posted on October 7, 2000 06:09:01 PM new
I have a dilema I bought a beautiful Christmas Tablecloth that has felt Santa's, Christmas Trees...you get the picture. They are all around the edges of the tablecloth. They are Red and Green in color and have sequins. I am afraid to wash this because of fading of the felt? There are stains on the center part. They aren't that bad just dark places...any one have any advice as to how to get these stains out? I have a few other pieces of linens I need to find a good stain remover recipe.
posted on October 7, 2000 06:32:02 PM new
Can you soak just the center? I don't think that I would soak the felt part. I buy lots of stained tablecloths and linens, I soak them in 1 cup laundry detergent, 1 cup biz (or clorox 2), and water in a big tub. I sometimes soak things for a week or 2 depending on how many stains. This takes out most stains. If you have a tablecloth that is particularly stained, you can add some automatic dishwashing detergent to the above mix, but don't soak as long.
posted on October 7, 2000 06:41:43 PM new
you could try soaking just the center section like use a big bowl or bucket leaveing the edges well out of the water.
depending on what the stain is Iodized salt in water is good for soaking stains half a box of Iodize salt disolved in gallon or so of water this works good for blood grass and other protein type stains.keep in mind soaking will lift and loosen a stain but it wont alone remove a stain.
in any case avoid useing any soap type product directly on any stain as soap tends to draw dirt to the area where it is used and darken rather then remove the stain.
I am no expert at this but I work in a industrial laundry for about 3 years and this is the method we use there for the surgry covers and surgens scrubs and what not Also this will no work on ink or die stains as iodized salt is what they use to make dies in fabric color fast.
but salt will make stians from blood grass ketsup and some other types of food stain crystalize and when washed or scrubed gradulate and drop off or out of fabics it many not totally remove it buy will go a long way to getting it out with out bleaches.
posted on October 7, 2000 08:11:43 PM new
It's a good chance all your soaking is going to do is make the felt colors bleed all over the place. You can do a bleed test by dampening a piece of white paper towel, laying it on the felt (ONLY); then put a piece of waxed paper or saran wrap over it and weight the area with a book. Check it in an hour to see if any color's transferred to the towel. If it has, you're SOL; take it to the dry cleaners and see what they have to say. Craft felt is NOT made to be washed. Are the appliques/sequins glued on, by any chance? You might consider removing them, washing the tablecloth and reattaching the appliques afterward.
For actually washable fabrics, get yourself a box of Biz, which is basically oxalic acid (you can also use Barkeeper's Friend), and use it according to directions as a soak. I don't know about dman's salt suggestion, particularly as salt is used as the "fixative" for many dyes.
posted on October 8, 2000 10:02:37 AM new
If the center is felt, and the stains might be candle wax (quite possible, given that it's a holiday tablecloth), try heat and blotting to remove them. Use rags or old towels to lay under and over the stained area, and a steam iron to gently heat the stain. See if it "lifts" onto the towels. You can do this several times if it seems to be helping.
Also, volatile cleaners like Energine are great on grease stains, lipstick, etc. They don't do much for wine or regular food stains, though. At least you don't have to worry about the felt running if you use something like this.
posted on October 8, 2000 10:34:04 AM new
HartCottageQuilts:
you Are right they do use Iodized salt to make dies color fast.
but salt is good as I pointed out for protein stains like blood, grass stain and stuff also salt is good for oil and grease from food the salt crystalizes on the protein strains then most can be rubed or washed right out beats soaking an item you cant wash in soap.
Not only did I work for an industrial laundry for 3 years but my family own a resturunt and ran serveral others over the years.
some cooks will know if you want to bring gease to the top of the soup pot you add salt it will raise the oil grease to the top and you can scoop off the access gease from the soup or gravy what ever your makeing with out haveing to wait for it to cool to do this.
for every one who trys this and finds they added to much salt to reverse this to remove salt peel a white potato and put it in your cooking pot with gravy or brooth and it will absorb much of the salt then just remove the potato(s) and save it for homefrys in the morning or toss it out.
if the stian is wax another trick is to use ice this works for gum too if you cant use the wet ice put the item in the freeze a few hours your wax or gum should crumble right off .
