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There are memories of Lady MacBeth’s lamentation of blood on her hands that come to mind when a stain suddenly appears on something that I happen to love. Because, as you all know, spots and stains never show up on items of clothing in which you’ve lost interest; they only make an appearance right smack in the front of a piece of apparel that fits perfectly, feels great and allows you to look fetching.

Throughout the years, I’ve tried many products to undo stain damage, and, not surprisingly, found that few, if any, that do what they say they can. Therefore, in this article I’m going to list some natural suggestions for spot and stain removal because perhaps they’ll work better than the vast man-made chemicals that seem to disappoint. This all came about because a few days ago, after washing my daughter’s brand new skirt, I noticed a strange stain a few inches above the front hem. She admitted that it was probably chocolate. Since the material is white with a black design, I figured good old bleach would do the trick, as it often seems to do on cotton, but no such luck. Vinegar, peroxide and heavy detergent did nothing, and placing the skirt in direct sunlight also failed to lighten the stain. Right now I’m trying ammonia, and if that doesn’t work, it looks like I’ll have to add a strip of lace or banding at the bottom to cover it, as re-hemming it would make the skirt slightly longer than her underwear, and that won’t work.

There are always ways to save an item if spot removal just does not work, but it takes a lot of creativity. You can always remodel the outfit by shortening the sleeves if the stain is around the wrist area, or shorten the garment if won’t be too revealing. Some kids don’t mind the addition of an ironed or sewn-on appliqué to cover an unsightly mark, and grown women have been known to use pins for that very purpose. We probably all have an item that we just can’t give up, so we make sure to wear it under something else, like a vest or over-blouse, and we can’t forget the option of dying it. (Although that may create even more stress.)

So, to help all of us in our struggle to get rid of spots and stains, here are a few at-home products, and the types of “accidents” they just may be able to help. My thanks to Mary Findley, of Mary Moppins Cleaning System, who is the source of some of this information:

1. Rubbing Alcohol-(Especially denatured) is good for removing ink.
2. Vinegar/Club Soda-Can be attempted to remove stubborn stains of various origins.
3. Hydrogen Peroxide-½ to 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide per washer load can return whites to brightness and perk up colored cloths. A mix of 50/50 solution of hydrogen peroxide and cool water may help remove cherry popsicle stain. It also does an unbelievable job of removing wine stains.
4. Liquid dish soap-a dab is cheaper and better than pre-wash sprays on dirt, grass and clay stains.
5. Foam Shaving Cream-Good for coffee, coke and mustard, or other stubborn stains-rub it in and wait an hour before rinsing.
6. Natural orange cleaner is good for removing grease; let it set an hour.
7. Toothpaste-Occasionally, it may lighten permanent marker stains.
8. Lemon-Squeeze onto a rust spot, sprinkle salt, and let sit for several hours, keeping the area damp with lemon juice.
9. Hair Spray-This is also good for removing ink stains.
10. Ammonia-Supposedly, it can help with removing chocolate stains.
11. Sunllight-Old Sol has been known to restore white’s brilliance, as well as cause stains to fade.

Plus, as I have already reported here earlier, a new way of removing under-arm stains is to throw an aspirin into the wash with them (but I still have not remembered to try this yet, so let me know if you have and what the outcome was.)
No matter how careful we try to be, stains happen, and it’s truly unfortunate.

Here’s hoping you are able to remove them and continue wearing your favorite clothes for as long as you like.