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Q: When spring comes, I spend a lot of time working in my garden. Since I'm on my knees a lot, grass stains are inevitable. How do I get them out?
A: Grass stains are a mixture of green chlorophyll plus protein and other organic matter. The chlorophyll tends to set into the fabric immediately, which is what makes grass stains challenging to remove. Add in the dirt that naturally accompanies grass, and you've often got several layers of concentrated soil to get rid of.
If it's muddy dirt, let it dry and then brush off as much as possible. Next, pretreat the garment with a prewash laundry product. Follow the product recommendations for the maximum amount of "setting" time, then launder, using the hottest water that's safe for the fabric. If any stain remains, launder again with detergent and chlorine bleach, if safe for the fabric, or oxygen bleach.
Q: I've just taken the kids' soccer uniforms out of storage for the upcoming season and some stains have appeared. I'm sure I checked to make sure they were clean before putting them away. What happened?
A: Your uniforms are probably a victim of "invisible stains." When a clear substance, such as 7-Up, white grape juice, or club soda is spilled on a garment, it seemingly disappears when it dries. So if you used the "it looks clean, so it is clean" system of evaluating the status of garments for storage, the stains you couldn't see oxidized over the winter and turned brown. Try treating the stain with a prewash stain remover, then laundering, using both the type of bleach and the hottest water temperature that are safe for the fabric. Unfortunately, this type of discoloration is usually permanent – which is why it's essential to be sure everything is freshly laundered before storing.
– Nancy Bock is Vice President of Education at The Soap and Detergent Association
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