Our grandmothers' tips
Taking action before washing in the washing machine means you have the best possible chance of making stains disappear, even the most stubborn ones!
Here we'd like to share with you some easy stain-removal tips from grandmothers (or grandfathers, or aunts and uncles, in short, from those who know how to do things simply, efficiently and naturally!).
First, ONE thing to remember: your best weapon is to take action FAST :)
And don't forget that it's always better to do a small test on a less visible part of the garment to make sure you don't damage it.
Food stains
Our children are brilliant at staining their clothes as soon as our backs are turned! So to clean up any traces of jam, fruit or tomato sauce, here's a simple tip:
Wet the stain with cold water.
Then rub it with a wedge of lemon.
Rinse and dry.
Repeat if necessary.
If the stain really, really doesn't disappear, apply some liquid detergent. Leave it for a few minutes before machine washing and drying in the open air.
Bloodstains
A fall, a nosebleed... little boo-boos that that can regularly leave small blood spots on clothes.
Here is our miracle solution: ice water! Pour ice water or apply an ice cube to the bloodstain as soon as possible. Never use hot water, as this may fix the stain in the fibres of the fabric.
No ice on hand? Rub the bloodstain with a natural soap (such as Marseille soap for example) until it foams, and then rinse with cold water. If the stain persists, pour white vinegar onto it and leave it for an hour.
If you were unable to act quickly and the bloodstain has dried on the garment, apply toothpaste to the stain and let it dry. Rinse with cold water. Clean with soap, then rinse again with plenty of cold water.
Finally, start your usual machine cycle with an environmentally friendly detergent or even a homemade laundry liquid, and the stain will disappear.
Chocolate stains
Little chocolate-lovers are always getting it on their clothes! Use a soft toothbrush and liquid detergent.
Apply a little liquid detergent to the chocolate stain with the toothbrush. Leave it on for about ten minutes. Then rinse with cold water.
Never use hot water, as this may fix the stain in the fibres of the fabric.
Remember, it's always advisable to do a small test on a less visible part of the garment to make sure you don't damage it.
Ink stains
Aaaaah, ink! That little pen, forgotten in a pocket, or that disaster on the shirt during homework, the day they didn't wear an apron... it's not uncommon to find our children's clothes covered with ink stains!
On a synthetic fabric, the very first thing to do is apply absorbent paper to the ink stain. Then soak the garment in warm milk for an hour.
Alternatively, you can apply lemon juice directly to the stain and leave for 15 minutes.
Finally, machine wash on your usual cycle with an environmentally friendly detergent, or even a homemade laundry liquid, and the stain will disappear.
Grass stains
There's nothing like a good game of football! But the disadvantage is that it is rare that our child's pants come out unscathed...and the grass marks are proof of that!
Once again, toothpaste is our best friend! Apply a little toothpaste to the grass stains and rub them with a toothbrush.
If you prefer, you can also soak the stained clothing in white vinegar for 30 minutes.
Finally, wash on your usual machine cycle with an ecological detergent, or even a homemade one, and the stain will disappear.
White, white, white
Have your child's white clothes lost their brilliance? Are they turning off-white to grey?
Well, to give them back their original whiteness, forget the bleach. That damages the fibres and is very bad for the environment.
Boil some water. Add two lemons cut into pieces. Then soak the clothes in it for 1-2 hours.
You can also add a glass of lemon juice to your softener compartment for your next white linen machine wash for an even better result! Then start your usual cycle with an environmentally friendly detergent or even a homemade laundry liquid, and dry the clothes in the open air.
Black... is the new black!
Black is one of the most difficult colours to maintain. If you want to prevent it from turning grey and fading, here are some good ideas for you.
Rule number one is to always wash black clothes together, and preferably inside out. You don't need to use a special dark laundry detergent - that doesn't do much (except put a hole in your budget!).
It is better to use homemade laundry liquid.
Dry your black clothes in the open air, and especially away from the sun, which could bleach them.
To revive black colours, you can also pour 500 ml of brewed coffee or black tea into the softener compartment during the rinse cycle. Then let your machine run normally until the end of the cycle.
This method is more natural than industrial dyes.
