Get Dirty With Us. How To Care for Summer Garments.
A beautiful warm summer day is the perfect excuse to close your laptop and head outside to spend time with family and friends. Over picnics, date nights, and outdoor activities, iced tea splatters, sunscreen blotches, wine spills, and sweat stains are bound to happen. Luckily, if you have the patience and the right cleaning solutions, you should be able to save any go-to summer outfit. Here’s how to get rid of pesky stains on your summer fabrics!
Linen - Beverages
On a warm summer evening, you decided to wear your favorite linen blazer; it’s breathable, lightweight, and so cute! Unfortunately, you spilled iced tea all down the front and are worried that the stain won’t come out. Luckily, you don’t need to panic! When you get home, soak your blazer in cool water. Grab your favorite stain remover and wash any compromised spots. Then, launder your blazer using either oxygen bleach or chlorine bleach. Your linen blazer should be as good as new!
Terry Cloth - Sunscreen
Terry cloth is the perfect breathable, quick-drying fabric often used to make towels and breezy swimsuit cover-ups. However, sunscreen and terry cloth are not a match made in heaven - sunscreen can sometimes stain the fabric, rendering your favorite cover-up ruined. To save your terry cloth towels and clothing, try using vinegar. Vinegar acts as a powerful degreaser that helps to eliminate and break down any oil molecules used in your sunscreen. Soak the material in hot water and mix in a cup of vinegar. Leave it there until you notice the stain starts to subtly break down. Rinse the material, and hopefully, the sunscreen stain will be gone!
Cotton - Wine
Having a glass of wine can be a lovely way to kick off a relaxing summer evening, but it can quickly cause stress if it spills on your clothes. If this happens, it’s best to act quickly. Grab some dishwashing detergent and hydrogen peroxide and mix together equal parts of both. Cover the stain in the mixture and let it soak in for about half an hour. After letting the mixture settle and soak into the stain, throw your t-shirt into the laundry. With a little bit of luck, your clothing should be wine-free!
Silk - Sweat Stains
Silk is a quintessential summer fabric - it’s flowy, and soft, and can create an effortlessly beautiful summer look. Because silk clothes can be dressed up or down and are great for nearly any occasion, perspiration stains are bound to happen. These stains can be a bit tricky to remove, but if you have the right cleaning supplies, you should be able to save your silk clothes. First, mix equal parts of white vinegar and water. Dab a hand cloth in the mixture and blot onto the sweat stains on your silk fabric. Make sure not to rub, only blot. Continue your blotting until the stain starts to gently lift. Next, grab 1 tablespoon of cream of tartar, a few crushed aspirins, and a couple of tablespoons of warm water. Mix these together to form a paste. Allow the paste to sit on the stains for about 20 minutes. After the allotted time, rinse the silk and blot warm water onto the fabric to further remove any remaining paste. After drying, your silk clothing should be effortlessly beautiful once again!