As much as we like to think of ourselves as grown ups, we do "on occasion" (read: frequently) spill. And we write on ourselves. And we drop things. Which has lead us to learn a few tricks when it comes to removing stains from our clothes. Because if you're going to spend your entire budget on a killer dress you can't live without, you want to make sure that it lasts more than one wear. Am I right?
Ink
The fastest way to get ink out of a piece of clothing (hello, carrying a pen without a cap) is to use alcohol. Don't waste your Kirkland vodka (seriously, that stuff is legit)- instead, try hand sanitizer or hairspray. Seriously. Lay the item flat and add the alcohol-based product. Be careful, as it works so well that sometimes the ink can pull out of the fabric and spread to a wider area if you're not on top of it. If the stain is particularly troublesome (and the fabric isn't too delicate), use the tip of the sanitizer bottle/hairspray to rub the alcohol into the fabric and get out the entire stain. (This is a tried and true method.) Alcohol based phone wipes (like the cheap-o ones) work too.
Deodorant
If you didn't already know, a balled up pair of nylons or tights will get rid of most white marks left behind from when you don't carefully put on your shirt after taking care of your underarms. A few quick rubs and you're ready to go. Didn't notice it until you got to work? A damp paper towel works. Just rub the spot a bit then rub the two sides of the spot together to get rid of any residue. Be careful with the paper towel though- balled up bits of wet paper towel can look worse than a little deodorant mark.
Make-up
Little known fact - Katie 1's favorite class in high school was AP Chemistry and she almost went into engineering rather than law. One of her favorite pieces of trivia stemming from this knowledge - plain old rubbing alcohol will break down most organic compounds. Make-up is an organic compound. Alcohol also drys quickly so there's no "ring around the former stain". Thus, rubbing alcohol is one of the legit best items for removing make-up stains. The cheapo alcohol based phone wipes referenced above work well as does a bit of rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball.
Red Wine
So we've never tried it ourselves, but a recent article singing the praises of a certain stain-remover is what gave us the idea for this post. If you are ordering from Amazon soon, pick up a bottle and let us know how it works, would ya?
What Doesn't Work
In Katie 2's experience, Tide Pens suck. Shout wipes leave a ring. HOWEVER, if the stain doesn't budge with any of the products we've recommended above - a Tide Pen or a Shout Wipe followed by a bit of rubbing alcohol (to speed the drying process) can work wonders.
Cleaning Other Things
Spills happen on things other than your work clothes. In the unfortunately instance where you get something unwanted on your walls, the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is an amazing product. Keep them on hand for when the dog rubs against the wall and scuffs, of if you're throwing a PJ in your PJs party and someone knocks a table full of PJ-Pong cups into the white wall (ohhhh undergrad). Also, if you're a homeowner or can otherwise repaint your humble abode, use eggshell paint rather than flat. You get a similar look but you can easily wipe scuffs off of eggshell painted walls.
If you get a stain on carpet or upholstery, try Awesome. You can find it at your local Dollar Tree (no joke), or it's still available from door-to-door salespeople (also no joke) for about $20 a bottle. This stuff is legit. I've seen it clean up pet messes and kid messes. They also have a line of laundry products that I've never tried, but if they work anything like the upholstery/carpet cleaner, it's well worth the $1 price.
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