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Emmalene asked, “I have an Adidas track suit top that is made from polyester. I took it to a club and it was dropped on the floor without me noticing it. While it was on the mucky club floor, it was trampled. There were beer spills on the floor that were trampled into it. It is a right mess, as the color is white. Is there any chance of removing all these stains? At the minute, I have it soaking in the bath in cold water and have applied some Vanish stain remover (powder form) over the top of the jacket. Please help. x”
Don’t let a party foul ruin your clothes! Select one of the steps below or use all of the steps in order to take those beer stains away.
You Will Need:
- White vinegar
- Liquid dish soap
- An enzyme laundry detergent, such as Biz
Steps to Remove the Stain:
- Sponge the stain with a diluted vinegar solution of one part vinegar to two parts water.¹
- If there are multiple stains on the garment, plug the sink and fill the sink with the diluted vinegar solution. Place the garment in the sink and allow it to soak for thirty minutes. For more difficult to remove stains, soak the garment overnight.²
- Scrub the stains with liquid dish soap.³
- If any stain remains, make a paste of Biz powdered detergent or another enzyme laundry detergent and spread the paste over the stains. Allow the paste to soak for half an hour, then rinse the stains with water.⁴
- After pre-treating the stains with the above methods, launder the garment as usual.
Additional Tips and Advice
- As a last resort for old, set-in stains, try sponging the stains with turpentine.⁵
Sources
- Vinegar, Duct Tape, Milk Jugs & More by Earl Proulx
- Vinegar by Vicki Lansky
- How The Queen Cleans Everything by Linda Cobb
- Don Aslett’s Stainbuster’s Bible
- 101 Essential Tips: Removing Stains by Cassandra Kent
Hi,
I have spilt an espresso martini on a white bandage dress make from 90% rayon, 9% nylon and 1% elastane. It has been dry cleaned twice (O with a P) but although the stain has faded it is still there. I love this dress and have only worn it twice. Please help! ????
Gill,
Try using white vinegar following the steps in the guide How to Remove Stains from Dry Clean Only Fabrics. Another option is to try OxyClean, which can be done by mixing some of the OxyClean powder with water, spreading it over the stain, gently rubbing it in (careful not to damage the material), letting it sit for a few minutes, then rinsing it out. Since the dress is white, another option is to bleach the spot. You can use either diluted chlorine bleach (follow the instructions on the label for dilution ratio, blot it on the spot, wait about 5 seconds, then rinse the area fully with water to remove the bleach) or hydrogen peroxide (blot on the peroxide and place the item in the sun for about 30 minutes, then blot with a damp cloth to rinse). Due to the material makeup, it’s unfortunately almost guaranteed to shrink if you wash it, even in cold water, but if it’s ruined anyway, you can always try bleaching it in a wash or dying it a different color. Good luck!