November 2017 - Sapulpa Laundry

Removing Diesel/Gas Stains and Odors

Have you ever been pumping gas and all of a sudden the tank is full and Ooops! the gas splashes out and right on to your clothes? So how do you get that awful odor out? It’s important to know that diesel/gas stains make all fabrics more flammable than normal so it is very important to handle the items carefully.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Gas and diesel stained clothes and rags should not be washed with other clothing. If after washing you can still smell fuel odor, do not place the garments in a clothes dryer. The excessive heat can cause the fabric to burst into flames.

Since gasoline and diesel are petroleum oil-based stains, they need to be pretreated using a solvent based stain removal product, like Shout or Spray ‘n Wash. If you don’t have a solvent-based pre-treater, apply a bit of enzyme-based heavy-duty liquid detergent, like Tide or Persil to the stain and work it in by gently rubbing with a soft bristle brush. Allow the stain remover to work for at least fifteen minutes before washing.

After pretreatment, wash the garment as usual in the hottest water appropriate for the fabric. Inspect the garment for stains and sniff for odors before drying and repeat treatment if necessary.

If there is still any lingering fuel odors, soak the stained clothes overnight in enough water to completely submerge the fabric with 1 cup baking soda added. Then rewash and rinse as usual.

For exceptionally heavy odors, fill the washer, deep sink or plastic tub with warm water and add 1 cup household ammonia. Shut the lid or cover the solution if possible. Allow the garments to soak for several hours or overnight. Drain the washer and wash as usual.

DO NOT USE ANY CHLORINE BLEACH during the soaking or washing because dangerous fumes can form.

Allowing the clothes to air dry outside will help remove odors as well. Again, if any trace of odor remains, air dry on an indoor rack or outside on a clothesline. Do not put these items in an electric or gas dryer.

Easy Grease Stain Removal

No matter how hard you try, sometimes you get a greasy, oily stain on your favorite shirt or pair of pants. Don’t worry, they don’t need to become a permanent memory on your clothes. With some regular cleaning products you probably already have, and a couple that might be worth purchasing, grease stain removal is a breeze.

Dish Soap & Hot Water

Treat the stained garment by removing grease from the surface with dish-washing liquid. Dish detergent is designed to break up surface grease and allow it to rinse away.

Place the garment stain-side down on white paper towels.(Don’t use printed paper towels – it could transfer ink color to your clothes.)
Squirt a dime-size amount of dish-washing liquid on the backside of the grease stains.Gently massage the dish detergent into the stain center and work your way to the edges. Give it a minute or so to work.
Rinse the treated area under warm to hot running water for a minute to remove the dish detergent. The water temperature will depend on what the fabric can handle. For 100% cotton, you can use hot water.
Follow the rinse with a spin in the washing machine, using the hottest water that’s safe for the fabric and your regular laundry detergent. If you can’t read the clothing label care tab, choose a warm water wash just to be safe.

Laundry Detergent Pre-treat

Rub a liquid a laundry detergent into the stain, and let it sit for 3-5 minutes. Wash the stained item separately from the rest of your clothes in the hottest recommended water, adding a little bleach or bleach alternative to the wash water.

Extend the wash cycle to give the garment some extra time in the spin cycle. With a top-loading washer, wait 6-8 minutes into the cycle, stop it, and spin the dial back for another 10 minutes.

For really tough, greasy stains, OxiClean Max Force Foam Laundry Pre-Treater 9 is one of the toughest grease stain busters around.

WD-40 & Dish Soap

Place the garment on paper towels, grease stain side up. Spray the greasy area with WD-40. Let stand 10 minutes. Then turn the garment over and spray the underside as well.

Allow to sit another 10 minutes. Using paper towels, blot on some hand dishwashing liquid, replacing the towels as they absorb the grease. Rinse the treated area, and wash separately from the rest of your laundry.

Last, but not least, inspect the treated area before drying to ensure the greasy stains are completely removed.

Before placing the garment in the dryer, inspect the formerly greasy area. If you can still see any residue, repeat the pre-treating and washing process until clear. Then, go ahead and dry the garment as usual.

Drying out Shoe Odors

Do you have an athlete in the family that has smelly shoes, or you yourself have sweaty feet that cause your shoes to smell? We’ve got a way to help you rid your shoes of odors.

The first step is to rid your shoes of dampness from perspiration. This can help prevent odor and even prolong the life of your shoes. Whenever you take off your shoes for the day, slip a few small pieces of white chalk (inexpensive children’s sidewalk chalk works great!) into each shoe to help absorb moisture.

We’ve found the most efficient way to move the chalk in and out of your shoes, is to wrap the chalk in small pieces of cheesecloth and tie them with twist ties. The chalk can become flaky after absorbing the dampness, and who wants to touch damp, sweaty chalk? Yuk!

(Cheesecloth is inexpensive and can be purchased at Walmart or Target)

Another easy way to help remove moisture and odors is to crumple up newspaper and stuff it inside the shoes when they are not being worn. Be sure to use fresh pieces of newspaper each time.

Last but not least fill nylons or tights with cat litter or Cedar chips and let them sit overnight to absorb moister and odors.

How To Remove Stubborn Creases

Do your clothes develop stubborn creases that seem impossible to iron out? Fortunately there are ways to get rid of unwanted, stubborn creases and it’s not too hard to do it.

We always start by washing the garment first. This should loosen it up a bit. After you wash, then begin the ironing. Spray starch heavily on the crease, then move the iron slowly, continuing to press the iron into the crease. In most cases this should do the trick for getting out that stubborn crease.

If washing and ironing don’t work however, you do have a couple of options. You can remove the crease mark by rubbing a bar of soap along the line on the inside before pressing. Also you can pursue the vinegar method. Combine equal parts of vinegar and water and spray as you press out the crease. This will probably make your clothes smell a little funny so you’ll probably want to wash the garment again before wearing. (The extra wash should also help with getting that crease out).

Another tip you can try is taking a mixture of two parts hair conditioner and one part water and rubbing that on the crease. With both of the latter techniques you will want to test it in an inconspicuous part of the item or on a completely different item all together. Make sure it’s conducive to your garments before trying.

Creases don’t have to be the end-all-be-all to your clothes. You can beat those creases if you follow these simple pieces of advice.