How to Get Fabric Softener Stains Out of Clothing
Fabric softener keeps wrinkles away, can prevent staining in your clothes, and often adds a wonderful fragrance to clean laundry. One of the hazards of using fabric softener, however, is that if it's left on fabric for a long period of time, it can leave a stain. Fortunately, if the stains are noticed before the garment goes into the dryer, it's relatively easy to remove fabric softener from your clothing. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Warm water
- Mild bar soap
- Liquid clothing detergent containing bleach alternative
- Rubber gloves
Instructions
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1
Dampen the fabric with warm water and rub a bar of mild soap onto the stain. Be sure to cover the entire body of the stain with soap.
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2
Launder the fabric in a washing machine at the hottest temperature the garment will allow. The garment's fabric care tag should supply this information. If you're washing by hand, pour water of the correct temperature over the garment and allow the garment to soak. Put on rubber gloves, and rub the garment against itself to work the detergent out of it.
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3
Check the stain after laundering. If it hasn't disappeared completely, rub some liquid detergent into the stain and repeat Step 2.
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4
Rinse the garment thoroughly in warm water, making sure that all excess soap is gone.
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5
Lay the garment flat to dry.
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Tips & Warnings
To prevent stains on clothes from detergent or fabric softener, never overfill your washing machine. In an overfilled machine, clothes don't circulate enough and detergent can sit on the fabric throughout the washing cycle.
Never use fabric softener on athletic clothing as the product can affect the moisture-wicking properties of the garment.
Never put a recently laundered garment into the dryer unless you're certain that the stains have been removed. Heat can set the stains into the fabric permanently.
