How to Tame Date-Night Stains
1. Chocolate
Chocolate soaks into fabric a bit more slowly than other liquids, so get to it quickly and you'll have the most success. Start by gently scraping as much of the chocolate as you can from the fabric's surface with a spoon. Apply a laundry pre-treater or rub in a little liquid laundry detergent. Wash the item in the hottest water and with the type of bleach (chlorine or oxygen) that's safe for the fabric.
Related: The Best Store-Bought Valentine's Day Treats
2. Red Wine
Quickly blot up as much of the wine as possible with an absorbent cloth and then generously sponge the stain with cool water. For a very large stain, soak the entire garment in cool water for about 30 minutes. Apply a laundry pre-treater and launder the garment as you usually do with a dose of chlorine or oxygen bleach added.
Related: If He's Not Into Chocolate, Try These Treats Instead
3. Lipstick
Lipstick rarely penetrates a fabric, so the best way to remove it is to push it out from the back. Lay the stain face down on an absorbent cloth. Grab a pre-moistened make-up remover wipe and dab the back of the stain. Work the liquid from the wipe into the fabric to help dissolve the lipstick, and push it into the absorbent cloth. Rotate the cloth to a clean area as it absorbs the lipstick and continue working until no more stain is released. Treat any remaining lipstick with a laundry pre-spotter and wash the garment in the hottest water and with the type of bleach that's safe for the fabric.
Related: Be Good to Your Diet and Try a Heart-Shaped Salad (Yes, We Said Salad)
- By Carolyn Forte, Good Housekeeping Research Institute
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