The usual impulse whenever you accidentally spill food or get dirt on your clothes is to soak the stain in water and dab it with a towel or tissue, then hope it gets out. But, there are actually other more effective stain removers that, oddly enough, are found in your pantry. In this article, we list the weirdest stain removers that actually work
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Soda Pop
Who would’ve thought that what could actually cause a stain, can remove other stains? Soft drinks, particularly the caramel-colored kind, can be effective in removing ink, oil, or blood stains. The trick is to let some soda pop sit on the stained area for a while, like 20 minutes, then launder the garment as usual. Don’t believe it? Watch this video to see what sorts of stain-removing powers soda pop has—skip to 1:31 of this video to see for yourself.
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Milk
Plain milk is also a great stain remover, as long as the stains are from ink. Should you have any sheets, shirts, pants, blankets, or other fabric stained with ink, soak them in milk overnight. Then, launder the items to rinse out the milk, or take them to a laundromat in or around your Danville home to finish the job thoroughly.
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Artificial Sweetener
Apart from being useful at sweetening your coffee, artificial sweeteners are wonderful at removing grease stains from clothes. If you like to cook greasy food like bacon and you get hot grease spattered onto your shirt, grab a packet of the inorganic sweet stuff. Blot the stain with it, and the sweetener will pull out the oils and remove the grease stains.
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Hairspray
Hairspray can set your hairstyle in place, and it can also give ink stains the boot. Did your toddler discover the joy of a permanent ink marker and made a canvas out of your clothes? Break out a bottle of what every teen in the 80s couldn’t live without, and spray it on the ink stain. The stain will almost magically disappear right before your very eyes.
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Slices of Bread
Bread can be used as an emergency sponge for picking up staining liquids that haven’t dried or set onto clothing yet. Pick out the center of a slice or two of bread, and then dab it onto the stain. Get what remains of the stain out by laundering the article of clothing.
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Foamy Shaving Cream
The best a man can get is also the best a homemaker can get to remove tomato sauce stains. Use the foamy kind of shaving cream (not the gel type) to remove grandma’s bolognese or lasagna sauce off the tablecloth or your shirt by spraying a dollop of shaving cream right on the stain. Gently rub the shaving cream onto the stain, then let dry. Wash the tablecloth, shirt, or whatever item was stained yourself or take it to the cleaners for a more professional job.
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Shampoo
This bathroom staple is fantastic at cleaning your hair and making it smell good, but it’s also great at removing those ugly stains around shirt collars. Rings around collars are caused by body oils, and shampoo breaks those down. Give the stained collars of your shirts a shampoo, rinse it off, and then toss the shirt in the washing machine.
When it comes to removing even the most difficult stains, sometimes the simplest items in your pantry can the trick. The next time your beddings, tablecloth, or clothes get stained, don’t panic; instead, reach for the unusual stain-remover that works on a particular stain. Don’t forget to wash the garment or fabric yourself immediately after treatment, or take them to the laundromat to complete the cleaning process