An average of £12.5 billion worth of clothing in thrown into landfills in the UK every year.
Over half of Brits throw clothing away that could have been recycled or donated and many underestimate the actual number of wearable items they are binning. Many of the items that end up in landfill are thrown out simply because of a stain that didn't come out in the first wash.
Vanish produced a survey and revealed some shocking results:
Incredibly almost a third of Brits admitted to putting the item in the washing machine without any stain removal treatment. When the stain didn't come out immediately, they threw it away. A quarter never even attempted to remove the stain!
To read the full survey and for further information click here.
How many times have you spilled a drink or been splashed with oil while cooking?
It's a frustrating but inevitable part of life but it doesn't always mean the end of the line for your clothes. With some simple know-how and a little bit of science you can tackle almost any stain and restore your clothes to their former glory.
The three simple techniques that are vital to saving your garments:
- Don't Delay
- The quicker you tackle the stain the more likely you are to save your item. Remember the longer a stain sits the harder it will be to remove!
- Don't Rub
- Rubbing will only push the offending substance deeper into the fibers. Instead, try dabbing, blotting or scraping.
- Stay Out of Hot Water
- Avoid hot water at all costs! Once the stain is exposed to the heat it will set into the fibers of your garment. Wash the piece in cool or warm water until the stain is completely gone. There are some exceptions to this rule though.
The Sciencey Part
Removing a stain is as simple as a little bit of chemistry. Once you know what the stain is made up of it's easy to counteract.
Tannin stains (tea, coffee, wine or juice) - Tannin is a natural vegetable dye found in plants such as grapes. These stains can be tougher to remove if they are hot beverages or mixed with other ingredients such as cream, milk or sugar. To remove tannin stains try vinegar, an enzyme cleaner or sodium perborate (a more gentle form of bleach safe to use on clothes).
Oil and fat stains - Both vegetable and animal fat stains can be tricky to get rid of, the best thing to do is blot as much of the oil away as soon as the stain appears. Getting rid of the excess oil will stop too much of it penetrating deep into the fibers of your clothes. For the best results, try using a powered product, like cornflour, baking soda or talc, to soak it up.
Ink or blood stains - When dried, ballpoint pen ink is one of the most notorious stains to remove. Place an old towel or cloth behind the garment and blot the stain with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol or even hairspray, any alcohol solvent will do the trick to dissolve the oil based stain. If the stain is caused by a roller-ball pen, the water based stain can be removed by soaking the garment in milk.
Make-up stains - Have you ever hugged someone and left your makeup on their shirt? Don't worry we've all been there at some point. Luckily it's not too difficult to remove! Using some household dish washing liquid to break down the grease. After an initial hand wash with the dish soap, wash the garment as usual and it should be as good as new.
Hopefully, with these helpful tips and tricks, you can save some of your favourite items from your wardrobe.
If you try any of them out, let us know on social media!
Sincerely Madia & Matilda
