The stain removal skills of a laundry shop will affect its reputation. The right methods of removing stains can transform complication into simplicity, making the task of removing stains easy. So, how to achieve accurate and high-efficiency results? The key lies in understanding the characteristics of the stains and following the scientific processes.
Knowing the stains
The stains on the clothes are mostly not “pure”. The stains in daily life are basically complex stains. It means they are usually made of many different components. The most common ones are the combination of oils and pigments (oily soups, cosmetics, engine oil…) or mixtures of water-soluble substances and solid particles (mud spots, beverages). This complexity determines that a single approach is often ineffective and more targeted strategies must be adopted.
Pay Attention to the Order
When people deal with complex stains, the processing order is really important. It directly affects the final stain removal effect and efficiency.
- First stain removal then washing
For those obvious stains that especially contain grease or pigment, doing the targeted stain removal treatment before formal washing (whether it’s dry cleaning or water cleaning) is the best choice. This prevents stains from spreading, fixing, or reacting with other dirt during the washing process, and avoids making them more difficult to remove.
- First washing then stain removal
For the clothes that are overall dirty and have unclear stains, water washing can be chosen. Water washing can effectively remove most water-soluble stains and some suspended particles. After washing, what remains are usually oily stains or pigment stains. At this point, targeted stain removal will make the goal clearer.
- Direct dry cleaning is not recommended.
The dry cleaning solution has limited ability to remove soluble stains (like sweat, sugar, salt) and some other solid particles. If the dry cleaning is chosen first, water-soluble dirt will be fixed inside the fibers or redeposited by impurities in the dry cleaning solvent (particles desorbed by the filter), forming secondary pollution. At this point, washing with water is often twice the effort for half the result. It may even be impossible to remove completely because the stains have undergone chemical changes or solidified, resulting in permanent regret.
Systematic Stains Removal
According to the status of the clothes, the characteristics of the stains, and the methods of the laundry, there are three modes.
❑ Pre-wash Stain Removal
The stains can be vivid because the clothes haven’t been washed. The stains can be easily determined by appearance (color, luster, touch), position, and source of contamination. The accurate main components of the stain (such as grease, protein, tannic acid, dyes, etc.) can provide a basis for accurately selecting stain removers.
This is the most widely applicable mode. Whether subsequent dry cleaning or water cleaning is chosen, people can choose this mode to remove any visible key stains (such as oil stains, red wine stains, ink stains, blood stains, cosmetic stains…).
- Operation method
In the dry state of the clothes, place an absorbent cloth (a towel or paper towel) on the back of the stain → Choose appropriate stain removers (dry stain removers, wet stain removers, special-purpose stain removers) → do local treatment through methods such as spot application, scraping, or adsorption → After treatment, and upon confirming that the stain has been removed or significantly lightened, proceed with overall washing.
❑ Post-wash Stain Removal
After overall washing, most dirt has been removed, and residual stains become more prominent, facilitating identification and concentrated treatment. Post-wash stain removal is generally used in the following two scenarios:
- Residues after water washing: Obvious oily stains (motor oil, cooking oil) or stubborn pigment stains (certain dyes, old color stains) remain on clothes after water washing.
- Residues after dry cleaning: Since dry cleaning has good stain removal effects on grease-based stains, but has limited effects on some water-soluble stains (like sweat salt, sugar stains, water-soluble components in mud spots), yellowing or grayish ring marks or local color spots may appear.
People should know that post-wash stain removal has limited effects. It is mainly for special residue stains that cannot be cleaned in the laundry process. If the clothes after washing have a large part of yellowness or grayness, it means the laundry process itself has problems. At this point, if people want to use partial stain removal, the effects will be not good. If the clothes before washing have obvious stains, then the stains removal task must be done first.
❑ While-wash Stain Removal
This mode integrates the stain removal step into the washing process, saving time and effort, and ensuring smooth operation.
This method is only suitable for hand wash. It is suitable for delicate fabrics (silk, wool, lace) some clothes with special structures (beading, sequins, complex decorations), or clothes that are not suitable for dry cleaning.
- Operation method
Soak the clothes in a hand-washed basin or sink → apply an appropriate amount of detergent and gently rub them → keep an eye on the surface of the clothes → Once find oil spots, color stains, or other local key stains, immediately use an appropriate stain remover (usually a wet stain remover or a special stain remover) → directly apply it to the stain, and gently pat it with your fingertips, lightly scrape it with a scraper or lightly brush it with a small brush → The moist environment of the washing liquid helps the stain remover penetrate and the dirt detach → Deal with one stain before moving on to the next, and finally rinse the whole area clean.
Conclusion
All in all, successful stain removal should be based on an understanding of the nature of the stain and a precise grasp of the treatment process. The principles that “complex stains need to be treated step by step” and “the choice of sequence is crucial” should be remembered. In addition, the strategy of washing before removing stains or washing with water first and then removing stains to avoid the misconception of dry cleaning first and then washing with water should be adopted. Also, three stain removal modes should be used based on the characteristics of the clothes and the degree of stain residue.
