Q:  How do I get dandelion stains out of a knit top?

A: I don’t have a lot of experience with dandelion stains, so I went out to the front yard and picked a few.  I am assuming you’d like help with stains from the yellow flower petals—they certainly make colorful stains!  Fortunately they are a lot like grass stains, and I found that the following is effective to remove them:

1. Presoak the stained area with a good detergent (that contains enzymes) and warm water for 30 minutes.


2. Rinse away the soaking solution—you’ll still see yellow staining, and now it’s time for bleach.


3. If your stained item is white, then wash in the warmest water recommended on the care label with detergent plus ¾ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach.


4. If your stained item is colored, pre-treat the remaining stain directly with liquid Clorox2® Stain Fighter & Color Booster.  Wait 3-5 minutes then wash in the warmest water recommended on the care label with detergent plus more Clorox2®.  By pre-treating the stain, you get maximum power from the oxygen bleach in Clorox2®.  Note that because it is a gentler bleach, it’s good to air dry the top and check to make sure all the stain is out. You can repeat this step if any stain remains.

Readers – do you have experience with dandelion stains?  How do you go about removing those vibrant stains?

Q:  How can I get rid of collar & cuff stains?

A: Because collars and cuffs can easily build up a lot of body soil that is rubbed into the fabric, pre-treating is a good way to get great stain removal results.  The color and fiber of the shirt determines what products you can use.  For white cotton and polycotton shirts, try the following:

1. Apply Clorox® Bleach Pen® Gel to the stain—use the soft scrubber tip to gently rub in.


2. Wash immediately in the hottest water recommended on the care label with detergent plus ¾ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach.


3. Air dry and check for success—you can always treat the area again if the stains are really stubborn.

For colored items, you can pre-treat with liquid Clorox2® Stain Fighter & Color Booster:

1. Apply Clorox2® directly to the stain and rub in.


2. Wait 3 - 5 minutes; don’t let the product dry on the fabric.


3. Wash immediately in the hottest water recommended on the care label with detergent and more Clorox2®.


4. Air dry and then check to see if any stain remains.  Stubborn stains may need to be treated again.

Another consideration for white shirts is to be sure to check the care label and identify if your shirt has a small percentage of spandex in it.  Spandex (along with wool, silk, mohair, and leather) should not be bleached regardless of the color.  For any shirts with spandex, just follow the instructions for a colored item. 

Readers – do you have problems with collar and cuff stains?  What’s your solution?

Q:  I spilt coffee on my white clothes.  How can I remove these stains?

A: Hopefully your white item is bleachable.  You should avoid bleaching fabrics that are made with wool, silk, mohair, leather, and spandex.  If bleachable, proceed as follows:

1. For localized stains, rub stain gently with Clorox® Bleach Pen® Gel just before laundering.


2. For large spills, pre-soak the entire item in a solution of ¼ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach per gallon of water. Submerge the garment and soak for 5 minutes.


3. Wash immediately in the hottest water recommended by the care label using detergent and ¾ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach.


4. Air dry the item and check for success—larger stains may require an additional treatment for complete removal.

If your white item includes any of the fibers on the “avoid bleaching” list, above, then you should treat it as follows:

1. Apply Liquid Clorox2® Stain Fighter & Color Booster and rub into stain.  Wait 3-5 minutes, then wash immediately in the hottest water recommended using detergent and Clorox2® Stain Fighter & Color Booster.


2. Air dry the item and check to make sure the stain is completely removed. If stain remains, repeat steps above.

Readers – have you ever spilt coffee on your white clothes?

Q: How can I remove sunscreen stains from shirts?

A: For sunscreen stains, it's best to treat the greasy portion first, so don’t apply any water to the shirt.  Instead, blot up any excess with a paper towel or cloth, and try not to rub hard to avoid pushing it further into the fabric.  Next, pre-treat using a good liquid laundry or dishwashing detergent--rub it into the stain and wait 5-10 minutes.

Now, for white items:

1. Wash immediately in hottest water recommended on the care label with detergent and ¾ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach.


2. Air dry and inspect the item.  If any stain remains, repeat the steps before tumble drying the item.

Or, for colored items:

1. Apply Liquid Clorox 2® Stain Fighter & Color Booster, rub it into the stain and wait 3-5 minutes.  Wash in the warmest water recommended using detergent and more Clorox 2®.


2. Air dry and then inspect the item.  If any stain remains, repeat the steps before tumble drying the item.

Readers – how do you remove sunscreen stains from your clothing?

Q: White linen tablecloths which haven't been used for years and were stored in a wooden armoire show storage stains at the folding sides. I used Clorox® Regular-Bleach a few times in the wash but the marks remain and remain.  What can I do?

A:  I have a couple of thoughts on your tablecloths.  If bleach failed to remove the stains, then I suspect the stains could actually be incomplete oily soil removal that has oxidized over time.  You only see the stains on the creases of the folded sides because that’s where air gets to them.  You could try treating the stains directly with liquid laundry detergent or Clorox2® Stain Fighter and Color Booster—just don’t let these products dry on the fabric. Apply a little directly to the stained area, wait 5 minutes, and then wash in hot water with detergent + more Clorox2®.

Another possibility is that because tablecloths in general are difficult to wash given their large size, the stained area isn’t agitating enough in the clothes washer (if it’s a standard washer) or isn’t submerged in the bleach solution enough (if it’s an HE washer).  In that case, I would try pre-treating the stains directly with Clorox® Bleach Pen Gel.  Apply the gel directly to the stained areas, and then wash immediately in hot water with Detergent + ¾ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach.  Air dry to check your progress, and repeat the treatment (if it looks like you are making progress).

Finally, if the tablecloths have been through a hot dryer cycle, the stains could be “set” and very difficult to remove.  You could try a bleach soak in a solution of ¼ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach per gallon of water.  Fully submerge the table cloth for 5 minutes—weigh it down with a dinner plate or two if you need to.  Then finish with a bleach wash as described above.

Readers – how do you treat storage stains on your white linens?

Q:  Can mold stains be removed?

A:  Yes, but moldy textiles need to be treated right away to help keep the problem from getting worse.  Are your items bleachable?  If you are not sure you can do a quick bleachability test: add 2 teaspoons Clorox® Regular-Bleach to ¼ cup water.  Apply a drop of this solution to a hidden part of the colored item (hems, cuffs, and inside seams work well).  Wait 1 minute, then blot dry.  No color change means the item can be safely bleached.  For these items, the following approaches should work:

• Wash immediately in hot water using detergent and 3/4 cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach


• If the problem is bad, consider doing a Clorox® Regular-Bleach soak (1/4 cup liquid bleach per gallon of cool water and soak for 5-10 minutes).  Then wash in hot water with detergent and liquid bleach

For non-bleachable colors or non-bleachable fabrics (like wool, silk, mohair, leather, and spandex) it’s problematic to remove mold since the best mold and mildew killers are products with sodium hypochlorite.  Even so, you can try the following:

• Carefully brush off any obvious spores and then wash in the warmest water recommended on the care label with detergent and an oxygen bleach like our Clorox2® Stain Fighter & Color Booster


• Try a 1 hour presoak with Clorox2® Stain Fighter & Color Booster following label instructions

Readers – how do you handle mold stains on your clothing?

Q: How do you remove wine stains?

A:  Here are two great techniques—you can decide which to use depending on the item you will be washing.

For stained items that are white:

1. Rub the stain gently with Clorox® Bleach Pen® Gel immediately before laundering.


2. Wash immediately in the hottest water recommended on the care label with detergent and ¾ cup Clorox® Regular- Bleach. 


3. Air dry and check for success. If residual stain remains, repeat the treatment.


4. Remember to avoid bleaching wool, silk, mohair, leather, and spandex, even if they are white!

For stained items that are colored:

1. Apply Liquid Clorox® 2 Stain Fighter & Color Booster and rub into stain.


2. Wait 3-5 minutes, and then wash immediately in hottest water recommended on the care label using detergent and Clorox® 2 Stain Fighter & Color Booster.


3. Air dry and check for success. If residual stain remains, repeat the treatment

I hope this helps!

Readers – Have you had any issues with wine stains?  How did you remove the stains?

Q:  How much Clorox® Regular-Bleach should I use when it comes to colored clothes? And should I add my dark clothes before or after adding Clorox® Regular-Bleach to the water?

A:  To bleach colored items, it’s important to check their colorfastness to bleach first, and you can do this easily with this simple bleachability test: dilute 1 teaspoon Clorox® Regular-Bleach in ¼ cup water.  Apply a drop of this solution to a hidden part of the colored item (hems, cuffs, and inside seams work well).  Wait 1 minute, then blot dry.  No color change means the item can be safely bleached.  The correct amount to use for an average load is ¾ cup.

As far as when to add bleach, the main thing you want to avoid is having undiluted bleach accidentally contact your clothes.  This is important for white or bleach fast colored items.  So yes, adding bleach to the washer while it is filling, and before any of the load is added, is a great way to easily and safely add bleach.  It’s also good to swirl the agitator to mix the bleach in a little first before the load is added, and adding the load when the washer is about half-filled.  Also, using a measuring cup not only ensures that you are using the correct amount, but also helps prevent any spillage.

Do any readers use Clorox® Regular-Bleach on their colored clothing?

Q:  We have some Hawaiian Tropic® Sunscreen and it seems to stain all our whites orange when they come in contact with sweat.  Not the whole garment just around the neck or arms or sweat 'zones'.  How do I get these stains out?

A: For sunscreen stains, try pre-treating the stains with either liquid dish soap (like Dawn) or a good liquid detergent to solubilize the oils in the sunscreen—apply, rub in, and wait 3-5 minutes.   After the time is up, wash immediately in the hottest water recommended on the care label using detergent and ¾ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach for white items or detergent and Clorox2® Stain Fighter & Color Booster for colored items.

I hope this is helpful!

Have any readers noticed similar sun screen stains on your clothing?

Q: What are the yellow-orange stains I see on my whites after I wash them?

A: It’s hard to know for certain without a little more information, but if this happens after every white load it could be that they are rust stains.  It is especially easy for rust to transfer onto items in older washers that have corrosion on some of the metal parts.  If this is the case, you can try using a rust remover product like Whink®, which can usually be found at hardware stores. Just be sure to read and follow the package directions, including wearing gloves.  I would also check your washer for any signs of corrosion, especially under the enamel coated body of the washer, above the basket/tub where the clothes are loaded.  Another problem area is the interior of the basket (the other side of the holes where the water is extracted during the spin cycle).  Replacing the washer may be necessary if the problem is serious enough.  Good luck!

Have and of you noticed yellow-orange stains on your whites?  What have you done to combat the stains?