Photo Credit: Keerati
Being active or competing in sports is a fantastic way to spend your free time. However, keeping your clothes fresh and clean after a hard, competitive day can be near impossible. So whether you are a college kid unsure of how to remove sweat stains from your intramural game, or a mom trying to get out the grass marks from your kid’s uniform, take heart! We have the stain removal secrets to help you get out even the most stubborn stains from your active day!
Removing blood can be notoriously difficult. If the bloodstain is fairly new and you have caught it early, a thorough rinse in cold water and a laundry cycle (also on cold) will usually remove the stain. If you have let the stain set, soak the garment in a mixture of 1 quart of warm water, ½ teaspoon of laundry detergent, and 1 tablespoon of ammonia. Soak for about 15 minutes and then scrape or scrub the fabric to remove remaining stain. Run the garment through a wash cycle to make sure all the ammonia is rinsed out.
Sweat stains tend to form around the armpit area of shirts and on your gym socks. If bleaching doesn’t seem to work or the garments are not white, try this inexpensive and natural idea. Mix equal parts lemon juice and water and scrub the stained areas. Let sit for around 10 minutes, and then place in the washer and run a normal laundry cycle with detergent. Those yellow stains should be gone and smelling lemony fresh!
The green marks from grass stains are frustrating and can sometimes ruin your favorite workout gear. Try rubbing alcohol to lift out the green “dye” and salvage your clothes. Take a sponge and dampen the stained area with isopropyl rubbing alcohol. Let this air dry and then rinse with cold water. Then, massage in liquid laundry detergent with your fingers or a toothbrush on grass stain and rinse with cold water again. Let the garment air dry, and then wash the piece in a normal laundry cycle. This should remove the green stain and keep your favorite workout clothing looking like new.
Mud stains are probably one of the more common issues that athletes face when doing laundry. Let the mud dry and brush off what you can. Run the garment through a normal wash cycle. If there is still a stain, sponge the area with a dry-cleaning solution such as Afta Cleaning Fluid and let dry. Then run the clothes through another normal wash cycle.
Some of the stain removal techniques were found on:
An EMT gave my mom this tip for cleaning up blood – hydrogen peroxide. Use generously before laundering, apply and blot as necessary. Then stain treat and wash.
Icky but awesome suggestion, Jennifer! Hopefully blood will be the least common stay we have to clean up. 🙂