Second Hand Clothes

One of the less savory aspects of buying second hand and vintage clothes is that they have a history and sometimes there may be lasting evidence of their past life in the form of stains. It is always advisable to consider any stains when buying. It will not always be possible to remove them e.g. perspiration stain on silk and linen and mildew. For items of clothing that are very old or valuable, it is always best to send them to a specialist cleaner for stain removal. If you do want to have a go at removing the stains yourself, here are a few suggestions. However I would recommend always testing any stain removal including water on a small inconspicuous area as I accept no responsibility what so ever for any damage caused by these suggestions.


Perspiration

try baking soda and water mixed into a paste

then rinse

then salt and water mixed into a paste

then rinse

next paste of crushed aspirin, cream of tartar and water, leave for 20 minutes then rinse

Wash by machine or hand with an aspirin tablet

Make a solution of 1 tbs. of white vinegar and 1 cup water, dab on stain, rinse well.



Make up

Rub with a slice of white bread!

Blood

Rub with plain toothpaste then rinse (beware of bleaching on coloured fabrics)

Dirty Collars

Try rubbing in a mild shampoo then rinsing. For yellowing try shampoos that are used for bluing grey hair.

Rust

Stretch the fabric over a pot of boiling water, squeeze fresh lemon juice onto the stain then rinse.

Vinegar is also a great stain remover and can be used to pre treat or soak a number of different stains before washing including tomato, tea, coffee, wine, mustard, grease, sweat, grass, ink and deodrant.

Stains that are set in can also often be removed by applying a paste of vinegar and baking soda.