That's bummer! Have you just put on that nice ‘new’ second-hand shirt and next thing you know, there's a stain in it. Or how about that thrift store treasure of a few quid that was so competitively priced for a reason. Ai! You hadn't seen that stain when you were standing in the fitting room. Fortunately, there are plenty of home remedies that work well for removing all kinds of stains. In this article, we list the best stain removers for you. Guess what? These remedies don't have to be that complicated. So you can remove most stains in no time and enjoy your clothes for longer.
The best natural remedies to remove stains
Before you know it, it has happened: a stain on your clothes. And then, of course, just on those nice trousers or that cool shirt. Fortunately, this need not be a reason to throw the garment in question in the textile container. And there is no need to resort to strong remedies right away. In fact, there are plenty of home remedies that you probably already have a few of in your cupboard that work well at removing stains. With my piece of ox gall soap and the sun, I can remove almost all stains from our clothes. And believe me, with two small children, there are quite a few. Besides the sun and ox gall soap, there are other simple remedies that help to get your clothes sparkling clean again. And you know what's great about this: most of it you already have in your home and is spot on! In short, you need less than you think to remove stains. Some followers of thegreenlist.nl already knew this and shared their best tips with us via Instagram.
Stains from markers, another classic.
Doing as long as possible with your clothes? It's more sustainable!
With our clothing purchases, we put quite a burden on the environment. Making clothes requires a lot from our planet and we buy far too many new clothes. Before you have that nice new blouse or cool jeans hanging in your closet, an entire production process has already taken place. For instance, it takes a lot of land, water and usually pesticides and chemicals to make those beautiful fabrics. Therefore, the very most sustainable thing to do is to remove that pesky stain as best you can, so that you can last longer with that beautiful garment.
My best friend to remove stains: the sun
Ever heard of ‘putting on the bleach’? Before all kinds of chemical stain removers were on sale in supermarkets, our ancestors already knew how to get laundry sparkling clean again with this simple trick. Indeed, stains of natural origin - think food stains, blood stains, grass stains, (baby) poo stains - bleach in the sun. The stains will come out fastest if you put the clothes wet on the grass. If you don't have a lawn nearby, you can also lay or hang the clothes somewhere else to dry. Even if it is cloudy, this trick works. Although it will take a bit longer. Our children regularly have food stains in their clothes and I get most of them out by hanging the clothes wet in the sun. Our washable nappies become beautifully white again after washing by hanging them in the sun to dry.
The sun is a panacea for making difficult stains disappear.
Ox gall soap and green soap: real all-rounders
For the spots I can't get out with the sun, I have a piece of ox gall soap in the house. I am not the only fan of this natural remedy; it was also massively tipped by followers of thegreenlist.nl. Ox gall soap is biodegradable and works on stains from, for example, fat, fruit, wine, milk, grass, ink and blood. Wet the garment and then rub the garment with the ox gall soap. You should let the soap soak in for a while and then wash it out well by hand or at 30°C or 40°C in the washing machine. Do not let the soap dry out, as this may cause the fabric to fade. Ox gall soap is suitable for most materials, but not for leather and suede.
When I was not paying attention for a moment recently, my two-year-old daughter had found a highlighter and her pink shirt was covered in blue spots, some of which were the size of a ping-pong ball. I then immediately wet her shirt and rubbed it with ox gall soap. After letting it soak for about half an hour, I was able to wash the stains right out by hand.
Ox bile soap sustainable?
Ox bile soap is extracted from the bile of dead animals and is therefore not vegan. It is a by-product of the meat industry. You can do with a piece of ox bile soap for a very long time, though. I have had my piece of ox bile soap for at least five years. A vegan alternative is green soap. Like ox gall soap, you can use this to remove stains.
Be careful though: don't use soap on furniture. You always have to rinse soap well and this is difficult with furniture. Soap residue is sticky and if you don't rinse soap properly, the stain can actually get worse because it attracts dirt.
Remove stains with washing-up liquid
Detergent? Yes dishwashing liquid is definitely another stain remover that belongs in this list. Dishwashing liquid works especially well for grease and oil stains. But detergent is also used successfully for other stains by followers of thegreenlist.nl. Put a small amount of dish soap on the stain, let it soak in for a while and then wash the garment. Do you have a stubborn stain? Then you can also try baking soda and a little washing-up liquid.
You can also choose detergent that is more environmentally friendly. Make sure it is biodegradable and that it is ecological labels has and is vegan and animal-tested free. Don't feel like searching? Then check out this list of better cleaning products. We've got that all figured out for you. Nice right?
Cooking salt for all your stains
Another home remedy that almost everyone has at home: table salt. Table salt works well for fresh stains from blood, coffee and red wine, for example. This is because it removes moisture from a fabric. So sprinkle salt on the fresh stain, let it soak in for half an hour and then wash it. Cooking salt can also be a good solution for old stains of which you do not know exactly where they come from. Wet the stain and sprinkle salt over it. Leave it overnight and rinse it out the next day.
Note: table salt is not the same as stain salt. Stain salt is not always natural and sustainable. There are often chemicals added to it. Should the stain not come out with normal salt, you can first use a natural form of stain salt such as sodium percarbonate USE. Tip from zero waste expert Emily-Jane Townley: always put a scoop of sodium percarbonate in the wash against stains and drabness.
Baking soda
Baking soda is also used by followers of thegreenlist.nl used to remove stains with. Earlier, we wrote a article on this natural wonder drug. Baking soda works for stains from blood, coffee and red wine, among others. If the stain is still damp, you can sprinkle a little baking soda on it to draw out the moisture. If the stain has already dried in, you can make a paste of baking soda and a little water. Spread this on the stain, let it soak in for a while and then wash the garment.
Stain removal: faster works better
For all stains, the sooner you get the stain out, the easier it will be. Especially once the stain has dried in or been washed, it usually comes out more difficult. So it is advisable to soak the stain quickly and make sure it does not dry up. It is best to put the stain in the washing machine only after you have treated it.
Beware, however, that not all remedies are suitable for every material and not all materials can withstand a long soak. It is therefore advisable to try it on a small inconspicuous area first.
Help, a stain outside the door
At home, removing stains is easy because you can take action right away. When you are out and about, you usually can't immediately take off your garment to remove the stain. You can hardly sit in your underwear in a restaurant. What you can do, however, is make sure you keep the stain wet. That way, you are most likely to get it out later.
Stains that really won't come out
Some stains are so stubborn that they won't come out even with the tips above. Examples are stains from ink, sunburn or acrylic paint. In this article, we describe the best ways to remove these and other special stains. Even if you can no longer get a stain out with no way, this is still no reason to throw away clothes. Followers of thegreenlist.nl came with good tips to make clothes beautiful again like dyeing (see more about natural textile dyes here), sew a nice label on it or embroider a flower over the stain.
Does this not work either? Then it is usually more sustainable anyway to reach for a slightly more chemical remedy rather than buying a new garment. Several followers have good experiences with Vanish Oxi Action. This is not the most sustainable choice, but preserving your clothes is paramount.
Get started with a no buy clothing style
Besides stain removal, we have many more tips to rediscover the unworn clothes in your closet. We get you started with the No Buy Fashion Guide. Over a hundred pages of cool ideas on how to look nice without even buying anything. Nothing. Nope. Nada. Not even second-hand! For 9.50 euros you will have it delivered straight to your inbox and thus on your tablet or mobile phone!
Will you also join this fun community? Read this guide too and discover lots of original ideas. Because so many cool clothes are already out there! Order the No Buy Fashion Guide from our webshop!
Plenty of ways to save clothes with stains
As you could read, there are plenty of ways to save clothes with stains from the trash. That's nice, since producing clothes has a lot of negative impact on the environment. And let's face it: there is more than enough clothing in this world already, isn't there? Above all, let's reuse what we have and try to use our clothes for as long as possible. A few inexpensive home remedies will go a long way towards reducing the burden on the environment and your wallet.
More sustainable tips from thegreenlist.nl
- Looking for cheap second-hand clothes? This is how to find the most beautiful outfits at the thrift shop.
- Fancy a new look from your own wardrobe? Create new combinations without spending a penny.
- Which fabrics are fine and durable? You can read it here.
Sources: Milieu Centraal On the impact of our clothing, Libelle about ox bile soap, RTL news About soap on furniture, Poet prince About green soap, Servus On the best home remedies to remove stains, Oekotest About removing stains with salt. Photo credits: main image: Ron Lach (Pexels), child with felt-tip pens: Elina Fairytale (Pexels), clothes rack: Polina Tankilevitch (Pexels), clothes line with white laundry: Skitterphoto (Pexels), rompers: Kirsten Schoner.
