greenliving

Today was laundry day and as always, I need to go through pockets and pouches to get rid of crayons, stones, leaves, flowers and an assortment of items my kids hide in there. My husband is no easier- old tissues and wads of gum lie hidden in the dark recesses of his office trousers and weekend shorts. If you have a similar problem and find yourself with gummy pant pockets or t-shirts covered with crayon squiggles, then the following tips may help you.

Milk is a great way to remove ink stains as opposed to regular ammonia based cleaners, which are not good for the environment. Soak the item in milk and then wash as usual.

To remove coffee and chocolate stains on clothes and tea towels, mix egg yolk with lukewarm water and rub onto the stain. Wash as normal.

Rid your garments of sticky chewing gum by rubbing an ice cube over the stain. The gum will slowly peel off. You may need a few repeated tries if the gum has dried on, but it should eventually all come off.

Banish grease by dipping the fabric in hot-boiling water. Follow this by rubbing on dry baking soda. Blot and repeat as needed. Wash with soap in hot water. Works well on light colored cotton fabric too.

To get rid of rust stains on clothes, saturate the area with sour milk (milk mixed with lemon  juice works well) and rub with salt. Place the item in direct sunlight until dry and then wash as normal.