What's your approach to keeping your wardrobe stain-free long term?
June 6, 2023 8:07 AM Subscribe
Talk to me like I am five about what you do to keep yourself from always heading out to mow the lawn.
I am a busy dad who has lost the plot when it comes to keeping my wardrobe stain-free. Clothes are clean and I smell nice so I know I am on top of some of it, but my wardrobe seems 50% unwearable in public and new clothes seem to be going to the bad place quicker and quicker.
I am hoping to learn what I might do to rescue what I have and what to do to prevent future purchases from the same fate. I have ADHD so have always struggled with doing tasks past their minimum possible form. I've read a bunch of internet stuff but it feels written in a language I don't understand.
My goal on clothes has been to look nice enough with a minimal amount of effort - especially since having a child. I have a capsule wardrobe generally with a hoodie (60/40 cotton polyester is most common - lighter colors to offset darker bottoms) and bamboo fiber black t-shirt on top and Lulu yoga shorts or Gap jeans on the bottom. I tend to live in slip on shoes - have both Vessis and AllBirds that claim to be washable and stain resistant.
I tend to put something on in the morning and the base layer (shirt, underwear) are what I sleep in and go into the laundry hamper each morning. Hoodies, shorts and pants tend to get 3-5 days of wear before wash unless they get specifically dirty. My wife and I have never sorted laundry (except towels and sheets) and use whatever allergy-friendly detergent is on sale. We tend to do laundry every other day so nothing sits for a long time.
Dryer gets used on a lot of my clothes as I need them back in rotation due to the capsule thing. I tend to avoid straight white materials (other than socks) so don't really use bleach for anything. I don't have any experience with pre-soak stuff. My wife and I tend to split laundry duties and I am not going to ask her to add more work to the overall "throw it in the machine" part - I want to have things ready to be thrown in the way they are now when it's her doing it.
Issues are largely - hoodies have stains on the arms (grease, dirt, etc.) and oil stains on the front (largely food.) Most things have coffee or tea stains on them. My shoes, despite washing them every month or two, look more and more like they live in the backyard.
Why I think I am in the state I am:
1) I am generally speaking a fast, messy eater and drinker. I eat most of my breakfasts and dinners either at my desk or on the go. I drink coffee or tea most of the time and I would describe myself, generally, as a little spill-y.
3) I do a lot of messy things - I cook a lot (scratch tomato sauces, grilling, etc.), I do most of the house maintenance (recently - tuning up bikes, building a platform for a shed in the backyard, cleaning air filters), and I spend a lot of time outdoors either playing with the kid or noodling around the yard. I also dress for the day and then tend to stay in whatever I am wearing the rest of the day - but my ADHD means I get pulled into a yard task on a whim without considering what I am wearing.
So my questions are the following:
1) If you're the spill-y, messy type - what are some hacks for how you avoid getting stains - should I invest in coveralls for house work, drink from covered containers always, or wear a bib or handkerchief every time I eat?
2) If you live in t-shirts and hoodies - are there materials that I should be looking at that are more resistant to stains than what I am? I don't love the more sports performance-y shiny materials and I don't want to wear only black. Should I keep all my stuff out of the dryer going forward so I stop setting things in?
2) What should I be doing the moment I spill something? I have read about soda water but it's not something I have on hand regularly. Is soaking it in water or maybe dish soap or laundry soap better than nothing?
3) I do well with routines - if I usually do laundry in the morning on a short work break - should I add some kind of pre-soak or stain removal routine to my night? I was thinking of a bottle of some substance in my bathroom and I take things off, throw them in a bucket, put substance in, soak for some time, then hang til morning. 5 mins of work or less feels doable per evening. But my reading suggests it's not as simple as that. Is it?
4) Is there anything I can do to try to save some of my existing stained wardrobe if it's been that way for weeks or months? Oxiclean seems to come up a lot, and I could envision a morning where I do a bunch of things to most of my wardrobe to try to reset it one time being doable. Is there anything you'd suggest there?
Thanks in advance - I have read previous questions on laundry and stain removal, but I feel like I need more hand holding and step by step routines than those questions were asking for.
I am a busy dad who has lost the plot when it comes to keeping my wardrobe stain-free. Clothes are clean and I smell nice so I know I am on top of some of it, but my wardrobe seems 50% unwearable in public and new clothes seem to be going to the bad place quicker and quicker.
I am hoping to learn what I might do to rescue what I have and what to do to prevent future purchases from the same fate. I have ADHD so have always struggled with doing tasks past their minimum possible form. I've read a bunch of internet stuff but it feels written in a language I don't understand.
My goal on clothes has been to look nice enough with a minimal amount of effort - especially since having a child. I have a capsule wardrobe generally with a hoodie (60/40 cotton polyester is most common - lighter colors to offset darker bottoms) and bamboo fiber black t-shirt on top and Lulu yoga shorts or Gap jeans on the bottom. I tend to live in slip on shoes - have both Vessis and AllBirds that claim to be washable and stain resistant.
I tend to put something on in the morning and the base layer (shirt, underwear) are what I sleep in and go into the laundry hamper each morning. Hoodies, shorts and pants tend to get 3-5 days of wear before wash unless they get specifically dirty. My wife and I have never sorted laundry (except towels and sheets) and use whatever allergy-friendly detergent is on sale. We tend to do laundry every other day so nothing sits for a long time.
Dryer gets used on a lot of my clothes as I need them back in rotation due to the capsule thing. I tend to avoid straight white materials (other than socks) so don't really use bleach for anything. I don't have any experience with pre-soak stuff. My wife and I tend to split laundry duties and I am not going to ask her to add more work to the overall "throw it in the machine" part - I want to have things ready to be thrown in the way they are now when it's her doing it.
Issues are largely - hoodies have stains on the arms (grease, dirt, etc.) and oil stains on the front (largely food.) Most things have coffee or tea stains on them. My shoes, despite washing them every month or two, look more and more like they live in the backyard.
Why I think I am in the state I am:
1) I am generally speaking a fast, messy eater and drinker. I eat most of my breakfasts and dinners either at my desk or on the go. I drink coffee or tea most of the time and I would describe myself, generally, as a little spill-y.
3) I do a lot of messy things - I cook a lot (scratch tomato sauces, grilling, etc.), I do most of the house maintenance (recently - tuning up bikes, building a platform for a shed in the backyard, cleaning air filters), and I spend a lot of time outdoors either playing with the kid or noodling around the yard. I also dress for the day and then tend to stay in whatever I am wearing the rest of the day - but my ADHD means I get pulled into a yard task on a whim without considering what I am wearing.
So my questions are the following:
1) If you're the spill-y, messy type - what are some hacks for how you avoid getting stains - should I invest in coveralls for house work, drink from covered containers always, or wear a bib or handkerchief every time I eat?
2) If you live in t-shirts and hoodies - are there materials that I should be looking at that are more resistant to stains than what I am? I don't love the more sports performance-y shiny materials and I don't want to wear only black. Should I keep all my stuff out of the dryer going forward so I stop setting things in?
2) What should I be doing the moment I spill something? I have read about soda water but it's not something I have on hand regularly. Is soaking it in water or maybe dish soap or laundry soap better than nothing?
3) I do well with routines - if I usually do laundry in the morning on a short work break - should I add some kind of pre-soak or stain removal routine to my night? I was thinking of a bottle of some substance in my bathroom and I take things off, throw them in a bucket, put substance in, soak for some time, then hang til morning. 5 mins of work or less feels doable per evening. But my reading suggests it's not as simple as that. Is it?
4) Is there anything I can do to try to save some of my existing stained wardrobe if it's been that way for weeks or months? Oxiclean seems to come up a lot, and I could envision a morning where I do a bunch of things to most of my wardrobe to try to reset it one time being doable. Is there anything you'd suggest there?
Thanks in advance - I have read previous questions on laundry and stain removal, but I feel like I need more hand holding and step by step routines than those questions were asking for.
I don't know about your household's comfort levels, but I'll eat messy food without a shirt on. I mean there is a reason people tuck napkins into their shirts. I've also simply stopped buying white shirts bc they are so quickly ruined.
When I spill: cold water and lifting it out by using a clean cloth (napkin, towel, sponge) and dabbing. Don't scrub or anything, pull the stuff up off the shirt. That immediately removal of stuff goes really far for regular food stains. More stressful stains like red wine I wouldn't know.
Otherwise, I'm a clumsy stained person, and will be watching this thread lol
posted by wellifyouinsist at 8:16 AM on June 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
When I spill: cold water and lifting it out by using a clean cloth (napkin, towel, sponge) and dabbing. Don't scrub or anything, pull the stuff up off the shirt. That immediately removal of stuff goes really far for regular food stains. More stressful stains like red wine I wouldn't know.
Otherwise, I'm a clumsy stained person, and will be watching this thread lol
posted by wellifyouinsist at 8:16 AM on June 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
Best answer: The biggest thing for me is to attack food stains asap - usually before the meal is over I will stand up, go over to the sink, clean my sponge (important! I've added stains to stains this way before), squeeze it out, and on the corner put a blob of dish soap. This stuff has been designed to cut through food grease and stains. A teeny bit of water and rub gently all over the spill, til it's foamy. You might want a toothbrush, I use my nail, to work into the cloth rather than just the surface. You may need more soap. The stain will lift. If it's a teeny one I'll then clean the sponge and try to remove some of the suds, and carry on wearing the item. If it's bigger I'll just leave the soap in there and put it through the wash next wash (I'll also carry on wearing it til the end of the day, notwithstanding outside commitments!).
You can also get preventative. Wear an apron (of chef's whites?) in the kitchen when it gets splattery - or all the time if YOU are splattery :) Look out for arm coverings or keep the grubby hoodies for oily outside work.
posted by london explorer girl at 8:25 AM on June 6, 2023 [7 favorites]
You can also get preventative. Wear an apron (of chef's whites?) in the kitchen when it gets splattery - or all the time if YOU are splattery :) Look out for arm coverings or keep the grubby hoodies for oily outside work.
posted by london explorer girl at 8:25 AM on June 6, 2023 [7 favorites]
The best way to keep your 'out clothes' looking nice is to buy some 'home clothes', which you wear to cook, clean, whatever at home. Actual hard labor is another set of clothes, which you expect to stain, so either pay for like Duluth or Carhartt quality or buy them really cheap.
Seconding this. I have two pair of jeans I wear all the time, but if I'm going to be going to the garden, I change into a third pair that is ripped and patched all over. I also have a couple of t-shirts and plaid shirts that are no longer good enough to make the cut to wear anywhere else, and I change into them when I'm doing messy shit.
Think of it like a uniform for the mess-making stuff.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:35 AM on June 6, 2023 [5 favorites]
Seconding this. I have two pair of jeans I wear all the time, but if I'm going to be going to the garden, I change into a third pair that is ripped and patched all over. I also have a couple of t-shirts and plaid shirts that are no longer good enough to make the cut to wear anywhere else, and I change into them when I'm doing messy shit.
Think of it like a uniform for the mess-making stuff.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:35 AM on June 6, 2023 [5 favorites]
Agreeing on aprons for cooking, you can also do cloth napkins on your lap like you're at a restaurant.
For cleaning stains I swear by fels naptha bar soap. Wet the stained area, rub the soap in and rinse it out as quick as possible and most stains won't set.
posted by Ferreous at 8:36 AM on June 6, 2023 [4 favorites]
For cleaning stains I swear by fels naptha bar soap. Wet the stained area, rub the soap in and rinse it out as quick as possible and most stains won't set.
posted by Ferreous at 8:36 AM on June 6, 2023 [4 favorites]
I am a 60 something dad of 3 kids who are very close in age (now in their 20s). I came to the conclusion about 20 years ago that I will never stop spilling on myself at meals, while working on projects around the house, and while doing anything that could be spilt. My kids used to say that it is not a meal until dad spills something on himself. True dat.
You could learn all sorts of laundry and cleaning hacks that will likely show an improvement over the current situation, but it will never be 100%. After searching for solutions for a while, I went the other way and embraced the stain. I have done my own laundry since I was 14 and my mom sent back my whites as pink. I did all the laundry for the family as my kids were growing up and making their own natural messes. I decided worrying about the stains was not worth it. Personal preference I guess. My stuff was clean. Did and do laundry regularly. Except for some dungarees, I wear stuff once and wash them. I now keep one set of "good" clothes. Clean no stain sweatshirt, clean no stain pants and a few clean no stain shirts. I only wear those clothes when I am going out with friends or my gf. Otherwise, I do not care if I go to the grocery store with a clean but stained t-shirt.
That is my recommendation. Rather than fight it, embrace it. You will end up spending a lot of mental energy making sure you use the right stain remover on the right fabric with the correctr wash temperature, etc. Even then, results are not guaranteed. The only way to guarantee the stain free clothes is to either not eat in clothes or not do everyday things.
I like to think of some of my sweatshirts as having a nice patina like an old car. On preview: What was said several times up thread. Certain clothes for certain situations.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:37 AM on June 6, 2023 [7 favorites]
You could learn all sorts of laundry and cleaning hacks that will likely show an improvement over the current situation, but it will never be 100%. After searching for solutions for a while, I went the other way and embraced the stain. I have done my own laundry since I was 14 and my mom sent back my whites as pink. I did all the laundry for the family as my kids were growing up and making their own natural messes. I decided worrying about the stains was not worth it. Personal preference I guess. My stuff was clean. Did and do laundry regularly. Except for some dungarees, I wear stuff once and wash them. I now keep one set of "good" clothes. Clean no stain sweatshirt, clean no stain pants and a few clean no stain shirts. I only wear those clothes when I am going out with friends or my gf. Otherwise, I do not care if I go to the grocery store with a clean but stained t-shirt.
That is my recommendation. Rather than fight it, embrace it. You will end up spending a lot of mental energy making sure you use the right stain remover on the right fabric with the correctr wash temperature, etc. Even then, results are not guaranteed. The only way to guarantee the stain free clothes is to either not eat in clothes or not do everyday things.
I like to think of some of my sweatshirts as having a nice patina like an old car. On preview: What was said several times up thread. Certain clothes for certain situations.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:37 AM on June 6, 2023 [7 favorites]
Best answer: For cooking, definitely get in the habit of putting on an apron. That will help a lot of the splatters, and it can be a routine.
When you do get stains in your clothing, do as london explorer girl says: barely damp sponge or washrag with a small bit of dishsoap, and gently rub/blot out the stain. I will do this for a bit and just let it dry as I'm wearing it. It might be a bit soapy when it goes into the wash, but that's just great. You might want to invest in a Tide Pen, too. A lot of people swear by those.
For the coffee spilling, it might be worth thinking that one through. Are you dribbling as you're drinking? Are you drinking it too fast? Do you knock it a little when you pick it up, so you should pay closer attention as you're grabbing the mug? Are you splashing as you're pouring? I think most of these can be solved by trying to just be a bit more deliberate about the task at hand. I often have to fight my sloppy urges and tell myself: "if you do that, you're likely to spill. so pay attention now so you don't have to deal with the consequences."
posted by hydra77 at 8:38 AM on June 6, 2023 [8 favorites]
When you do get stains in your clothing, do as london explorer girl says: barely damp sponge or washrag with a small bit of dishsoap, and gently rub/blot out the stain. I will do this for a bit and just let it dry as I'm wearing it. It might be a bit soapy when it goes into the wash, but that's just great. You might want to invest in a Tide Pen, too. A lot of people swear by those.
For the coffee spilling, it might be worth thinking that one through. Are you dribbling as you're drinking? Are you drinking it too fast? Do you knock it a little when you pick it up, so you should pay closer attention as you're grabbing the mug? Are you splashing as you're pouring? I think most of these can be solved by trying to just be a bit more deliberate about the task at hand. I often have to fight my sloppy urges and tell myself: "if you do that, you're likely to spill. so pay attention now so you don't have to deal with the consequences."
posted by hydra77 at 8:38 AM on June 6, 2023 [8 favorites]
Best answer: a cheap pair of mechanics coveralls were a game changer for me as well. The advantage is you don't have to change your clothes even, you just slap that bad boy over whatever you're wearing and unless you're dousing yourself in motor oil it'll be good. For a less severe version get a pair of schlubby overalls to wear indoors, they'll mostly cover your shirt.
posted by Ferreous at 8:39 AM on June 6, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by Ferreous at 8:39 AM on June 6, 2023 [4 favorites]
Best answer: I like this Shout stain remover because you can put it on the stain immediately and then leave it for up to a week. That way I can treat the stain while I'm thinking about it and don't have to count on remembering it's there when I do laundry.
posted by FencingGal at 8:55 AM on June 6, 2023 [12 favorites]
posted by FencingGal at 8:55 AM on June 6, 2023 [12 favorites]
Best answer: Resolve spray is great for food stains. I’m a culinary student and we wear white poly/cotton blend uniforms, and this gets out coffee, red wine, blood, etc. It’ll say not to let it sit more than five minutes before washing, but I’ve left it overnight. Probably not ideal long term but it won’t ruin the fabric right away.
Also echoing out vs home clothes. You mentioned wearing light coloured hoodies to offset dark bottoms - why not just do jeans and a dark top? You’re not limited to black, I have navy, dark grey, dark brown, burgundy, dark green… anything dark enough works. I have one light coloured hoodie (it was the only one left in a style I loved) and it’s such a pain. I also keep separate cooking and dirty work outfits. I also have ADHD and can get sucked into things quickly, but once I realize I’m doing something dirty I go change.
posted by wheatlets at 8:59 AM on June 6, 2023 [1 favorite]
Also echoing out vs home clothes. You mentioned wearing light coloured hoodies to offset dark bottoms - why not just do jeans and a dark top? You’re not limited to black, I have navy, dark grey, dark brown, burgundy, dark green… anything dark enough works. I have one light coloured hoodie (it was the only one left in a style I loved) and it’s such a pain. I also keep separate cooking and dirty work outfits. I also have ADHD and can get sucked into things quickly, but once I realize I’m doing something dirty I go change.
posted by wheatlets at 8:59 AM on June 6, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: People really do have clothes they wear to garden/do DIY. And they use aprons and napkins.
You need to get in the habit of changing out of the clothes you wear in public when you get home.
In addition, consider lidded cups and limiting yourself to food that is less likely to end up down your front when you're out and about. I know plenty of people who don't eat things likely to drip/splatter when out and about because they know they will invariably wear them for the rest of the day. I also know men in particular, who won't wear dress shirts and ties without subtle patterns like dots or stripes to help direct the eye away from subtle stains.
Once you do have a stain, they should be pre-treated with a substance that is appropriate for the fabric and the stain.
posted by koahiatamadl at 9:03 AM on June 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
You need to get in the habit of changing out of the clothes you wear in public when you get home.
In addition, consider lidded cups and limiting yourself to food that is less likely to end up down your front when you're out and about. I know plenty of people who don't eat things likely to drip/splatter when out and about because they know they will invariably wear them for the rest of the day. I also know men in particular, who won't wear dress shirts and ties without subtle patterns like dots or stripes to help direct the eye away from subtle stains.
Once you do have a stain, they should be pre-treated with a substance that is appropriate for the fabric and the stain.
posted by koahiatamadl at 9:03 AM on June 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
My partner is a dutiful wearer of coveralls. Whatever it is has to wait until he gets his coveralls on. I thought it was funny at first but over time have come to see the genius and want some for myself. They require a lot less mental effort and organization than changing your entire outfit. Basically they’re a head-to-toe apron. They go on for mowing the lawn, working on the car, any kind of home improvement project, etc.
And speaking of aprons, yeah. That too.
And then find a good stain remover. The best one ever made was Spray n Wash Stain Stick which is sadly out of production. I’m still trying to find something as good.
posted by HotToddy at 9:07 AM on June 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
And speaking of aprons, yeah. That too.
And then find a good stain remover. The best one ever made was Spray n Wash Stain Stick which is sadly out of production. I’m still trying to find something as good.
posted by HotToddy at 9:07 AM on June 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Since you are probably going to need to work to establish the habit of changing out of your good clothes (or into apron/coverallys) to do gardening/bike work/etc., one trick is to keep clothes in the place where you want to be using them. Like, your "bike work" hoodie lives with your bike tools (ideally actually *in the way* of your bike tools). If you have a pair of old sneakers that you want to wear every time you mow the lawn, store them on top of the lawnmower (and maybe install elastic laces to lower the barrier to putting them on). Basically, make work clothes part of your work routine.
Also, as others have mentioned: don't default to your nice clothes. Wear your "house" or "work" clothes unless you're going somewhere where you specifically want to look nice.
posted by mskyle at 9:13 AM on June 6, 2023 [7 favorites]
Also, as others have mentioned: don't default to your nice clothes. Wear your "house" or "work" clothes unless you're going somewhere where you specifically want to look nice.
posted by mskyle at 9:13 AM on June 6, 2023 [7 favorites]
Best answer: Keep a bottle of Dawn foaming detergent wherever the laundry basket is. Take clothing off, spray any questionable spots, put in basket. Dawn has degreasers and will get grease out, is a strong detergent and useful on most dirt. You can refill foaming stuff with 5:1 water: Dawn.
posted by theora55 at 9:20 AM on June 6, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by theora55 at 9:20 AM on June 6, 2023 [4 favorites]
Best answer: A tiny spot of dish soap on a grease stain will help a lot, just dab it on with a finger and rub it in with a little water. You can then put the clothes in the hamper to be washed regularly. I would suggest having dedicated pajamas to change into at night - it’s fine if these pjs are simply older more stained shirts, but basically if you have an unnoticed spill from dinner and you sleep in the same shirt, your body heat and sweat and all through the night will increase the likelihood of that spill staining.
I try to remember an apron in the kitchen but I pretty much never ever remember until it’s much too late. One thing my friend does when he cooks is he drapes a kitchen towel over his shoulders and it covers a fair amount of his chest. Less steps than tying on an apron and has the trigger of “oh I need to dry my hands” but instead of the towel staying on the hook you just put it on yourself when you recall. You can also combine towel plus apron, of course.
I also really suggest home clothes vs going out clothes. Since you are a capsule wardrobe person this might seem more trouble than it’s worth, but I think having some extra pieces of the type of thing you stain the most is probably a good idea. If it’s just tshirts and similar, have a shirt lifecycle that’s like new going out top > home clothes for chores > pajamas. Having house shoes vs going out shoes is a pretty normal thing as well. I wouldn’t worry too much about your shoes looking dirty? Like, shoes are meant to look like they have been worn, unless you’re a sneakerhead or need to keep a military shine on your boots.
For spilling things on your lap, you could get cloth napkins and do your best to get in the habit of putting a napkin in your lap when you eat. Maybe re-examine your setup for coffee and similar, like if you have a better spot to keep your drink or a cup that’s more secure for you to hold so spills are less likely to occur. Try to have a dedicated spot for drinks and snacks where you like to hang out, so an easily reached side table by the couch, a separate or elevated spot by a computer, a tray in a studio or shop space, etc. Make sure it’s easy to reach and you aren’t knocking things over or moving too much between you and the snack. For example, if you keep chips and salsa on a coffee table, you risk spilling that each time you lean back with a chip in hand. Keep them on a side table next to you or a tray on the couch instead.
I would suggest investing in a dark colored snazzy coat for wearing outside instead of a hoodie. It will feel different and you will be better able to remember to remove it before eating in a restaurant. A waxed canvas coat would be a particularly robust choice that you can layer a hoodie underneath for chillier days.
posted by Mizu at 9:22 AM on June 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
I try to remember an apron in the kitchen but I pretty much never ever remember until it’s much too late. One thing my friend does when he cooks is he drapes a kitchen towel over his shoulders and it covers a fair amount of his chest. Less steps than tying on an apron and has the trigger of “oh I need to dry my hands” but instead of the towel staying on the hook you just put it on yourself when you recall. You can also combine towel plus apron, of course.
I also really suggest home clothes vs going out clothes. Since you are a capsule wardrobe person this might seem more trouble than it’s worth, but I think having some extra pieces of the type of thing you stain the most is probably a good idea. If it’s just tshirts and similar, have a shirt lifecycle that’s like new going out top > home clothes for chores > pajamas. Having house shoes vs going out shoes is a pretty normal thing as well. I wouldn’t worry too much about your shoes looking dirty? Like, shoes are meant to look like they have been worn, unless you’re a sneakerhead or need to keep a military shine on your boots.
For spilling things on your lap, you could get cloth napkins and do your best to get in the habit of putting a napkin in your lap when you eat. Maybe re-examine your setup for coffee and similar, like if you have a better spot to keep your drink or a cup that’s more secure for you to hold so spills are less likely to occur. Try to have a dedicated spot for drinks and snacks where you like to hang out, so an easily reached side table by the couch, a separate or elevated spot by a computer, a tray in a studio or shop space, etc. Make sure it’s easy to reach and you aren’t knocking things over or moving too much between you and the snack. For example, if you keep chips and salsa on a coffee table, you risk spilling that each time you lean back with a chip in hand. Keep them on a side table next to you or a tray on the couch instead.
I would suggest investing in a dark colored snazzy coat for wearing outside instead of a hoodie. It will feel different and you will be better able to remember to remove it before eating in a restaurant. A waxed canvas coat would be a particularly robust choice that you can layer a hoodie underneath for chillier days.
posted by Mizu at 9:22 AM on June 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
Wear an apron while you cook. Have some Shout Wipes handy. Rub some Dawn dish liquid on your stains before putting your clothes in the washer.
posted by kevinbelt at 9:26 AM on June 6, 2023
posted by kevinbelt at 9:26 AM on June 6, 2023
Best answer: The secret is the Mister Rodgers Technique: Change out of the clothes you want to keep nice when you get home (or engage in any messy activity). I get it that you have a very casual core wardrobe and it's easier to see the need for this when your "outside the home" clothing is slacks and a blazer, but the same general rule applies. If you're eating while wearing your "outside the home" clothing, you have to take extra care to avoid soiling your clothes. Go ahead and mess up your "at home" clothing, but if you wouldn't consider cooking tomato sauce while wearing a suit you also shouldn't do it with any clothing you want to keep clean.
As for stain treatment, we have had good results from the OxiClean products. And for specific stain types you can't go wrong with the Carbona Stain Devils product designed for your type of stain.
posted by slkinsey at 9:28 AM on June 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
As for stain treatment, we have had good results from the OxiClean products. And for specific stain types you can't go wrong with the Carbona Stain Devils product designed for your type of stain.
posted by slkinsey at 9:28 AM on June 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
Aprons and Messy Project Clothes are the biggest part of the answer for me. I haven't yet found the answer for the "messy eater prone to spilling" part except for pre-treating things before they go into the laundry. I've tried a few products, no noticeable difference among them, grab whatever's cheap at the store and go.
posted by Stacey at 9:54 AM on June 6, 2023
posted by Stacey at 9:54 AM on June 6, 2023
Best answer: I am also a spill-prone ADHDer. As I see it, there are three domains to consider for improvements:
The third one is easier for me to prioritize. I try really hard to stop what I'm doing ASAP and deal with a stain before I forget (because I will, or I'll spend ongoing energy fretting about how I need to deal with a stain later -- so it's a kindness to myself to just remove it as a concern ASAP).
Some kinds of stains (like coffee) come out super easy if you rinse the stained part of the garment right away, and many need just a little squirt of detergent (laundry or just blue Dawn dish soap works great). But often these are more work if you leave it until later, and I don't have the time or attention span to put something through multiple rounds of treatment.
I've had success in the past with keeping a basic plastic tub in my laundry room, filling it with water and a bit of detergent, then leaving a stained garment soaking through one or more forget+remember cycles. Use the same detergent you use for normal laundry, but maybe like 1/4 of what you'd use for a load. Things left a day or two that are damp from a forgotten spot treatment can mildew, but (in my experience) things left fully submerged in detergent soup don't go funky super fast (this is not me telling anyone to abandon things for days/weeks at a time -- but, like, overnight and sometimes oops maybe I don't remember until I get home from work the next day). A proper soak will lift lots of stains without having to actively do anything. I may have reused the same detergent soup for a second garment without changing the water. This can be extremely low effort. Then just wring out the excess water and toss the shirt into the washing machine next time you run a load.
Also, your capsule wardrobe sounds like it's generally working well for you. If you're not already, consider trying to have duplicates (like, just buy 2 of the same hoodie) of things that are likely to spend a day in the dunk tank while a stain soaks out.
posted by katieinshoes at 9:57 AM on June 6, 2023 [4 favorites]
- Preparation before the task. Examples include: changing into different clothes before certain tasks, putting on an apron, organizing your schedule so you can have "nice-clothes days" and "dirty days."
- Behavior during the task. Examples include: reduce distractions/multitasking so you're less likely to spill, be deliberate about eating slower, find tools (splatter guards in kitchen, tarps to put down for certain outside tasks, etc.) that minimize known stain risks.
- Stain-removal strategies. Examples include: removing stained clothing as soon as the stain occurs and treating the stain before it sets and/or you forget, sequestering stained clothes when you undress so that you can treat all the stains in a batch before you add them to the laundry hamper, having a plastic tub + detergent somewhere that you can drop things in to presoak for a while.
The third one is easier for me to prioritize. I try really hard to stop what I'm doing ASAP and deal with a stain before I forget (because I will, or I'll spend ongoing energy fretting about how I need to deal with a stain later -- so it's a kindness to myself to just remove it as a concern ASAP).
Some kinds of stains (like coffee) come out super easy if you rinse the stained part of the garment right away, and many need just a little squirt of detergent (laundry or just blue Dawn dish soap works great). But often these are more work if you leave it until later, and I don't have the time or attention span to put something through multiple rounds of treatment.
I've had success in the past with keeping a basic plastic tub in my laundry room, filling it with water and a bit of detergent, then leaving a stained garment soaking through one or more forget+remember cycles. Use the same detergent you use for normal laundry, but maybe like 1/4 of what you'd use for a load. Things left a day or two that are damp from a forgotten spot treatment can mildew, but (in my experience) things left fully submerged in detergent soup don't go funky super fast (this is not me telling anyone to abandon things for days/weeks at a time -- but, like, overnight and sometimes oops maybe I don't remember until I get home from work the next day). A proper soak will lift lots of stains without having to actively do anything. I may have reused the same detergent soup for a second garment without changing the water. This can be extremely low effort. Then just wring out the excess water and toss the shirt into the washing machine next time you run a load.
Also, your capsule wardrobe sounds like it's generally working well for you. If you're not already, consider trying to have duplicates (like, just buy 2 of the same hoodie) of things that are likely to spend a day in the dunk tank while a stain soaks out.
posted by katieinshoes at 9:57 AM on June 6, 2023 [4 favorites]
Best answer: When you demote your 'out clothes' into 'home clothes', take a permanent marker and write a big x on the label (or similar; for my t-shirts, it's the printing on the inside of the back collar where they used to put labels). That helps reduce confusion substantially.
posted by Superilla at 10:27 AM on June 6, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by Superilla at 10:27 AM on June 6, 2023 [5 favorites]
Best answer: One tip about treating stains -- I am spill prone, so when I take my clothes off at night, I assume I have spilled on them. I keep a bottle of Spray and Wash Advanced next to my hamper. When I take a shirt off, I lightly spray the front of it all over then put it in the hamper. I don't even look at it to find stains -- i just spray it all over in the spots where I usually get stains. This has greatly reduced the number of stains that i see in the clothes after they come out of the dryer. You might do this, especially on your hoodies, since those are your outermost layer, and therefore most likely to get stained.
posted by OrangeDisk at 10:53 AM on June 6, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by OrangeDisk at 10:53 AM on June 6, 2023 [3 favorites]
Best answer: My stain problems decreased when I switched to Tide instead of whatever cheap powder or liquid detergent I used to use.
posted by soelo at 12:19 PM on June 6, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by soelo at 12:19 PM on June 6, 2023 [3 favorites]
Best answer: I do most of the frequently-recommended above:
I have "home clothes" versus "leaving the house" clothes, and I only wear the latter for their assigned task and they come right back off when I get home. I have a bottle of OxiClean Stain Spray hanging on my hamper if there have been mishaps and I spray any stains immediately upon disrobing, but if I didn't wear them long and didn't spill I hang them back up. That's all you need to do, you don't have to soak them in anything or do a big production, just spray the stains with stain spray and try to get them into the wash within a few days. (Every once in a while this might react with some specific fabric and take some of the color out of it, but I've only rarely suffered from stain-treating days in advance. In any case, you already had a problem with that item, so just downgrade them to house clothes or chore clothes if it happens, and don't buy that kind of fabric again.)
I keep big flour sack towels by my eating places and drape myself with them when eating at home. I re-use one until it's taken several serious hits and then they go through the wash with the bath and kitchen towels. A number of people I know just have older "house hoodies" they zip all the way up before they eat.
I personally do have some especially grubby clothes held aside to change into for doing things that are paint-y, greasy, especially sharp, or otherwise a high risk to clothes. Aprons will work a lot of the time though, and my trick for that is to have task-specific aprons - one in the garage with safety glasses and basic tools tucked in the front pocket, one out back with my little garden tools.
Laundry procedure:
Take a minute to sort through and pull out the clothes you think are especially stained even after washing, and use a stain spray on the stains. Everyone's got one they like - I like OxiClean and have also used Kaboom!, but pick a brand name, they're all basically the same. Obtain some OxiClean stain remover powder while you're picking up stain spray. If you have stains that have washed and dried several times, make sure you get the stain good and damp and also turn the fabric inside out and spray it from the back too.
Let your sprayed laundry sit, even a couple days. When you do your laundry next, add one scoop of the Oxiclean powder (the scoop is buried inside the powder) to the bottom of the empty wash drum before the clothes go in. If your washer does not have a detergent dispenser put the powder on the left of the drum and any liquid detergents on the right so they don't immediately mix into a paste that can be harder to dissolve than expected.
Make sure you are using the recommended amount of decent detergent, and - I think this is probably the biggest deal for effective cleaning including stain removal - the washer is not overloaded. Your washer's capacity limit is not "so full the lid won't shut", it's a bunch less than that, and if you're working on an especially stained clothes you shouldn't go beyond visually half the drum max for a top-loader and as far as I can tell the optimum amount of clothing in a front-loader is like one outfit but maybe use Tide's guide instead and don't go past medium. (Decent detergent, for me as well as some posters above, is brand name liquid. I just came off 6 months using laundry strips and they're not doing the job, especially in front-loaders, and honestly I experienced actual glee after using some All again.)
Also use a washing machine cleaner once a quarter, which is easy to put on a calendar and also just remember to do before the first load of the month in Jan, Apr, July, November.
Modern detergents all work fine in cold water, but if you have any sort of nuanced temp setting I like to use whatever is between cold and warm and will occasionally use actual "warm" if I know I've got a lot of greasy stains I'm hoping to break up. But the warmer the water the harder the wash process is on most clothing, so I keep it as cold as I can.
If you wear actual white clothing...just stop, it's a nightmare and not worth it. Otherwise you can wash all your clothes together regardless of color. HOWEVER if you are having a low-wash-quality problem, and it sounds like you are, it can be helpful to be pickier about what washes together by size and texture so that everybody gets a fair shot at the wash process. I feel like jeans, chinos, and heavy knits like hoodies tend to wrap around/weigh down shirts and lighter pants so they don't get a free float in the solutions. If it's your shirts that are most stained, I would wash them only with undergarments, pajamas, kids' clothes but not jeans, and do separate hoodie loads and heavy pants loads.
Make note of what doesn't give up its stains well and don't buy that anymore. You start to get a feel - literally a touch-feel - for stuff that washes really well and what doesn't, if you stop to notice.
Don't wash towels and sheets with clothing, for the above issue and also so the towels in particular don't create wear/pilling on your perfectly good garments. Sheets with sheets and pillowcases, blankets alone for a large one or pairs for smaller, towels with towels (kitchen, bathroom, your bibs, gym towels, washcloths used for personal care and cleaning etc).
Bottom line is that you shouldn't be having THIS much problem with stains unless you're eating turmeric-flavored motor oil and beets while dressed in white like an angel. Your wash doesn't seem to be washing very well, and I'll guess it's either an overfilling/bad-mixing problem OR you're trying to use some really hippie detergent, along with not using easy modern stain treatment.
Do visually inspect the especially stained stuff between washer and dryer and try not to dry any really obvious remaining stains.
My final tip is to do Future You a favor, since you're now interjecting a pause in your disrobing process anyway to stain-treat it, and turn everything right side out before you release it into the hamper. And the only place your clothes are going to go from here on out, when they leave your body, is either in the hamper or back where they live. This is how you bend your ADHD chaos to your will: tie these steps into existing habits like taking your clothes off. Not leaving clothes in non-hamper places means they don't get damaged or additional stains or Unseen for weeks on end.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:49 PM on June 6, 2023 [5 favorites]
I have "home clothes" versus "leaving the house" clothes, and I only wear the latter for their assigned task and they come right back off when I get home. I have a bottle of OxiClean Stain Spray hanging on my hamper if there have been mishaps and I spray any stains immediately upon disrobing, but if I didn't wear them long and didn't spill I hang them back up. That's all you need to do, you don't have to soak them in anything or do a big production, just spray the stains with stain spray and try to get them into the wash within a few days. (Every once in a while this might react with some specific fabric and take some of the color out of it, but I've only rarely suffered from stain-treating days in advance. In any case, you already had a problem with that item, so just downgrade them to house clothes or chore clothes if it happens, and don't buy that kind of fabric again.)
I keep big flour sack towels by my eating places and drape myself with them when eating at home. I re-use one until it's taken several serious hits and then they go through the wash with the bath and kitchen towels. A number of people I know just have older "house hoodies" they zip all the way up before they eat.
I personally do have some especially grubby clothes held aside to change into for doing things that are paint-y, greasy, especially sharp, or otherwise a high risk to clothes. Aprons will work a lot of the time though, and my trick for that is to have task-specific aprons - one in the garage with safety glasses and basic tools tucked in the front pocket, one out back with my little garden tools.
Laundry procedure:
Take a minute to sort through and pull out the clothes you think are especially stained even after washing, and use a stain spray on the stains. Everyone's got one they like - I like OxiClean and have also used Kaboom!, but pick a brand name, they're all basically the same. Obtain some OxiClean stain remover powder while you're picking up stain spray. If you have stains that have washed and dried several times, make sure you get the stain good and damp and also turn the fabric inside out and spray it from the back too.
Let your sprayed laundry sit, even a couple days. When you do your laundry next, add one scoop of the Oxiclean powder (the scoop is buried inside the powder) to the bottom of the empty wash drum before the clothes go in. If your washer does not have a detergent dispenser put the powder on the left of the drum and any liquid detergents on the right so they don't immediately mix into a paste that can be harder to dissolve than expected.
Make sure you are using the recommended amount of decent detergent, and - I think this is probably the biggest deal for effective cleaning including stain removal - the washer is not overloaded. Your washer's capacity limit is not "so full the lid won't shut", it's a bunch less than that, and if you're working on an especially stained clothes you shouldn't go beyond visually half the drum max for a top-loader and as far as I can tell the optimum amount of clothing in a front-loader is like one outfit but maybe use Tide's guide instead and don't go past medium. (Decent detergent, for me as well as some posters above, is brand name liquid. I just came off 6 months using laundry strips and they're not doing the job, especially in front-loaders, and honestly I experienced actual glee after using some All again.)
Also use a washing machine cleaner once a quarter, which is easy to put on a calendar and also just remember to do before the first load of the month in Jan, Apr, July, November.
Modern detergents all work fine in cold water, but if you have any sort of nuanced temp setting I like to use whatever is between cold and warm and will occasionally use actual "warm" if I know I've got a lot of greasy stains I'm hoping to break up. But the warmer the water the harder the wash process is on most clothing, so I keep it as cold as I can.
If you wear actual white clothing...just stop, it's a nightmare and not worth it. Otherwise you can wash all your clothes together regardless of color. HOWEVER if you are having a low-wash-quality problem, and it sounds like you are, it can be helpful to be pickier about what washes together by size and texture so that everybody gets a fair shot at the wash process. I feel like jeans, chinos, and heavy knits like hoodies tend to wrap around/weigh down shirts and lighter pants so they don't get a free float in the solutions. If it's your shirts that are most stained, I would wash them only with undergarments, pajamas, kids' clothes but not jeans, and do separate hoodie loads and heavy pants loads.
Make note of what doesn't give up its stains well and don't buy that anymore. You start to get a feel - literally a touch-feel - for stuff that washes really well and what doesn't, if you stop to notice.
Don't wash towels and sheets with clothing, for the above issue and also so the towels in particular don't create wear/pilling on your perfectly good garments. Sheets with sheets and pillowcases, blankets alone for a large one or pairs for smaller, towels with towels (kitchen, bathroom, your bibs, gym towels, washcloths used for personal care and cleaning etc).
Bottom line is that you shouldn't be having THIS much problem with stains unless you're eating turmeric-flavored motor oil and beets while dressed in white like an angel. Your wash doesn't seem to be washing very well, and I'll guess it's either an overfilling/bad-mixing problem OR you're trying to use some really hippie detergent, along with not using easy modern stain treatment.
Do visually inspect the especially stained stuff between washer and dryer and try not to dry any really obvious remaining stains.
My final tip is to do Future You a favor, since you're now interjecting a pause in your disrobing process anyway to stain-treat it, and turn everything right side out before you release it into the hamper. And the only place your clothes are going to go from here on out, when they leave your body, is either in the hamper or back where they live. This is how you bend your ADHD chaos to your will: tie these steps into existing habits like taking your clothes off. Not leaving clothes in non-hamper places means they don't get damaged or additional stains or Unseen for weeks on end.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:49 PM on June 6, 2023 [5 favorites]
Best answer: I am a laundry nerd and will not overwhelm you with my arcane laundry shenanigans. You've gotten excellent advice upthread, namely spraying your items with a spot remover when they go into the hamper. If you want to give a shot at rescuing your already stained items as a one-time project, I recommend pulling the previously-stained items all together, giving them a spray of whatever stain remover you like on the stains, letting them sit overnight and then filling up a large bucket (or your washing machine, if it will hold water without discharging it) with hot water and 2-3 scoops of powdered Oxyclean, stirring it to dissolve the powder and then soaking your stained items overnight in the bucket before pouring the whole bucket into the washing machine and washing with detergent as usual.
posted by sarajane at 1:09 PM on June 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by sarajane at 1:09 PM on June 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Thank you all - I got a lot of insight from your answers. I think what I have realized has changed is - working primarily from home starting with the pandemic, my “out” clothes and “home” clothes kind of became the same thing and now that I’m out and about more - I’m more impacted by this merge. They need to split again - even if they are both usually a hoodie on top!
So I sorted my clothes into three groups this afternoon - out, in, and messy. It turns out I’ve got enough for each group and I am now focusing on stain removal for the out clothes - even using what I had on hand (Sunlight dish soap) some of the spots I was noticing are gone! And I’ll be more mindful of changing when I’m switching contexts to keep them that way.
I also had a lightbulb go off - washing hands between context will be useful in avoiding rubbed dirt getting on my cuffs, and gives me a chance to scan for any stains to hit. I do it sometimes but not always and will be more mindful to do this.
I’ve also put my apron in a more obvious location and some handkerchiefs on my desk. I’ll also look to try some of the products listed.
posted by openhearted at 2:19 PM on June 6, 2023 [4 favorites]
So I sorted my clothes into three groups this afternoon - out, in, and messy. It turns out I’ve got enough for each group and I am now focusing on stain removal for the out clothes - even using what I had on hand (Sunlight dish soap) some of the spots I was noticing are gone! And I’ll be more mindful of changing when I’m switching contexts to keep them that way.
I also had a lightbulb go off - washing hands between context will be useful in avoiding rubbed dirt getting on my cuffs, and gives me a chance to scan for any stains to hit. I do it sometimes but not always and will be more mindful to do this.
I’ve also put my apron in a more obvious location and some handkerchiefs on my desk. I’ll also look to try some of the products listed.
posted by openhearted at 2:19 PM on June 6, 2023 [4 favorites]
Best answer: An ancillary suggestion might be to launder your pants/shorts more frequently. Laundering sooner will remove stains more thoroughly. Letting stains set makes it much more unlikely the stain will come out - hence the unlikelihood that old stains that have been through wash and dry cycles will lift.
For true grease stains from cooking or sloppy eating (salad dressing on my lap) I bite the bullet and dry clean the item, even if it's cotton or something totally otherwise washable. It seems to be the only strategy that can really remove grease. I don't know if I'd go that far for a hoodie, but for nice pants I would.
For protein stains like blood from meat (or cutting yourself), if you "spill" hydrogen peroxide generously on the stain immediately, it will bubble up the stain and it will come out completely. Works much less well on dry stains but does seem to improve them. This will not work if the item was previously laundered - it's the fresh protein that the peroxide works on.
posted by citygirl at 2:52 PM on June 6, 2023 [3 favorites]
For true grease stains from cooking or sloppy eating (salad dressing on my lap) I bite the bullet and dry clean the item, even if it's cotton or something totally otherwise washable. It seems to be the only strategy that can really remove grease. I don't know if I'd go that far for a hoodie, but for nice pants I would.
For protein stains like blood from meat (or cutting yourself), if you "spill" hydrogen peroxide generously on the stain immediately, it will bubble up the stain and it will come out completely. Works much less well on dry stains but does seem to improve them. This will not work if the item was previously laundered - it's the fresh protein that the peroxide works on.
posted by citygirl at 2:52 PM on June 6, 2023 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Someone here turned me on to the magic of Amodex, which has saved many a piece of clothing.
posted by MonkeyToes at 3:25 PM on June 6, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by MonkeyToes at 3:25 PM on June 6, 2023 [3 favorites]
Best answer: If you can further group your "at home" clothes as a signature-color capsule, that association will make it easier to learn the new habit.
Have more than one apron (you could color code these, too, by task), and pick easy-care aprons with pockets. One pocket holds hand wipes for when you're in the middle of a project and far from the sink. In another pocket, sleeve garters to don for messy work. (Example of nicer garters for restaurant dining.) Keep Tide wipes in a pocket for pre-treating splash spots.
New clothing purchases could have some stain resistance built in -- look at lines aimed at travelers.
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:14 PM on June 6, 2023
Have more than one apron (you could color code these, too, by task), and pick easy-care aprons with pockets. One pocket holds hand wipes for when you're in the middle of a project and far from the sink. In another pocket, sleeve garters to don for messy work. (Example of nicer garters for restaurant dining.) Keep Tide wipes in a pocket for pre-treating splash spots.
New clothing purchases could have some stain resistance built in -- look at lines aimed at travelers.
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:14 PM on June 6, 2023
I learned you don't have to treat grease stains right away. I seem to enjoy myself the very most when I eat like the Tasmanian devil character in the Warner Bros cartoons, but it does mean that I'm constantly getting grease on stuff. I will leave olive oil and butter and bacon grease sitting around on my clothes for weeks 'til I get around to doing the laundry--as long as I don't forget to check my shirtfronts and get after the spots with Dawn, it doesn't seem to matter. I put the Dawn on straight and unsparingly and leave the treated items sitting near the washer while I check pockets, turn stuff inside out, sort, whatever. I put the treated items in last and as far away from the water as possible--we have an ancient toploader.
The only other laundry-related thing I know is: hydrogen peroxide gets blood out. In this case you do need to treat ASAP because as blood dries, the stain sets. Again pour the hydrogen peroxide on straight from the bottle. It'll foam up. Let it soak a while, then rinse. Re-treat 'til the stain is unnoticeable. Launder in cold water. Check before you put it in the dryer. If you can still see the spot, just keep dumping hydrogen peroxide on it.
For not getting grease on stuff in the first place I finally faced reality. I cannot be trusted to eat like an adult human being, so now when I go flob out on the couch to stare at something streaming while shoveling food into my face with both hands and feet, I take a kitchen towel with me and put it over me like a bib. Honestly, a double folded bath sheet would be even better, but I'm not there yet psychologically.
posted by Don Pepino at 5:40 PM on June 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
The only other laundry-related thing I know is: hydrogen peroxide gets blood out. In this case you do need to treat ASAP because as blood dries, the stain sets. Again pour the hydrogen peroxide on straight from the bottle. It'll foam up. Let it soak a while, then rinse. Re-treat 'til the stain is unnoticeable. Launder in cold water. Check before you put it in the dryer. If you can still see the spot, just keep dumping hydrogen peroxide on it.
For not getting grease on stuff in the first place I finally faced reality. I cannot be trusted to eat like an adult human being, so now when I go flob out on the couch to stare at something streaming while shoveling food into my face with both hands and feet, I take a kitchen towel with me and put it over me like a bib. Honestly, a double folded bath sheet would be even better, but I'm not there yet psychologically.
posted by Don Pepino at 5:40 PM on June 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
Also putting stained clothes in the dryer can help "set" the stains, which you don't want. Therefore, consider air drying clothes when you can.
posted by oceano at 8:00 PM on June 6, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by oceano at 8:00 PM on June 6, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Don Pepino beat me to the hydrogen peroxide. It's a miracle worker. Testing it on darks or colors is a good idea, but I've never had it leave a fade mark. As long as you catch the stain before it goes into the dryer and sets up, you have a good chance of cleaning it. My best sheets had dried blood from a leg cut that opened due to calf cramps. I treated it with HP, and it was better, but still not gone. Added more HP and hung it out in the sun. Two more applications and gone. Saved the best sheets.
Sunlight is a pretty potent whitening agent, too.
posted by BlueHorse at 9:18 PM on June 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
Sunlight is a pretty potent whitening agent, too.
posted by BlueHorse at 9:18 PM on June 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
If you spill food or drink on your clothes, wet the area with water and rub in some soap (just regular bar soap). This can sit around until laundry day. Some other kinds of stain removers should only be applied right before washing.
If possible, switch to a more conventional detergent and/or increase the temperature you wash with. The water should be at least 40 degrees Celsius.
Wear an apron/bib while cooking or eating messy foods.
posted by kinddieserzeit at 5:50 AM on June 7, 2023
If possible, switch to a more conventional detergent and/or increase the temperature you wash with. The water should be at least 40 degrees Celsius.
Wear an apron/bib while cooking or eating messy foods.
posted by kinddieserzeit at 5:50 AM on June 7, 2023
I'm a laundry nerd like sarajane, and here's the most important thing I know. Try to get your hands on a bunch of sodium percarbonate. It's essentially OxiClean, but cheaper because it's a commodity/non-proprietary, and you're not paying for the marketing.
You can use it on anything except wool and silk. It's best in hot water, but works fine in cold. You just dump it into the washing machine. It lifts stains and brightens. If you have really difficult stains, soak the stained fabric in water and sodium percarbonate overnight, and it will almost certainly be gone by morning. It gets out grass, iron, blood, hair dye, ink, fruit juice -- everything. It also removes most odour. And it makes detergent more effective, which means you can use less detergent. Unlike bleach it doesn't weaken fabric, and it doesn't fade colour or yellow whites.
It's really all you need: I no longer bother with borax, washing soda, Resolve, or Tide pens. (Although they are all also good, if you prefer them.)
I like it because it works for practically every use case, which means I don't need to think/evaluate. I use it in practically every wash.
posted by Susan PG at 6:58 AM on June 8, 2023 [3 favorites]
You can use it on anything except wool and silk. It's best in hot water, but works fine in cold. You just dump it into the washing machine. It lifts stains and brightens. If you have really difficult stains, soak the stained fabric in water and sodium percarbonate overnight, and it will almost certainly be gone by morning. It gets out grass, iron, blood, hair dye, ink, fruit juice -- everything. It also removes most odour. And it makes detergent more effective, which means you can use less detergent. Unlike bleach it doesn't weaken fabric, and it doesn't fade colour or yellow whites.
It's really all you need: I no longer bother with borax, washing soda, Resolve, or Tide pens. (Although they are all also good, if you prefer them.)
I like it because it works for practically every use case, which means I don't need to think/evaluate. I use it in practically every wash.
posted by Susan PG at 6:58 AM on June 8, 2023 [3 favorites]
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Change into your 'out clothes' when you leave the house, and demote your out clothes to 'home clothes' when they are too dirty for public presentation. And you can wear your 'home clothes' basically everyday (unless you are sitting around sweating) , so it cuts down on laundering.
As for food stains, buy your home clothes in navy, black, and dark grey because you can't really see to many stains in those, and things like armpit stains stand out less. You can be more colorful in your 'out clothes'. And in your 'out clothes', you are in public, so eat and drink in a presentable manner, no running or crawling on the ground, stomping through the mud, etc.
posted by The_Vegetables at 8:16 AM on June 6, 2023 [25 favorites]