side of the bucket. Place the garments you want to soak into a separate 5 gallon bucket. If this fills the bucket in excess of 2/3 full, you may wish to divide the clothing between the two buckets. For instance, the whites and colors could possibly be separated. Pour the liquid solution onto the fabric within the bucket. If you work with two containers, divide the solution among them equally. Add more hot water so that the fabrics are immersed. Place the lid on the pail and allow it to sit all night.

After soaking for 7 hours (or until morning), pour the contents of the bucket into your washing machine (or wash tub) and run the garments through a rinse and spin cycle. Then, wash the clothes just like you would typically. This works well for socks, dingy undershirts and linens. It would even be useful on yard and garage sale finds.

This solution has been refined with time. You can adjust it to fit your own unique needs.

For more about how to start a fire and other DIY tips, visit Kay Morrison's Learn and Live Well blog.