WITH The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations just around the corner, most of us are getting ready for the festivities.
But with sunny garden parties with foods and drinks flying around, avoiding stains and spills is virtually impossible.
Luckily, offering a helping hand, a cleaning whizz has offered solutions for the six most common stains and odours – from sticky Pimms to Coronation chicken.
Whether you’re having a barbeque, a picnic, or attending a street party, cleaning expert and founder of Laundryheap, Deyan Demitrov, has shared a list of hacks so you’re all ready to go.
AFTERNOON TEA
We all love an afternoon tea party – but it also often comes with clotted cream and butter stains.
For these grease-based stains, the whizz recommended using soap or washing up liquid.
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”Rub liquid laundry detergent or washing-up liquid into the stained area and leave the clothing to sit 30 for minutes before rinsing it with cold water.”
Repeat the same process until the stain is no longer visible, and then chuck it in your machine on a normal washing cycle.
However, if the stain does remain, sponge your clothing with rubbing alcohol this time, before washing again on a normal cycle.
STICKY PIMMS
Pimms is a classic summer drink we cannot imagine warm evenings and garden parties without.
However, when it comes to stains, alcohol and fruit are a bad combination – especially Pimms-soaked strawberries.
For this type of stain, Deyan instructed, ensure the area is treated immediately.
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”Firstly, put some white wine vinegar on the stain and dab dry with a tea towel or kitchen paper.
”Then, with a warm cloth, work in a drop of washing up liquid, before adding baking soda and more white vinegar.”
Leave the solution to do its magic for around 15 minutes before rinsing it under cold water and then putting the item in the washing machine.
CORONATION CHICKEN
Foodies will know that a traditional Jubilee serving often includes Coronation chicken.
But whether it’s served with a salad or in a mouth-watering sandwich, this stubborn curry-infused stain can be quite tricky to remove.
However, it’s not impossible – gently dab the stain with a clean paper towel or cloth towel to soak up any excess liquid before soaking the garment in cold water.
”Since this is a protein stain, you’ll need to blot the stain with an enzymatic (bio) laundry detergent, if safe for the fabric, before popping your item in the washing machine,” the cleaning guru reminded.
”If the stain persists, soak the garment in a solution of one part hydrogen peroxide to nine parts cold water for a minimum of 30 minutes, before rinsing and laundering again.”
GRASS STAINS
For the celebrations, fashionistas will be looking to wear their best clothes – and rightly so.
But if you find your favourite garment covered in grass stains, avoid the temptation to brush it off, as it will only spread further and deeper.
Instead, try using white vinegar on your white and light coloured clothing.
Acting as soon as you can, simply pour the kitchen staple over the stain and use a toothbrush to scrub the mark to help lift it out.
”Then soak the garment in cold water for 15 minutes – hot water will only set the stain further!” Deyan warned.
”If you spot a green tinge still lingering on your items, return the item to soak with laundry detergent and oxygen bleach.
”You can wash your jeans, dress or any other clothing casually as you normally would, but be careful with delicate garments – avoid leaving them in the solution for too long, as this could damage their fabric.”
DIRTY PICNIC BLANKETS
After your picnic blanket spends most of the weekend sitting around on dirty ground full of food bits and spills, it’s likely to look a little worse for wear at the end of the June celebrations.
To get it pristine again, you’ll need to let it air dry first.
Not only will this help to deodorise any lingering smells but will also make it easier to shake out loose and dried-up mud and general garden remains stuck to it.
Once dry and ready to go, place the blanket in a solution of baking soda, detergent and warm water and leave it to soak for roughly 15 minutes.
”Afterwards, machine wash the item (most picnic blankets are made of robust materials, so they should be able to withstand higher temperature settings).
”If you’ve got a more delicate blanket, soak it in a white vinegar and water solution for 20 minutes before rinsing thoroughly.”
BBQ SMOKE ODOUR
Although barbeques smell brilliant when they’re on the plate, the meaty aroma is not something you’d want your clothing to smell of.
Before chucking them in the washing machine, Deyan suggested airing the garments outside.
”Alternatively, if you want to avoid resorting to a washing machine to preserve the longevity of your clothing, try a homemade freshening spray.
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”Mix vinegar, with water and a few drops of essential oil for a more pleasant scent. Just spritz the solution over your smoky clothes.
”You could also try hanging your clothing up in your bathroom whilst having a hot shower – the steam can relax their fabric fibres and release any unwanted odours this way.”
