We’ve covered how to deal with gross stains from curry to cum, but summer presents your wardrobe with a whole new world of grime-related problems. If you’re looking at emerging from this summer in a haze of Pimm's and park life with your clothes somewhat worse for wear, here’s what you can do.
Grass stains
So you were overcome by the beauty of summer and spent all day lolling about in the grass. Now your clothes have the dirt to prove it. You need to act fast. The chlorophyll and pigments in grass can bind very quickly to fibres like cotton and leave a permanent stain.
Brush off any excess grass or dirt and then blot as much of the stain off with a white paper towel. Dab isopropyl alcohol (otherwise known as surgical spirit) on to the stain with another towel, but remember to test on an inside seam to make sure it won’t damage the fabric.
Then use a soft brush, an old toothbrush will do, to gently remove the grass pigment. Repeat if necessary. Finally, pour a tablespoon of regular laundry detergent onto the stain, let sit for 30 to 60 minutes and wash as normal.
Self-tanning lotion
Don’t panic if your sun-kissed glow has transferred onto your clothes. Wash the stain under cold water, and then sponge it with a mixture of washing-up liquid and warm water. Work the solution from the outside of the stain to the inside. Rinse again.
Stain not going anywhere? If your garment is light-coloured, pour some 3 per cent hydrogen peroxide onto a white paper towel and dab it onto the stain. Rinse with cool water. If you’re dealing with a darker garment, you can rub glycerin into the garment to dislodge the stain. Hydrogen peroxide and glycerin can both be picked up at pharmacies like Boots.
Finally, for the love of God, don’t wear light-coloured clothing or nylon for 12 hours after you’ve fake tanned. And if you’re worried about staining your clothes or bedsheets, you can lightly dust yourself with baby powder after your self-tanner dries. It helps form a barrier between your skin and your clothes.
Sunscreen
Puzzled by rust-coloured streaks turning up on your clothes, even after you’ve washed them? That’ll be sunscreen. Avobenzone, a chemical found in many sunscreen lotions, can stain clothing when it hits water. And as anyone who’s dealt with an exploded tube of sunscreen in their carry-on knows, the oil in sunscreen is already more than capable of staining clothes.
Apply some dishwashing liquid to a sponge or cloth, dampen with water to work up some suds and blot the stain. You can also reach for absorbent powders like talcum, cornstarch or bicarbonate of soda, which will soak up the grease stain. If the stain is an old one, it’s worth shelling out on a pre-wash treatment like this Vanish spray.
Melted make-up
A pre-wash treatment will work on most cosmetics stains, but what if you’re out and about? First, gently scrape off any excess make-up, then apply some dishwashing liquid and water (same as with sunscreen stains). Repeat if necessary and finally sponge with cold water and blot dry. Tougher coloured stains, like liquid foundation and lipstick, will benefit from a dabbing with isopropyl alcohol.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.