I received the following question from a reader recently on Play-Doh®. Check out my response for some tips in removing it from clothing.

"My 11-year-old daughter got a new shirt for Christmas from her grandma and somehow got red Playdough ground into the front of it. Is there a special way to get Play-Doh out of clothing? I'd appreciate the help."

Wow, I can still remember when my kids were playing with Play-Doh. The always had in their fingernails and on their clothes.

This one shouldn't be too hard assuming the shirt is cotton or poly/cotton. I would scrape off as much of the dried on material as possible. Then, try pre-treating it with liquid detergent (apply, rub in, wait 2-3 minutes) and then presoak before you finish washing. I do this by filling the washer like doing a regular load, then stopping the cycle for 10-15 minutes. This gives the detergent an extra few minutes to soften and start to break down the soil. Finish by running a full cycle (15 minutes or so) and don't forget to check at the end of the rinse cycle for success. You may have to re-treat and wash it.

Anyway, give this approach a try and let me know if they work.

Good luck!

Another reader question - this one about lip gloss left in a pocket during the wash.

"I washed a load of jeans with some cargo pants at the laundromat. Everything was fine with the pants after I looked at them when they finished washing, so I put them into the dryer. When my clothes were finished drying I took them out and noticed that grease stains were on every pair of pants that were in there. Then I noticed that I left lip gloss in one of the pants, and they all were ruined."

I have some good news and some bad news.

The good news: you did this at a laundromat, so the grease is not inside your dryer to transfer to later loads.

The bad news: after drying the "grease spots" are probably set and are going to be super difficult to remove, if at all. You might try using a good solvent (like Goo Gone) on the grease spots and then re-washing in the hottest water possible. Other than that, a small amount may be removed in the next wash, so consider air drying for the next 3-4 washes and see if you notice a difference. Otherwise, these pants will probably be relegated to home weekend wearing.

Sorry I couldn't be more optimistic.

Give these suggestions a try and let me know if they work.

Good luck!

I received the following question from Dianne, a reader. Check out my response for handling your own stains:

"We've got a new puppy in the house and last week she jumped on me as I was sitting down with coffee. Of course the coffee went everywhere, but mostly on my white 45% Modal shirt. The shirt was promptly stuffed into the laundry bin and forgotten about so it sat for about a week before it was washed. To make matters worse, I forgot to check to see if the stain came out before I dried it! Now I've got a stain (very faint) on this white shirt, do you have any tips or pointers about how to get it out? This is also my first time dealing with this fabric, so I'm not sure what it can and can't handle. Please help!"

Don't you just love puppies! They bring so much happiness, yet, when you least expect it, there's a mess to clean up.

I had to do a little research on the Modal fabric as I was not familiar with it. It's made from beech tree bark and is supposed to make the item lighter and softer on your skin.

To address your problem, you should try something a little stronger to get the faint spot out. My recommendation would be either the Clorox Bleach Pen or our new Clorox UltimateCare Premium bleach. They have lower bleach levels than Clorox Regular-Bleach and they are thicker, easier to control for spot pre-treating. Simply apply a small amount, wait 1-2 minutes and then wash in the warmest water recommended for the item.

It was also nice to notice that you recognized a couple of things you had done incorrectly. Rather than immediately dealing with the problem, placing it in the hamper and allowing the coffee stain to dry out probably made it much more difficult to remove. Also not checking at the end of the wash cycle for complete removal, and then drying may have set the stain.

Anyway, give the stain another try with the Bleach Pen or UltimateCare and let me know if they work.

Good luck and thanks for posting your problem.

Ok, I’m baaack in the office and ready to roll for 2007! Since a lot of my colleagues are still away this week, it is relatively quiet at work, making this a great time to reflect on the past year and gaze into the future.

Here are some random thoughts on both:

• 
  I am really proud of my blog and what we have accomplished since it launched in May. Thanks for all your well-wishes and questions along the way! My goal was to provide a resource for people to get laundry-related information and have a forum to answer questions. I think I have done that in an entertaining way and plan to continue this approach this new year.

• The blog has also allowed me to share both professional and personal moments.


• My Holiday Stain Hotline provides information on removal of the Top 10 holiday stains. It was so successful that we have done it for two years in a row.


• The Clorox® UltimateCare™ Premium Bleach introduction was challenging and exciting as I co-hosted several introductory events with Robert Verdi and met a large number of editors from around the country.


• This led to interviews with newspapers, magazines and Web sites, all of which I enjoyed. There is a certain thrill to see yourself quoted in various newspapers and magazines!


• It was exciting to throw out the first pitch at the Sacramento Rivercats (Minor League Baseball team) game and attended the Busch race at Fontana.


• When my brother-in-law passed away in July, I eulogized him here. It definitely helped my grieving process. Over the holidays, my family gathered on the big island of Hawaii to honor Marshall’s last request that his ashes be spread over the waters of the island he loved to visit. The family also followed a Hawaiian tradition by creating a large memorial to Marshall. If you drive north on Highway 11 toward the Kohala Coast and just pass the Waikoloa turn off, you will find this fitting tribute to a truly unique individual on the side of the road.

So here’s my toast to the great start in 2006 and that 2007 will not only continue the tradition but take us to new heights!

Also, I know a lot of you have written in with questions for me over the holidays, and I plan to take the beginning of this year to get back to each of you. Sorry for the delay!