How to Remove Common Stains Before Dry Cleaning

Stains happen to everyone. The difference between a stain that comes out and one that becomes permanent often comes down to what you do in the first few minutes after it happens.

At Bordon Dry Cleaners, we deal with stains every day — and we know that the right first response can make our job much easier and give you a much better result. Here's what to do when disaster strikes.

The Golden Rules of Stain Treatment

Before we get into specific stains, here are the principles that apply to almost every situation:

• Act immediately — the sooner you treat a stain, the better the result
• Blot, don't rub — rubbing spreads the stain and pushes it deeper into the fibres
• Work from the outside in — this prevents the stain from spreading
• Tell us what it is — when you bring the garment to us, always tell us what caused the stain and what you've already done. This helps us choose the right treatment
• Don't over-treat — applying too many home remedies can set a stain or make it harder to remove professionally

Red Wine

Act immediately. Blot up as much of the wine as possible with a clean white cloth. Then pour a small amount of still water (not sparkling) onto the stain and blot again. Don't add salt — this is an old wives' tale that can actually set the stain.

Bring the garment to us as soon as possible. Red wine contains tannins that bond to fabric fibres over time, so speed is essential.

Grease and Oil

Grease stains can be tricky because they often don't show up clearly on dark fabrics until they've been set by heat. If you suspect a grease stain, don't put the garment in a tumble dryer — heat will set the stain permanently.

Blot the excess grease with a clean cloth, then sprinkle a small amount of talcum powder or cornflour on the stain to absorb the oil. Leave for 15–20 minutes, then brush off gently. Bring the garment to our dry cleaning service as soon as possible.

Ink

Ink is one of the most challenging stains to remove, particularly ballpoint pen ink. Don't attempt to treat it yourself with water — this can spread the ink and make it much harder to remove.

Bring the garment to us immediately and tell us what type of ink it is (ballpoint, fountain pen, felt tip, printer ink). Different inks require different treatments.

Coffee and Tea

Blot up as much of the liquid as possible immediately. Then blot with cold water — never hot, as heat can set the stain. If the garment is dry-clean only, stop there and bring it to us. If it's washable, you can try a small amount of liquid detergent before washing.

Blood

Always use cold water for blood — hot water cooks the protein in blood and sets the stain permanently. Blot with cold water and a clean cloth. If the garment is delicate or dry-clean only, bring it to us at Bordon Dry Cleaners straight away.

Make-Up

Foundation, lipstick and mascara are common on collars, cuffs and necklines. For foundation, gently scrape off any excess with a blunt knife, then blot with a clean cloth. Don't rub — this will spread the stain.

Lipstick and mascara are oil-based and respond well to professional dry cleaning. Bring the garment to us and point out the affected areas.

When to Just Bring It Straight to Us

If the garment is:

• Labelled "dry clean only"
• Made of silk, wool, cashmere or another delicate fabric
• Heavily embellished
• A suit, tailored jacket or structured garment

...then the safest thing to do is blot up any excess liquid and bring it straight to our Bordon dry cleaning service without attempting any home treatment. We'd rather work with a fresh stain than try to undo the effects of a home remedy that didn't work.