Q: Dr. Laundry, how do I remove mildew from my table cloth? It is 52% cotton and 48% polyester. Please help!

A: The best thing for removing mildew is Clorox Regular-Bleach. Assuming the tablecloth is white or bleachable (See Bleachability test if unsure). I would either do a short soak (¼ cup Clorox Regular Bleach in gallon of cool water for 5-10 minutes) then wash in hottest water recommended for the tablecloth using detergent plus ¾ cup Clorox Regular-Bleach. An alternative would be to use the Clorox Bleach Pen Gel if a few spots are involved. Simply rub on the mildew spots then wash in hottest water recommended for the tablecloth using detergent plus ¾ cup Clorox Regular-Bleach.

If colored, you might try wetting with cool water, applying Clorox 2 and rubbing into the mildew, waiting 5-10 minutes then wash in hottest water recommended for the tablecloth using detergent plus the recommended amount of Clorox 2. Since Clorox 2 is weaker bleach, you may have to repeat the procedure.

Q: My daughter has a grease stain on her new ski coat. The grease stain came from the ski’s chair lift. The shell of the coat is 100% nylon. Any suggestions?

A: The best bet for grease on nylon jacket include: Pre-treating using good liquid detergent or stain and soil remover like Shout; rub into stain and let it set for 5-10 minutes before washing in hottest water recommended for the jacket. Make sure you check for total stain removal before drying in dryer. The extra heat from the dryer can spread the stain and make subsequent removal more difficult. If you aren't successful, then repeat the process again.

For tough holiday stains, that is. From elbow-to-elbow holiday party crowds to home entertaining with family and friends, the bustling activities during the holidays and winter months seem to be magnets for stain mishaps. And, wouldn’t luck have it you stained your favorite shirt. Bah Humbug!

Don’t let holiday spills and stains turn you into a Grinch this holiday season. I have provided solutions for treating some of the most common holiday stains like red wine and eggnog on my holiday hotline. I am also happy to entertain your questions here; just submit your question as a comment. My toll-free Holiday Stain Hotline is 1-877-STAIN-411 (1-877-782-4641).

Here are a couple examples from my Holiday Stain Hotline.

Red wine

Tannins help make great red wines, but really add difficulty to their removal. Quickly blot up excess red wine with a paper towel or cloth. Now use Club Soda to help bubble the wine off the fabric (pour on from back of the stain); blot away excess. If possible, wash any remaining stain before it has a chance to set/dry.

If your stained item is white, wet the stain with cool water then rub stain gently with Clorox® Bleach Pen™ Gel and let set for 3-5 minutes. Then wash immediately in hot water with detergent and ¾ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach. Always inspect the item after washing. If the stain remains, repeat the steps above prior to drying.

If your stained item has color, wet the stain with cool water, then apply Liquid Clorox2® for Colors and rub into stain. Let it set 3-5 minutes immediately before washing, but do not allow it to dry. Wash immediately in warmest water recommended on the care label using detergent and the recommended amount of Liquid Clorox2® for Colors. Inspect the item. If stain remains, repeat steps above prior to drying item.

Eggnog

This has lots of dairy products, eggs and sugars that make eggnog stains complex to get out. First, blot away the excess. Submerge and pre-soak the item in cold water and good liquid detergent for about 30 minutes to help soften and loosen the stain. Eggnog is a protein based stain and hot water will "cook" the stain into the fabric fibers.

If your stained item is white, wash immediately in warm water using detergent and ¾ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach. Always inspect the item after washing. If the stain remains, repeat the steps above prior to drying.

If your stained item has color, apply Liquid Clorox2® for Colors and rub into stain. Wash immediately in warm water using detergent and Clorox2® for Colors. Always inspect the item after washing. If the stain remains, repeat the steps above prior to drying.

OK, we're having our annual Super Bowl party on Sunday. The menu is planned, the RSVPs are in and most of the items are bought and ready to go.

What a day! I always look forward to seeing old friends, eating, drinking and yelling our way through 4 quarters of hopefully good pigskin. If not, there is always the other crowd favorite activity of reacting and rating each Super Bowl commercial.

With that many people there is sure to be an opportunity to provide some stain removal advice. While I may not be able to remove it all at the party, these tips will help you tackle the problem when you get home or after the guests leave.

General Stain Treatment Rules

1. Remove as much as possible as quickly as possible. Quickly blot or wipe away the excess.


2. If the stain has a greasy/oily component, always treat that first and don't run water over the stain. Try rubbing some liquid dishwashing or laundry detergent into the stain from the back if possible. Wait 1-3 minutes then rinse away with warm water.


3. Consider washing items when you get home or if they are dry clean only try to get them to the cleaners within 48 hours.

So here are some remedies for a few of the expected party favorites.

Beverages

• Adult beverages come in a variety of potential colors. We need to remove it.




• A cool water rinse from the back will help make the stain easier to pretreat.


• If white or bleachable, try pretreating with Clorox® Bleach Pen gel™ before washing


• If colored, try pretreating with Liquid Clorox2® Bleach for Colors before washing


• Wash in warmest water recommended on fabric care label using detergent and




• Clorox® Regular-Bleach, if white or bleachable item or


• Clorox2® Bleach for Colors if colored item.




• Check before drying. Retreat item if needed.

Appetizers

• BBQ sauces, soy sauces, baked beans, salsa.




• A cool water rinse from the back will help make the stain easier to pretreat.


• If white or bleachable, try pretreating with Clorox® Bleach Pen gel™ before washing.


• If colored, try pretreating with Liquid Clorox2® Bleach for Colors before washing.


• Wash in warmest water recommended on fabric care label using detergent and




• Clorox® Regular-Bleach, if white or bleachable item or


• Clorox2® Bleach for Colors if colored item.




• Check before drying. Retreat item if needed.






• Buffalo wings, meatballs, Bagel Bits. Beware of greasy spots.




• Pretreat with liquid detergent and wait 3-5 minutes.


• Wash in hottest water recommended on fabric care label using detergent and




• Clorox® Regular-Bleach, if white or bleachable item or


• Clorox2® Bleach for Colors if colored item.




• Check before drying. Retreat item if needed.

Main Course

• Chili, hamburgers, steaks. Again, beware of greasy spots.




• Pretreat with liquid detergent and wait 3-5 minutes.


• Wash in hottest water recommended on fabric care label using detergent and




• Clorox® Regular-Bleach, if white or bleachable item or


• Clorox2® Bleach for Colors if colored item.




• Check before drying. Retreat item if needed.

Good luck and have a great time on Sunday!!

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!

What would the holidays be without candles? They seem like a natural way to brighten your home and set that special mood during the holidays. Whether scented or fragrance-free, candles add that special touch to the table centerpiece or mantel. Amid all the hustle and bustle, it can be easy to forget about them, and once they have burned down, it’s not uncommon to discover a waxy mess left behind.
Here’s an approach to help you deal with the mess:

• The keys here are getting the mess from liquid to solid ASAP and then dealing with the waxy material.
• First, resist your impulses to wipe or blot it up right then and there. This will only drive the material further into the fiber and make removal more difficult than it will be. Harden the molten liquid by either placing the stained item in the freezer or placing an ice cube on the area.
• Once the wax hardens, crack the stain and use a dull knife to gently scrape away as much material as possible.
• If it is dry clean only, get it to the dry cleaners within 48 hours and let the pro work on it.
• Now we can start treating the residual material, which is very waxy. If you have dry cleaning solvent, try applying it from the backside and gently force the stain onto a clean cloth or paper towel.
• When ready to wash, use hot water if possible; if the item is white and the wax is colored you may want to pretreat with Clorox® Bleach Pen ™ Gel; also consider washing the item separately since the hot water is going to “melt” the wax off from the item. It is possible for that residue to redeposit on other items in the wash. For colored items consider pretreating with Clorox2® Bleach for colors.
• Finally always check for success BEFORE placing in the dryer. This is definitely a stain you do not want to set by drying.

Candles color and fragrances add a homey atmosphere to any festive gathering or dinner, and with these stain removal tips there is less reason to worry about clean-up. Red, green, blue, or white, decorate with candles to your heart’s delight!

Turn out the lights… the party’s over!
Great, now the cleanup begins!!
Tell me again why having that party was such a GREAT idea.

Now that the guests are gone and the flurry of holiday activities have officially concluded, hosts and hostesses are often left wondering what hit them. There are mounds of linens, tablecloths, sheets and towels to wash, along with cleanup of other leftovers from the good times.

Often, people run into a little trouble with the sheer volume of work to be done. In the interest of preserving your sanity and keeping as light a load as possible (pun intended!), I suggest you break up the laundry task into several days. Trust me, it doesn’t have to be all done in one night/day. Avoid the temptation to do everything in one huge load, especially when you have such a high volume of similar items. Like any other laundry day, follow a few simple rules to success:

• Sort and separate out items with obvious stains. Tackle these first. The fresher the stain, the better the chances for removal. Need help? Don’t forget to try the Holiday Stainline (1-877-STAIN 411).
• Ask "what items will I need next" and "what is just going to get folded and put away"? This helps decide the order for washing everything.
• Check the care labels for proper laundering techniques.
• Try starting some loads later in the day. They can dry overnight while you sleep.
• It’s best to not overload the washing machine—separate heavy and lightweight items. (This also helps cut down on drying time.) Also use the recommended amount of product for the load size.
• Finally, check stained items thoroughly before you put them into the dryer, because stains will “cook” into fabrics if heated/dried.

With “delicate” care items, it’s best to always do a product compatibility or bleachability test to determine whether you can use the product without harming the item. Some tablecloths and garments especially will be marked as delicate care or hand wash. Again, remember to check the care label if you have any doubt about the type of washing/drying conditions or products that are appropriate to use.

A cup of Joe, cappuccino or soy latte, coffee gets your day started. For lots of folks, it’s not the last one you may have during the day. Whether driving in your car, reading the newspaper at home, or sitting at your desk (as I am now), drinking coffee is a social ritual for many. However, this routinely relaxing activity can spoil your day with a bump in the road and a spill on your nice white shirt.
Here are some coffee stain removal tips so you can keep your calm.

• If you happen to spill coffee on your clothing at the office, rinse it right away with cold water. Resist the urge to use that bar of soap in the restroom on the stain. Using bar soap may cause the stain to set, thus making it much more difficult to remove. Wait until you are home again to treat the stain properly.
• Once safely in the laundry room, if the dried out stained item is a white, bleachable fabric, try a quick pre-soak in ¼ cup of Clorox® Regular-Bleach per gallon of cold water for 5 minutes. Wash the article immediately in the hottest water setting recommended on the label using a regular detergent and an additional ¾ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach or our new Clorox® UltimateCare™ Premium Bleach.
• If you happened to be wearing a colored or patterned item of clothing when the spill occurred, apply Clorox 2® Bleach for Colors and rub into the stain. Wash the item in the hottest water recommended using regular detergent and more Clorox 2 for Colors to ensure the stain is fully removed.
• Be sure to inspect the item while it is still wet after washing, and if some coffee still remains, repeat these steps before drying.

Go ahead and pour yourself another cup, or head down to your local coffee shop. With these stain removal tips, you can sip without fear of permanent coffee stains ruining your favorite outfit or your morning routine.

Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, hot chocolate, chocolate cake, chocolate pudding… so many forms but so little time to eat them all. While chocolate something is always a decadent dessert choice for a holiday party or even for an evening at home, it always amazes me how often in ends as a mess on me. To save your nice linens and khaki pants this season, here are some chocolate removal tips to help solve your laundry problems and keep your sweet tooth satisfied.

The fine cocoa particles, emulsifiers and milk proteins that make chocolate so delicious add up to make chocolate stains so difficult to remove. The order of attack is important when you have a mixture of problem makers. First, we want to attack the proteins then the emulsifiers and finally the cocoa particles.

• Start by pretreating the stain with a good liquid detergent, then soaking the fabric in cold water for approximately 30 minutes to help loosen the protein and emulsifier in the stain.

• If the stain is on a white bleachable fabric, gently rub the chocolate stain with Clorox® Bleach Pen™ Gel before laundering. Immediately wash in warm water with regular detergent and ¾ cup of either Clorox® Regular-Bleach or try our new Clorox® UltimateCare™ Premium Bleach.

• If the stain is on a colored or patterned fabric, removing it requires different products. After pretreating and soaking for 30 minutes in liquid detergent, apply Liquid Clorox 2® Bleach for Colors to the stain. Rub the stain gently, wait 3-5 minutes to loosen the particles then wash immediately in warm water using regular detergent and Clorox 2® Bleach for Colors.

• As always, inspect the stained item after treatment to ensure that the stain is gone. If some chocolate still remains, repeat the above steps prior to drying for best results.

For all you choco-holics out there, have no fear this holiday season! With these stain removal techniques, you can have your chocolate and eat it too.

I received the following from my boss (thanks, Adrianne) and it really made me stop and think how far we have come. I remember my grandmother detailing her washing process and parts of the following were included.

Maybe "the good ole days" were not really "the good ole days".

Washing Clothes Recipe

(Given a Young Bride by her Grandmother)

'Washing Clothes Recipe' - imagine having a recipe for this!

Years ago, a Southern grandmother gave the new bride the following recipe: This is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrapbook - with spelling errors and all.

Washing Clothes

Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water. Set tubs so smoke wont blow in eyes if wind is pert. Shave one whole cake of lye soap in boilin water.

Sort things, make 3 piles

     1 pile white,
     1 pile colored,
     1 pile work britches and rags.

To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with boiling water.

Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, and boil, then rub colored don't boil just wrench and starch.

Take things out of kettle with broom stick handle, then wrench, and starch.

Hang old rags on fence.

Spread tea towels on grass.

Pore wrench water in flower bed. Scrub porch with hot soapy water.

Turn tubs upside down.

Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs. Brew cup of tea, sit and rock a spell and count your blessings.

(For you non-Southerners... wrench means rinse.)

Paste this over your washer and dryer. Next time when you think things are bleak, read it again, kiss that washer and dryer, and give thanks. First thing each morning you should run and hug your washer and dryer.

And finally, a cute joke to finish off the post...

One day my housework-challenged husband decided to wash his sweatshirt. Seconds after he stepped into the laundry room, he shouted to me, "What setting do I use on the washing machine?"

"It depends," I replied. What does it say on your shirt?"

He yelled back, "University of Oklahoma..."

And they say blondes are dumb!