Previous Laundry Tips

Take off travel stains: a travel stain treatment guide.

One downside of traveling is being stuck with all the laundry — and all the stains — when you get home. Every trip has its fair share of stains — whether its candy and ice cream from a family vacation or coffee and curbside grime from a business excursion. Treating stains when they occur is half the battle — and will make your life easier when you get home.

Put together a travel stain kit...

Pack the following items in a re-sealable plastic bag or small cosmetic bag:

			Small travel bottle (with a pull-top lid) filled with your favorite formula of liquid detergent or hand wash detergent (for more delicate items)
			Sturdy plastic knife (Since many airlines now restrict such items, alternatives may include a hotel card key, laminated video rental card or any other sturdy card.)
			Portable clothesline (Two trees or the shower walls or hotel balcony make the perfect place to hang a line.)
			Portable drain cover or access to a small bucket/dishpan (If you're camping you probably have this packed already. The hotel ice bucket works as well.)

The key to successful stain removal is treating the stain before it has a chance to set in.

And act fast! The key to successful stain removal is treating the stain before it has a chance to set in. When pretreating, remember each stain is unique and there is no one single way to treat all stains. However, with these general guidelines and your travel stain kit, you should be set until you get home to do laundry.

As always, before treating any garment, first refer to the instructions on the care label.

	1.		When the stain occurs, gently blot it with a clean paper towel or cloth to remove as much as possible.
	2.		Rinse with water if you have access (a drinking fountain works wonders) — or use ice from the cooler or your empty drink.
	3.		Get out your stain kit when you get back to the hotel or camp ground and scrape off any dried residue with the back side of the plastic knife or other smooth tool.
	4.		Squeeze liquid detergent or hand wash detergent onto the stain. Gently work it into the stain using your hands.
	5.		Soak the garment in cool water for 30 minutes. Air-dry on your clothesline.
	6.		Launder when you get home. Some tough stains may require additional treatment. If the stain is still there after washing, do not put the garment in the dryer.

this thanksgiving, reduce your stress and stain less

What is your reaction when you think of Thanksgiving? Family and friends gathered around an elegantly adorned table… dropping turkey drippings, spilling wine, splattering butter, knocking over coffee cups, dripping candle wax and causing general mayhem in your home. Sound familiar? Most people like the fond memories, not the colors that remain. Stains-from the first toast to the last piece of pie. Now you no longer have to wince every time a spill lands on something you love.

These valuable holiday stain removal tips (and more) will give you something to be extra thankful for this year.

Pretreat your tablecloth. Spray it with a fabric and upholstery protector to help prevent stains from setting and becoming permanent. You should apply it at least 24 hours before you serve food on it.

			Greasy stains require special care. Foods like gravy, butter, salad dressing and turkey contain starches, proteins and fats. For these stains, scrape off excess solids with a dull knife and then pretreat. After pretreating, wash in the warmest water that the care label permits. If the stain still appears, repeat the pretreating and washing process before drying to avoid setting the stains.
			Sweet stains develop and set over time. Fruit stains (cranberry sauce, wine, pumpkin pie and apple cider) respond better if you remove excess solids with a dull knife, then rinse with cold water to remove excess sugar. Then pretreat and follow the same washing instructions as for greasy stains.
			Don't allow masks that impair vision in any way. Also, securely fasten whiskers, wigs and hats to keep them out of the line of vision.
			Food and drink stains aren't the only holiday culprits. Remember the dripping candle wax? How about the annual touch football game — turned tackle — with grass and mud stains? And Aunt Betty's electric orange lipstick on your favorite linen napkins? For these, and all your Thanksgiving stains, visit Frank's Laundy Tips.

Other Ways to Curb the Chaos

Now that we've addressed stains, here are a few other ideas for making things even easier on yourself:

			Use disposable dinnerware and pans. Not as pretty, but you've already got enough dishes to wash.
			Wash the worst pans after dinner. Save the rest for later. Better yet, get the "football team" to do them.
			Keep things informal. Then you don't have to worry about risking your good clothes or having to change at the last minute.
			Pick an earlier or later serving time. Give yourself time to enjoy the day.
			Plan the feast for a convenient day. Nothing says it has to be on Thursday. Give yourself more time to prepare by entertaining the weekend after.

This year, stop and smell the turkey. Don't give the stains another thought. This day comes only once a year. Relax and enjoy it!

Frank's Laundy Tips



	For most moms, grass stains are laundry enemy #1. They can gang up on clothing with very little notice. Whether it's a tumble on the playground, a game of backyard football or weekend yard work, grass stains are a real laundry room menace. But why are they so hard to remove? Grass stains are a mixture of green chlorophyll with protein and other organic matter. Ground-in or dried-on, they make for a challenge in any laundry situation because chlorophyll tends to set into the fabric immediately. Even more difficult to remove is the likely combination of grass stains and ground-in dirt, which layers tough stains in a concentrated area of fabric. Both types of stains are protein-based and can cause nightmares for even seasoned laundry veterans. The Stain Fighting Duo Liquid detergent with Bleach Alternative and Powder detergent are two excellent agents for removing grass stains. Both detergents contain special enzymes that breakdown protein and organic matter plus other cleaning ingredients that attack hard-to-remove chlorophyll stains. Used properly following simple pretreating with regular detergent, either can provide powerful stain fighting protection for all your vulnerable clothes. Begin by pretreating the stained area with Liquid detergent or powder detergent. If you pretreat using Liquid detergent, pour it directly onto the stain and let sit for 5 minutes. If you pretreat using powder detergent, fill your machine or a tub with a low level of the warmest water allowed by your garment’s care label. Add a full scoop of powder detergent and dissolve. Add your clothes and let sit for 30 minutes. Soak longer for tougher dirt. After pretreating, use a full dose of Liquid detergent with Bleach Alternative or detergent with Bleach and wash in the warmest water possible. (Be sure to check the garment care label first.) You'll find that grass stains have little chance against the detergent tandem! They'll help your laundry wash clean, with white whites and bright colors. So go on that picnic, play ball and even wrestle a bit — wise detergent use will tag-team the tough stains for you.



	Stains happen! And let's face it... we aren't always equipped to deal with them. The best "tool" though is knowing how to treat different types of stains. Some respond better to cold water, others to hot. Some need bleach alternative, others need nothing but a rinse. Print this handy stain solution cheat sheet to hang in your laundry area. The best defense in removing stains is to treat immediately. Make sure you blot up liquid spills or scrape off solid buildup with edge of dull knife. Work from the outer edge to center of the stain — and don't rub. Always check the care label first and pretest stain removal products. If the item is dry clean only, blot the excess stain and take to the cleaners within 24-48 hours of the stain. You can group most stains in the following categories. Check below for general instructions With all stains, rinse and inspect the washed (or treated) garment before drying. Protein Baby Food/Formula, Body Soils (Feces, Urine, Vomit/Spit-Up), Blood, Dairy, Dirt/Clay/Mud, Egg, gelatin dessert Soak fresh stains in cold water. Rub fabric against itself to dislodge stain. If stains are old, scrape off crusted material and soak in cold water with Liquid detergent. Launder in warm water with detergent. Do not use hot water to soak or wash items with protein stains (hot water may set these types of stains). Oil-Based Grease or Oil from Cars, Makeup and Food (including Butter and Mayonnaise), Collar/Cuff Soil, Deodorant/Perspiration, Gasoline Pretreat with Liquid detergent. Make sure to work detergent into stain and let set for 10-15 minutes. Then wash in hottest water safe for fabric. Tannin Beer, Coffee, Tea, Soft Drinks, Fruit & Juice (including Red Berries), Perfume, Wine First rinse in cool water. Then wash fresh stains in hottest water safe for fabric with your favorite detergent. Use Liquid detergent with bleach or Liquid detergent with Bleach Alternative for old stains. Do not use bar soap on tannin stains — it makes them harder to remove. Dye Dye Transfer, Fruit (Blueberry & Cherry), Grass, Kool-Aid®, Mustard Pretreat with Liquid detergent and rinse thoroughly. Soak in diluted solution of water and Use Liquid detergent with Bleach or Liquid detergent with Bleach Alternative. Then wash in the hottest water safe for fabric. Combination Ballpoint Ink, Candle Wax, Chewing Gum, Crayon, Lipstick, Shoe Polish, Chocolate, Gravy, Ketchup, BBQ and Tomato-Based Sauces These stains generally involve two components: oil/wax and dye/pigment. Remove the oily portion first and then the dye portion. For stains that are waxy and/or ink-based, scrape and treat with dry-cleaning solution first, then rub with Liquid detergent and scrub stain under hot water. For most other combination stains, rub Liquid detergent into stain. Then wash in the hottest water possible for fabric with Liquid detergent with Bleach or Liquid detergent with Bleach Alternative.

Laundry care symbols: cracking the code.

If you've looked at a laundry care label lately, you've probably noticed a set of signs and symbols on the tag that resemble hieroglyphics or primitive cave drawings. But what do these abstract icons mean? Frank's Laundry Tips can help you crack the code. Here is a useful guide that explains what these care symbols represent and how they can help you get the cleanest clothes without damaging your garments.


		Liquid detergent is perfect for pretreating tough stains and helps clean full laundry loads in any water temperature.



		Trust gentle detergent when hand washing your delicate garments.



		Non-chlorine bleach detergent helps remove tough stains and works to keep whites white and colors bright.



		Use dryer sheets in your dryer to reduce static and breathe freshness into your entire laundry.