First some history. Fabric softener was originally made as a by-product from horses’ hooves and the rendering of dead horses. I know. Eeeww. Over the years the formula has changed, and now it is made solely from petroleum products. Many different variations have evolved, from dryer sheets to liquids, with options ranging from different scents to odor-free and hypoallergenic. Even in the case of the latter, people can still react adversely, because fabric softeners stay in your clothing. Here’s why:

Fabric softeners lay a thin film of oil on your garments that make them feel soft and prevent static electricity from building up on the loose fiber ends. Normally, in dry conditions, these loose fiber ends attract a charge – like lightning does – from the air. The electric charge also acts like a magnet causing garments to stick together. By leaving a thin film on the garment the small, loose, fiber ends lay flat on the garment making it soft and smooth and unable to attract free electrons.

While all this science is really neat, lots of people just like you would rather not use fabric softener, due to health reasons, concern for the environment, and cost. If you choose not to use a fabric softener, try simply adding about a half-cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle. The acid in the vinegar will reduce the pH in the water, thereby reducing the dry, hard feeling of the garments. It will also cut down on static cling and help remove odor and freshen the wash. The vinegar smell will disappear in the dryer. I hope this helps you and your family! Thanks for writing, and remember to visit me online at WWW.thelaundrydoctor.com for more great laundry tips.

Laundry Doc

By definition, enzymes are any complex chemical produced by living cells that is a biochemical catalyst. Think of them as digesters: they are the catalyst for digesting stains. In terms of laundry, there are four types of enzyme, classed by what kind they digest: 1) protein (like blood stains); 2) oils; 3) organic stains (like grass or tomato juice); 4) the ends of fibers. The latter group actually lifts stains by “digesting” a tiny amount of fabric.

Enzymes are why you have detergents that run from cheap to pricey. Enzymes cost more, but they also do a better job of safely cleaning your garments, preserving their color and texture. A better quality detergent is an investment in the life of your laundry.

Enzymes work best between 80 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit. You may recall that “cold” water from the standpoint of laundry is considered to be 87 degrees or below, “warm” is 87-112, and “hot” is 112 +. Of course you want to follow the manufacturer’s instructions when you launder a garment, but warm water will most effectively activate enzymes and lift stains. Interestingly, enzymes “digest” something about every 7 minutes, which is why soaking a stained garment in warm water and detergent is a great way to remove stains.

Enzymes are environmentally friendly, and I know you will notice that many of the major manufacturers of detergent are reacting to concern over the environment by producing “greener” products. So spend a little extra on detergent that contains enzymes. Your clothes will thank you for it!

Thanks for writing, and don’t forget to visit www.thelaundrydoctor.com for past articles and more great tips for a clean, bright wash!

Laundry Doc

I don’t think it’s a good idea to launder your “dry clean only” items yourself. Here’s a great opportunity to talk about dry cleaning: What it is, what it does, and when you should use it. First, “dry” cleaning is sort of a misnomer. Dry cleaning employs a machine that looks like a very large commercial front-loading washer. Garments are placed inside with a dry cleaning solvent. The solvent acts to clean the garment, then the machine actually recovers the solvent and distills it for subsequent uses. So a little bit of solvent goes a long way.

Many of today’s synthetic fabrics are derived from petroleum-based products. They respond better to this solvent-based cleaning method, because detergent and water break down the oils that give the fabrics a nice feel and movement. The same thing goes for woolens, which get their rich texture and soft touch from the lanolin in sheep’s wool. These items will actually retain their original quality much longer if you opt for solvent-based cleaning.

I like to think of “dry” cleaning in terms of “professional cleaning”, because your laundry specialist will know how best to clean your finest garments thoroughly and without damage. In fact, if you took one of the items you mentioned to a professional cleaner, he or she might know of and opt for an even more effective and safe cleaning method. Solvent-based cleaning is just one of the many tools at the disposal of the laundry professional.

In the interest of preserving your finer garments for extended wear, I recommend using the services of a professional cleaner. In the end, you are protecting your investment in your clothes and saving yourself time.

Thanks for writing, and don’t forget to visit www.thelaundrydoctor.com for past articles and more great tips for a clean, bright wash!

Laundry Doc

I think I can best explain this with a laundry history lesson. Back in the day, when almost all men wore tailored dress shirts, (Even to mow the grass…Remember Leave it to Beaver?) some bright person invented a machine that quickly and efficiently pressed men’s shirts. This process was facilitated by the fact that men’s dress shirts have straight, clean lines and seams, so they could be laid neatly on the machine and pressed in minutes with a few deft movements by a skilled operator.

Women’s blouses have more detail, and their seams have more shape to follow the curves of a woman’s body. Therefore, you must press them by hand, taking care to keep those curvy seams flat and smooth and working around any details such as pleating or shirring. This takes a lot longer, and it is more labor-intensive, hence the greater cost. There are several tools launderers can employ to shape women’s blouses. An interesting one is called a “Susie”. It is a metal, cloth-covered frame in the shape of a woman’s torso. The damp-dry blouse is drawn over the Susie, and warm air is blown through it. This drys the blouse and preserves its shape. Again, this takes a little longer, and so it costs more. Still, if you want those blouses to retain their fresh, new appearance and last for a long time, I think it is worth it.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to write about this subject. I’m sure you aren’t the only woman out there who has felt the extra charge was less than fair! Please visit www.thelaundrydoctor.com for more laundry topics.

Laundry Doc

I empathize. I too love to cook, and I have gotten several of my own garments stained by various oils. Oil just seems to bond with certain fabrics, especially cotton, perhaps because of the natural oils that occur in the fabric.

Of course the first step is to treat the stain as quickly as possible, and you did the right thing by selecting a product that breaks down oils. The longer you wait to treat any stain, the more likely it will not come out. You also soaked your tee shirt, which was a good move. Unfortunately, the oil remained.

Sometimes the solvents used in a dry cleaning machine are very effective on oil stains, because they are petroleum based, which upholds the rule that like removes like. Still, if a stain is set in, perhaps because it has been laundered and even dried before the dry-cleaning is attempted, it can seem hopeless.

I am very excited to tell you about a new product that has just come on the market for laundry professionals. It isn’t available to the general public, and it isn’t widely known in the industry yet. It’s called Pull-Out. You spray it on the stain, allow it to dry, and literally brush the residue away. No more oil spot! I used it on my own garments recently with incredible results! If you can drop by my facility at 662 Selby Avenue in St. Paul, I’ll see what I can do with your favorite tee shirt.

I hope this helps you and your friends! Thanks for writing, and remember to visit me online at www.thelaundrydoctor.com for more great laundry tips.

Laundry Doc

P.S.: For my readers outside the St. Paul area, ask your laundry pro about Pull-Out for oil stain removal, and thanks for reading!

A couple of weeks ago, I’d have thought your story was strange, but in fact, a customer just brought me a very expensive pair of black trousers with the same basic care instructions as those you found on your sister’s linen sheath. In spite of the care label, the customer wanted me to clean the trousers, and I did indeed have him sign a waiver. I washed the slacks in cold water using a very gentle technique, and they did run very badly. They are not unusable, but they do not have the same bright, crisp appearance or deep color they had before they were laundered.

I’m glad you wrote, because this calls to mind an important topic: Always read the care instructions on a garment before purchasing it. This is especially true for finer garments, which often have a cost – or opportunity cost if you will – to owning them. If a garment must be dry cleaned, you have to factor in that cost. If it must dry flat, like many sweaters, do you have a sweater drying rack and a place to set it up? If it requires ironing, will you really be willing to press it, or will you be willing to pay to have it ironed? If not, perhaps you shouldn’t purchase it.

Oddly enough, some garments are not recommended for any kind of cleaning, which makes them more or less disposable! In this case, the buyer must keep in mind if it is really worth it to spend money on something that may only be worn one time. Reading labels is a critically important part of making a garment purchase.

I hope this helps you and your friends! Thanks for writing, and remember to visit me online at www.thelaundrydoctor.com for more great laundry tips.

Laundry Doctor

Excellent question! I am sorry to hear about your friend’s jeans, but I’ll bet I know what happened. Let me explain the leather cleaning process, which can indeed be done safely and with good results.

First of all, when we say “leather”, we mean the hide of a cow, calf, lamb, pig, etc. It can have a smooth finish or a suede (rough) finish. Leather is prepared for garment construction through a tanning process which removes the hair, preserves the hide, and results in a soft, supple product. It is treated with a coating (like silicone) to give it protection from stains and water.

A leather garment can be washed just like any fabric. It is immersed in a washing machine with chemicals that remove soil and conditioners that protect and soften. The trick to preserving the leather garment’s shape and size is in how it is handled after washing. A leather garment must be hung or dried flat and allowed to air dry thoroughly. Once dry, it will be very stiff. Only after it is completely dry, the garment is tumbled in a warm dryer. This process relaxes the hide and restores its soft, pliable texture and finish. An inexperienced or careless cleaner might put a damp leather item in the dryer to restore it to softness and end up shrinking it, which I think is what happened to your friend’s jeans.

When you take your leather blazer to be cleaned, don’t be afraid to shop around and ask questions. Call shops that advertise professional leather cleaning, and ask them about their experience. How many leather garments do they clean in a month? How long have they been in business? Don’t be afraid to ask them to describe the method they use, and be sure they explain the drying process. Be prepared to pay a premium for leather cleaning and to wait up to a week to get your blazer back. Here’s why. Some leather garments lose color in the washing process. An experienced leather cleaner will be able to dye such garments back to their original shade, but this process takes time. Again, it’s the air-drying that is critical. Still, a good leather garment is an investment, and the cleaning process not only restores your investment but also re-protects it, since the final step is a treatment of silicone or a similar stain and water repellant.

A word about fur garments. Fur is hair attached to a hide, but it cannot be washed. The chemicals used in the cleaning and conditioning of a leather garment will almost always result in the hair follicles releasing the hair from the hide. If you purchase a garment with fur trim, such as a jacket with a fur collar or a parka with a fur-trimmed hood, be sure the garment is constructed in such a way as to allow you to unzip the fur collar or trim before washing.

Thanks for bringing up a great topic! I hope you and all my Laundry Doctor readers have great results with leather cleaning. I’ll bet your blazer will look like new. Keep visiting www.thelaundrydoctor.com for all your laundry needs!

Laundry Doc

I have to give you some bad news, so I hope you are sitting down. The black stuff is mold, and it is very, very difficult to remove once it has developed into its "black spots" form. Mold is a tiny plant that actually eats the fabric and changes its content, and the process is irreversible.

If you have followed my column, you will know that I really dislike chlorine bleach. I don’t even keep it around my store, but it’s the only thing that’s really effective on mold. You can stop mold from growing with chlorine bleach, but he spores that are already in the fabric will always be there in the fiber. Whether you can successfully treat the fabric is a matter of how long the mold has been growing, and to what degree it has penetrated the fabric. If the fabric has just started to take on a moldy smell, you can treat it with chlorine bleach - IF it’s a colorfast garment. If the fabric has black mold spots, it is doubtful the black color will come out. If the fabric is not colorfast, you will have to resort to ammonia. However, ammonia isn’t as effective as chlorine bleach and may not kill the mold or even stop its growth.

To remove mold, wash clothes in hottest possible temperature - with chlorine bleach, if colorfast, or with ammonia if not. Be sure NEVER to mix chlorine bleach and ammonia! Dry in dryer. Be sure clothes are completely dry. Mold is created in a wet, dark area, and as you found with your post-party involuntary science experiment, it can grow and permeate fabric very quickly. Sunlight and UV kill mold. Never put anything damp inside a dark, airtight place. Dry clothes thoroughly and never store them in a dark place with poor air circulation. Mold loves a place like that.

You can test your napkins or tablecloth in an inconspicuous place for colorfastness, (polyester table linens are usually colorfast) then try the chlorine bleach method, but I am sorry to tell you I fear you will not have much luck. Chock this one up to experience and next time everyone wakes up with a banging head, put the washables in a pail to soak until you feel up to laundering them. Better yet, take them to your local Laundromat and go grab a cup of coffee, a big glass of water, and some aspirin. Enjoy that new brother-in-law and tell him to visit www.thelaundrydoctor.com for great laundry tips for his new household! (And go buy Mom some new table linens.)

Laundry Doc

You want to look sharp in your new career, and you want to get as much wear out of your office attire as you can. It can be a shock to going from being a college student and doing all of your own laundry to maintaining a professional wardrobe, but it is indeed worth it. Let's talk about why then I’ll give you some tips on getting the most for your cleaning dollar.

First, the term "dry cleaner" is kind of inappropriate because it implies a limit to the scope of service you receive. The term "professional cleaner" is more accurate, because most of the garments you take to a dry cleaner are actually laundered – albeit with professional-grade equipment and detergents. The tags on your clothes contain codes that tell the cleaner what processes and products to use for best and safest results, and he or she will follow the manufacturer's recommendations.

Another great value-added from a pro is the pressing of your garments. The very best home iron, even in the most skilled of hands will not match the results you get from shirts and slacks pressed on specialized, industrial grade equipment by a professional cleaner. The creases in your slacks, your shirt collars and cuffs, all will look far more smooth and crisp if you don't do them yourself.

This brings up the starch question. I actually believe in very little or no starch. It forms a coating in the fibers of a fabric, lending extra structure and rigidity to produce that desired, crisp finish. In fact, in my Dad's day, starch was key to adding enough body to a shirt to keep it properly creased. Today's fabrics feature new fiber blends and weaves that assure the beautiful, smooth look and even the stain-resistant, wrinkle-free finish that keeps them sharp all day. Additional starch just builds up in the garment and over time can even make the fabric brittle, causing premature wear and even tearing.

Thanks for the great questions, and congratulations to you on your recent graduation and employment! Be sure to visit me at www.thelaundrydoctor.com for more tips, plus special offers and coupons.

Laundry Doc

Great question! While front loaders are the state of the art, top loaders are still widely used, and it’s important to know about them. My store features front loaders and top loaders. Here are some pointers:

1. The biggest mistake I see customers make with the top loaders is overloading them. For garments to come out clean and fresh in a top loader, they have to be free to float about in the water and move against the agitator (the thing that sticks up in the middle of the tub).

2. Add your detergent to the water before you add the clothes. Set the water level on low and add the detergent as the machine fills. This allows the detergent to go into solution, so it is not too concentrated in one area. This is especially important when you are using chlorine bleach, which should be well incorporated into and mixed with the wash water before garments are added. When the water and detergents have mixed, add the laundry – never packing the machine full – and fill to the appropriate water level.

3. Don’t overdo the detergent! Unless you have heavily soiled garments, the minimum amount of detergent as directed on the label is sufficient. Adding too much detergent results in buildup of soap in the fibers, making clothes look dingy and causing them to wear out sooner.

4. Wash lint givers and lint takers separately. Sorting isn’t just about whites with whites, colors with colors, etc. If you wash incompatible types of fabrics together, you get wearing, pilling, and lint buildup. Lint givers are soft, usually knit fabrics with a fluffy or fuzzy finish. Think cotton tee shirts, tube socks and towels. Lint takers have a shiny, smooth finish and are often woven fabrics. If you wash a soft polo shirt with a pair of khaki trousers, the action of the trousers against the shirt can cause the shirt to pill, and the action of the shirt against the trousers can cause the trousers to collect lint. Sort wash by color and by texture of fabric.

5. Don’t be afraid to use cooler water temperatures and gentle wash cycles. Again, unless clothes are heavily soiled, the purpose of laundering them is to freshen them up. Garments washed gently in cooler water will wear and look better for a longer period of time. Thanks for the great questions, and congratulations to you on your recent move! Be sure to visit me at www.thelaundrydoctor.com for more tips, plus special offers and coupons.

Laundry Doc

It's great you should write with this question, because down at the shop we have had a real run on pet stains in the last couple of weeks! I'm going to explain the method for removing the stain – and the odor! You can probably do this yourself, because you mentioned a cotton comforter. If your comforter was made of a delicate fabric like silk or a brocade or satin I’d suggest you leave it to your laundry professional, but here goes...and keep in mind this works for all manner of pet stains, not just urine.

1. Hide your chlorine bleach. You don't want chlorine bleach anywhere near this process!

2. Blot, or gently scrape any solids from the stain.

3. In a well-ventilated area, make a 50/50 mixture of household ammonia and any liquid laundry detergent.

4. Apply the mixture to the stain then work the mixture into the stain with a brush or by rubbing the fabric against itself vigorously. This process helps to break the stain down and loosen it from the fibers.

5. Let the comforter sit for 10-15 minutes to allow the chemicals to further disintegrate the stain.

6. Launder using standard detergent in the hottest water possible for the comforter.

7. Check the stain. If it is still apparent, repeat steps 3-6 before you dry the comforter.

Remember, the sooner you attack the stain, the better chance you have of removing it completely, so don't wait any longer. You can use the mixture in step 2 for carpet and upholstery too! They key is to have a wet-dry vacuum with which you can rinse the mixture out of the fabric with fresh water. Best of luck to you, and scratch Ol' Tyke behind the ears for me. Don't forget to visit www.thelaundrydoctor.com for more great tips!

Laundry Doc

Actually, this is a laundry question! Here’s why. The very best way to clean car floor mats is in a commercial, front-loading washing machine. A good stain pre-treatment, combined with the tumbling action of the mats in the wash water – they swish around and rub against themselves and each other – really serves to loosen the ground-in grime better than any power washer. You can take the floor mats to any professional laundry, or you can try this yourself:

1. Pre-treat the stains with any of the products you normally use for laundry: Shout, Stain Stick, etc. For really greasy dirt, Formula 409 is a great stain treatment.

2. Let the stain treatment sit on the floor mats for the prescribed amount of time to allow the chemicals to do their job loosening the dirt.

3. Launder the mats in hot water in a front loading machine, You will need little to no detergent if you did any pre-treating.

4. Check for stains. You may have to repeat the process for really set-in grime.

5. Hang the mats up to air dry. You can treat them with a product like Scotch Guard to help protect them, or you can just launder them more often. They really are tough, and can take a lot of washing.

Let me know how this works for you. Thanks for writing, and be sure to visit www.thelaundrydoctor.com for more great tips!

Sincerely,

Laundry Doc

Please don’t be embarrassed. This problem is a lot more common than you think, and as my grandmother used to say, “It happens in the nicest of families.” Getting bedbugs at a hotel is pretty easy. Next time you stay away from home, throw all the covers back before getting into bed, and look for telltale signs: the bugs themselves, or tiny brownish or reddish streaks from their droppings. (I know, EEWWW! again.) Bedbugs are tiny flat insects; grown adults are about the size of an apple seed. Adults are brown until they consume some blood, after which they turn reddish brown. Pinhead sized nymphs, or non-adults, are smaller and are whitish or gold until they feed -- just about the color of hotel sheets.

To get rid of them, the key is to launder all your bedclothes in the hottest water you have, and raise the PH level of the wash, so that it becomes caustic. This will kill and dissolve the bugs.

Here are the steps:

1. Your magic, over-the-counter PH product is simply household ammonia. You will need about ½ gallon in a small front load washer. NEVER mix ammonia with bleach as it creates noxious fumes. Laundry should be washed in a frontload washer as ammonia will cause a non-stainless steel drum in most top loaders to begin to rust.

2. When raising the PH level in a wash cycle it is very important to rinse three times or sour the load with something slightly acidic like vinegar to insure that future washes don’t result in an allergic reaction to the high PH level. If you add a sour to the load, do it in the last rinse. (It will also help soften the clothes). Most fabric softeners are slightly acidic; however don't count on them to do the job, if you are only rinsing twice.

There are some over the counter soap products that will kill bugs, but if you use enough plain old ammonia, you can do the trick without extra products. Good luck to you, and be sure to visit me at www.thelaundrydoctor.com for more stories and tips!

Sincerely,

Laundry Doc

First, let’s talk about some general stain removal rules, then we’ll talk about products that remove ink. With all stains, expediency is very important. You have to treat stains as soon as possible after they occur, so they will not become set in the fabric. Ink is especially tough to deal with, and that’s where the products come in.

Believe it or not, I’ve seen the old hairspray trick work with remarkable results, but only if the spray was applied to a fresh stain and laundered immediately. Hair spray can leave a residue that is almost impossible to remove, even with repeated washings. But here’s the deal with hairspray: What’s really reducing the ink stain is the alcohol in the hairspray. Hence, you can accomplish the same results by blotting the ink stain – as soon as possible – with isopropyl rubbing alcohol. Still, even straight alcohol can leave a residue.

Another option to try is citrus-based solvents, such as Orange Glo. Many of today’s inks are soy based, and citrus-based solvents do a great job at breaking down soy-based products. Lay the ink-stained fabric on several layers of paper towels, blot the stain with the citrus-based solvent, then launder in the hottest water possible for the garment. Be sure to check for stain removal before drying the shirt, because if any ink remains, the dryer will set the stain.

For a stain as tough as ink, I really recommend professional cleaning. Your laundry professional has an arsenal of products, as well as the expertise to use them without damaging your shirts. Taking ink-stained shirts to a pro is probably an investment in the life of your wardrobe.

Good luck, and thanks for writing. Be sure to visit me at www.thelaundrydoctor.com for more tips!

Sincerely,

Laundry Doc

Cigarette smoke is one of the most difficult, lingering smells to remove. There are a couple ways to go about it, but you may have to launder the sheets several times. You can launder with an oxygenated detergent like OxiClean. The oxygen is very helpful in removing the odor of smoke. In fact, specialty cleaning services that mop up after structural fires use oxygenated products to remove smoke smell from draperies, upholstery and carpet. You can also try washing the sheets in your favorite detergent with a cup of white vinegar. While vinegar is especially effective on acidic smells like urine – great for when your little one has an accident in the bed – it can also freshen smoke-laden fabric. Allowing the sheets to air dry gives Mother Nature a great opportunity to further the odor-removal process, but of course winters in Minnesota don’t allow line-drying. Toss the sheets in the dryer with a couple of dryer sheets, which can augment the job the washing did.

Good luck, and be sure to visit me on Facebook and at www.thelaundrydoctor.com for more tips!

Sincerely,

Laundry Doc

You can indeed launder the rags safely and thoroughly and use them again. This is a great opportunity for you to visit your neighborhood coin-operated laundry. You will get the best results using a commercial, front loading washer with a stainless steel drum.

Load your rags in the washer and select hot water, then add ¼ cup each of Simple Green liquid and household ammonia. The Simple Green acts as a solvent, and the ammonia adjusts the pH to optimize the solvent action. You don’t have to add any detergent. Just the Simple Green and ammonia will do the job.

VERY IMPORTANT: After the wash cycle is complete, smell the rags to see if you can detect any odor of the waxes and cleaning products you were using on the car and boat. You should smell nice, clean laundry with just a hint of Simple Green. If you can detect any odor from your cleaning products, run the wash again using the same procedure. DO NOT PUT THE RAGS INTO A DRYER until all traces of the cleaning products are gone. Waxes and upholstery cleaners are often petroleum based, and even traces of them left after washing can ignite in the heat of the dryer.

You can clean the rags at home using a top load washer, but I don’t recommend it for several reasons. First, you shouldn’t use the ammonia in your home top loader, because it can rust the machine’s tub. And the Simple Green/ammonia combination can have adverse effects on the drain pumps. The heavy Commercial front loading machines found in a laundromat have a mechanical drain, rather than a pump, so this isn’t a problem at a coin-op laundry. Second, you will have to use a lot more Simple Green in a top loading machine – I’d recommend one cup per load – to get good results.

It’s great that you are going to clean the rags and re-use them rather than discarding them. With proper washing technique, you should get nice, clean, serviceable rags that a ready for your next project! Thanks for writing, and remember to visit me at www.thelaundrydoctor.com for more laundry tips.

Good luck, and be sure to visit me on Facebook and at www.thelaundrydoctor.com for more tips!

Sincerely,

Laundry Doc

GREAT question! There are indeed a lot of options out there, and prices vary widely, even among nationally-recognized, name-brand products. The answer to your question has more to do with what kind of laundry you are washing. Most of the garments, linens, and towels we wash are not heavily stained or spotted. We launder them primarily to freshen them. For this purpose, bargain brands will do a serviceable job. If garments are stained, you should be pre-treating them anyway, with one of the many methods we’ve discussed in past columns. Again, if you pre-treat effectively, then follow with a regular wash, bargain brands should be adequate. If you are washing heavily soiled or stained laundry, the name brands will outperform their cheaper cousins, because they contain better stain fighting ingredients, like enzymes, in higher concentrations. Another thing to consider with regard to concentration is that you generally have to use much less of a name brand product than a bargain product. This is especially important when using high-efficiency, front loading washers, which are designed to use small quantities “High Efficiency” or “H.E.” detergents.

Keeping a bargain brand of detergent on hand to freshen laundry will probably help you save some money, but you should still have stain fighting products and top quality detergents available in your arsenal so you can meet all your laundry challenges effectively.

Good luck, and be sure to visit me on Facebook and at www.thelaundrydoctor.com for more tips!

Laundry Doc

Natural fruit juices from things like blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries are very difficult! (Remember that textile artisans the world over have been using plant-based dyes for centuries.) You’ll roll your eyes at me as you read this, but the real trick is to stain-treat and launder them right away. The stain treatment is key, and because “like gets out like” you can use something acidic like vinegar or lemon juice, or you can use a commercial stain treatment if you have it on hand. You also want to use a high quality (name brand) detergent when you launder the stained garments, preferable soaking them for a few hours or overnight in a solution of the detergent and water after the stain treatment.

All this being said, you have already washed the tee shirts. You didn’t say whether you allowed them to air dry or tossed them in the dryer. Heat sets stains. All is not lost, though. Start at the beginning and pre-treat the stains. Allow them to sit for about 30 minutes, then soak them in a solution of high-quality laundry detergent and water. Launder as usual, check for stain removal, and repeat as necessary. DO NOT put the tee shirts in the dryer. Even if they come out of the wash looking clean, allow them to air dry and check for the stains again. Sometimes the stains appear as the garment dries.

Good luck to you, and thanks for writing! I hope your family enjoyed a great shortcake or cobbler. Visit me anytime at www.thelaundrydoctor.com for lots of tips!

Laundry Doc

You have two basic problems to deal with: 1. Killing the mold; 2. Removing the spots. It is necessary to kill the mold, or the spots will spread and appear elsewhere on the awning. The best thing to use to kill mold is a solution of chlorine bleach. However, you mentioned the awning is blue and yellow, and you don’t want to pull the color. You also want to preserve the integrity of the awning’s waterproofing. Heat and sunlight are also death to mold, so first, unroll the awning and let it sit in the sun for a day or two. Use a stiff brush to loosen and break up the mold, and vacuum away dry residue. (I recommend wearing a mask to avoid inhaling the stuff!) Next, see if you can find the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning the awning. You may have success on the Internet. If you are unable to find manufacturer’s recommendations, make a solution of one part rubbing alcohol to one part water. Apply the solution to the brushed and vacuumed spots, allow it to penetrate for a few minutes, then blot with a clean, dry, absorbent cloth. Repeat this procedure as necessary. After the stains are gone, you may want to consult an RV dealer to find a product formulated to waterproof awnings.

Happy camping to you and your neighbor! He is lucky to have someone so interested in helping him with a difficult stain problem. Hope you are soon enjoying the great outdoors under a clean awning. Thanks for writing, and be sure to visit me at www.thelaundrydoctor.com for more laundry lore.

Laundry Doc

Chocolate and milk make a combination stain that would make anyone loco! By combination stain, I mean you have to attack not only the dye-like element of the cocoa base, but also the fat and protein element of the chocolate (cocoa butter) and milk that really locks the stain in. You were right to launder the sweater right away. Stains are always easier to remove when fresh. You didn’t mention whether you pre-treated the stain. That always helps, but we’d be closing the barn door after the horse escaped to go on about it. What you need to do now is pre-treat the stain –lay it over a clean white towel, with the stain down, that has been folded several times to absorb liquid, and blot the stain with household ammonia. It is always best to try to treat stains from the opposite side of the fabric when possible to prevent driving the stain further into the material. After the pre-treatment has been allowed to work for fifteen or twenty minutes, prepare your soaking bucket. Use a color-safe bleach like Biz or Oxy-Clean and warm water 90 to 100. Let the sweater soak in this solution overnight, then dump the whole bucket – sweater and soaking solution – into your washer and launder as directed on the garment. Be sure to check the sweater in good, strong light before you toss it into the dryer or allow it to air dry to be certain the stain is gone. You may have to repeat the process. Set in chocolate is tough, but I’ll bet you can remove it yourself. If not, consult your local laundry professional who probably has additional chemicals that aren’t available to the average household in his or her arsenal. Good luck and thanks for writing!

Be sure to visit www.thelaundrydoctor.com for additional tips. With the holidays approaching, you can find lots of help for handling your worst red-wine-on-the-fine-linen-type emergencies to keep your stress level down and your holiday cheer up!

Laundry Doc