How to remove dirt and stains from filthy denim jeans and overalls

Have you given up on your children and husband ever having a decent looking pair of jeans to wear "out", meaning where people will actually see them? Does your husband take the pair of brand new jeans you bought him and go out and plant a garden, then grease the lawn mower? Well, I've discovered the answer to your problem.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Washing machine
• Scrub brush, old tooth brush, or Tide battery operated stain scrubber.
• Filthy jeans or any denims or other dirty but sturdy fabrics.
• Pine Sol (don't substitute: the knockoffs aren't strong enough.

1. Sort your laundry. Only heavy, dirty denim or canvas of similar colors! Save them up for this treatment: it works best if you have a number of clothing items to rub up against each other during the washing process.

2. Examine each clothing item for stains and dirt. Rub Pine Sol into each stain, and scrub with scrub brush, old tooth brush, or Tide scrubber. Place each item in the washer after it's been examined and treated.

3. Set your wash cycle to Soak, and the Action to "Heavy Duty" or similar description. These clothes need and can take a workout! Fill the washer with COLD water, and soak, for at least 30 minutes.

4. Use the PreWash cycle to complete this step of the process. Although the jeans should actually be clean by now, they WILL smell strongly of Pine Sol. So, put them through the regular Heavy Duty cycle with your regular detergent to finish cleaning and rinsing.

5. Remove clothes from the washer and examine for any remaining stains. They should ALL be gone, unless there is indelible ink, permanent marker, or oil based paint the wearer neglected to tell you about. After drying on COOL cycle, label the hopelessly stained items, and consign them for wearing for dirty projects. Labeling them may help.

6. Enjoy your newly revived jeans and overalls! Your whole family is presentable again, and you have done your bit to save the world by keeping these disgusting items out of land fills.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember to use ONLY branded PINE SOL. It's the only one I've found to be strong enough.
• Remember to treat each stain, use COLD water, and the HEAVY DUTY cycle, for at least 10-14 minutes.
• Some stains just will not come out, and I've listed the most common ones. But this treatment has saved items of clothing I've considered hopeless, and made them look like new again.

Resources

• Pine Sol Official Web Site
• Removing clothing stains

[karileighk]

on 6/26/2009 Great tips. *5

[amylaine]

on 5/27/2008 I will try this, thank you.

[vallain]

on 5/6/2008 This should be a big help the next time we grub around in the garden too much. 5 stars and thanks!