Introduction

Clothing is a major expense for many teenagers and their families. It generally ranks fourth in family budget allocations, following shelter, food and transportation. In addition to its impact on family financial resources, clothing is significant to teenagers as an expression of their personalities and individuality. During adolescence, many young people begin to assume responsibility for their clothing needs, through the selection of some garments and by carrying out minor care and repair procedures. As teens progress to adulthood, they gradually assume greater responsibility over wardrobe planning, selection, purchasing and care. Ultimately, as independent adults, the selection, care and repair of a variety of household textile items, as well as clothing, will be their responsibility.

This Module aims to know what are the responsibilities in making our clothes clean and neat. Giving us the knowledge and information in removing different stains, different tips on how to remove them, and other aspects in stain removal.

Objectives:1. To understand how to remove stains in proper way.

2. To become aware of different stains, different washing products, and different techniques and methods on how to remove stains.

3. To apply Knowledge and skills useful in stain removal.

Pre -Test I. Multiple Choice: Choose the letter of the of the correct answer.

1. It is an unwanted mark of discoloration on a fabric caused due to contact with another substance. a. Detergent b. Gheec. Stain d. Wax2. Most of the stains can be identified by their ?a. Size, Shape, Appearance. b. Texture, Size, Color.c. Shape, Color, Texture. d. Color, Smell, Feel.3. Tea, Coffee and Fruit are belonging to what category of stains?a. Vegetable Stains b. Grease Stains c. Animal Stains d. Mineral Stains4. It is the method in which the entire fabric can be immersed in the stain removing agent.a. Dyeing b. Washingc. Dipping d. Squeezing5. It is more effective than oxygen bleach but might damage some fibers, dyes, and finishes. a. Detergent b. Finishing Agentsc. Mildew d. Chlorine Bleach

II. Matching Type: Match the Column A and the Column B.

A B

1. Vegetable Stains a. Butter, ghee, oil, curry, shoe polish, tar, oil paints

2. Animal Stainsb. Dye, ink, mildew, grass, perspiration

3. Grease Stainsc. Blood, milk, egg

4. Mineral Stainsd. Tea, coffee, fruit

5. Miscellaneous Stainse. Rust

III. Situational(5 points)1. Shyna wore a very beautiful white silk suit for an interview. She was

very cautious about protecting it all through. After the interview she came home and changed her clothes. While she was folding her suit she noticed a big curry stain on it. She was very tired hence she did not do anything about it. Next morning she dusted talcum powder on the stain and left it for a little while. Then, she soaked the suit in a strong hot detergent solution for an hour. She hung the suit on the line until it dried. The stain was still there though a little less prominent. She treated the stained portion with hydrogen peroxide. The stain had disappeared. She rinsed the suit many times to remove all traces of the chemical and then dried it in shade.

List each step that Shyna followed to handle the stain and comment if it was correct or incorrect. Give reason for your answer.

S.No. Steps Correct Wrong Reason

1

2

3

CHECK STAINS AND REMOVE THEM

Fig. 1. Some common stains

1. Ink, lipstick, nail polish, grease, paint tea and coffee, are some marks that may spoil our clothes at one time or the other. A stain is an unwanted mark of discoloration on a fabric caused due to contact with another substance. A stain is a discoloration that can be clearly distinguished from the surface, material, or medium it is found upon. They are caused by the chemical or physical interaction of two dissimilar materials. Staining is used for biochemical research, metal staining, and art (e.g., wood staining, stained glass). Generally, a stain requires special treatment for removal. If you have ever accidentally spilled tea on your clothes and washed it off immediately you must have realized that the stain gets removed quickly. Old stains take long and also a lot of effort to remove, often with poor results. Hence, the best way to get rid of stains is to remove them as soon as possible. Do not allow these to penetrate deep into the fabric or get dry and set.

Tips for Successful Stain Removal•All detergents are not alike; some are more effective than othersin removing soil and stains. Some detergents are especiallyeffective against a broad range of stains. If you regularly washheavily soiled clothes, you’ll probably notice a difference ifyou use the most effective products available.•Most spots and stains can simply be washed out if youidentify and pre-treat spots before washing. For washables,this is the easiest way to deal with all but problem stains. Noproduct can completely remove all stains, but some deter-gents remove most stains.•Take washable items to the dry cleaner if the stain covers alarge area, if the item is bulky, or if the fabric is fragile.•

Treat stains as soon as possible because fresh stains are moreeasily removed. Use a pretreat stick if you can’t remove thestain immediately.

•Blot (do not rub) liquid stains immediately with an absor-bent material and gently scrape excess staining materialfrom the fabric surface.•Test stain remover on an inconspicuous part of the garmentto check for color change or fabric damage. Do not use ifcolor change or damage occurs.•When spotting with dry-cleaning solvent, place stained areaface down on white absorbent toweling and work from thewrong side of the garment. Push the stain out, not in. Toavoid rings, work from the center out using irregular strokesaround the edges.•Avoid using hot water on unidentifiable stains.•Avoid excessive rubbing as it may break the fiber, damagethe finish, remove the color, or spread the stain. Rubbingalso can cause yarn slippage on loosely woven fabrics orfabrics made from low-twist yarns.•Allow dry-cleaning solvents to evaporate from the fabricbefore you wash it or put it in a dryer. Thoroughly rinse outstain remover before laundering to avoid undesirable chemi-cal reactions. Carefully follow product instructions

Remember stains must be removed before washing as some of them may become permanent when exposed to chemicals in soaps or detergents, hot water and ironing.

Different types of stains require specific stain removing techniques and agents, depending on the type of fabric. Use of incorrect stain removing agent can spoil the fabric or its color. Hence always try to identify the stain and select appropriate techniques and stain removing agent.

Most of the stains can be identified by their color, smell and feel. Let’s find out more about them.

a) Colour: Every stain has a specific colour. For example, the colour of curry/pickle stain is yellow, a coffee/tea stain is brown, a grass stain is green and so on. Try and collect some more stains with colours.

b) Smell: Most stains have a peculiar smell. Recall the smell of egg or paint or shoe polish. The stain on a fabric will have the same smell.

c) Feel: Stains can also change the feel of the fabric and can thus be recognized on this basis. Have you ever observed that paint or sugar make the fabric hard and stiff to touch, whereas lipstick or shoe-polish make the fabric feel slippery.

Washing Products• Light duty, pH-neutral: Orvus, Synthrapol. Available atfabric stores that cater to quilters and by mail order.• Hand dishwashing liquid: Dawn, Dove, Ivory, Lux,Palmolive.• All-purpose, laundry: Tide, Bold, Cheer, All, Era.• Soap (use in soft water only): Fels Naphtha.Bleach• Hydrogen peroxide: Clorox 2, Vivid. Use laundry productor a 3 percent solution of hydrogen peroxide sold as a mildantiseptic. Do not use the stronger solution sold for bleachinghair. Hydrogen peroxide is safe for all fibers, but test forcolorfastness on dyed fabrics. Thorough rinsing is neededto remove bleach from fabrics.• All-fabric (oxygen or sodium perborate): Biz, Snowy. Checkfor colorfastness before using by following product directionsfor testing. Apply the test to a hidden area of the garment. Ifthere is a color change, do not use the all-fabric bleach.• Chlorine, liquid (sodium hypochlorite): Clorox, Purex.Chlorine bleach is more effective than oxygen bleach butmight damage some fibers, dyes, and finishes. Check garmentcare label. Check for colorfastness before using byfollowing product directions for testing. Apply the test to ahidden area of the garment. If the color changes, do not usechlorine bleach. Refer to all-fabric bleach procedures. Note:Chlorine bleach can react with rust in hard water and turnclothes pink. If the water turns red or brown, it containsexcessive iron and you should use only oxygen bleaches.CAUTION: Read precautionary statement on label.

Classification of stains

Stains can be grouped on the basis of their origin, e.g., tea and coffee and many oils, vanaspati and ghee come from vegetable source. While removing these stains you can use more or less the same removing agents and method. Let us classify all stains on the basis of their origin.

Category of stain Stains

1. Vegetable stains Tea, coffee, fruit

2. Grease stains Butter, ghee, oil, curry, shoe polish, tar, oil paints

3. Animal stains Blood, milk, egg

4. Mineral stains Rust

5. Miscellaneous stains Dye, ink, mildew, grass, perspiration

Stains Needing Special Treatment Methods• Adhesive tape, chewing gum: Apply ice to harden surface;scrape off excess. Saturate with pretreatment aerosol productor cleaning fluid. Rinse; then launder.

• Diesel fuel odor/stain: Dry cleaning will remove and is thebest choice. To launder, pretreat items with a prewashproduct that contains petroleum solvent, such as Shout.

• Deodorants, antiperspirants: Light stain—pretreat withliquid laundry detergent; launder. Heavy stain—pre-treatwith prewash stain remover. Allow to stand for five to 10minutes. Launder using an oxygen bleach. Build-up ofaluminum or zinc salts may be impossible to remove.

• Fingernail polish: Do not use nail polish remover (oracetone) on acetate, triacetate, or modacrylic fabrics asthese fibers are adversely affected by acetone. Acetatefabric will dissolve. Take these fabrics to professional drycleaners and point out the stain. For other fabrics, use non-oilynail polish remover and the spot treatment method.

• Ink: Some inks in each of the following categories—ballpoint, felt tip, liquid—may be impossible to remove.Laundering might set some types of ink. Pre-treat using oneof the following methods:—Pre-treat using prewash stain remover; then launder, or—Use denatured alcohol or cleaning fluid. Sponge thearea around the stain with the alcohol or cleaning fluidbefore applying it directly on the stain. Spot treat fromthe wrong side of the fabric, applying alcohol orcleaning fluid to the back of the stain. Replace papertowels frequently. Rinse thoroughly and launder.• Kerosene odor/stain: See diesel fuel.

• Lead pencil: Use art gum eraser to lift off excess; avoid hardrubbing. Spray with pretreatment aerosol product; launder.

Mildew: Shake or brush item outdoors. Pretreat darkeststains with heavy-duty liquid detergent. Launder in hot waterwith a heavy-duty detergent and chlorine bleach (if safe forfabric). Or, soak in oxygen bleach and hot water; then launder.

• Odor: Most odors are removed by one or more launderings.Use a detergent formulated to remove odors, a liquiddetergent, or a powdered detergent and liquid chlorinebleach (if safe for fabric). See smoke/soot. For persistentodor problems, place activated charcoal or baking soda inan open container and store with clothes in closet.

• Paint—water-based: Rinse fabric in warm water whilestains are still wet; launder. Once paint has dried, it cannotbe removed.

• Paint—oil-based and varnish: Use thinner recommendedon the label. If label is not available, use turpentine. Rinse.Pretreat with prewash stain remover, bar soap, or laundrydetergent; launder.

• Perspiration: Use a prewash stain remover, or rub with barsoap. If perspiration has changed the color of the fabric,apply ammonia to fresh stains or white vinegar to old stains;rinse. Launder, using hottest water safe for fabric. Stubbornstains might respond to washing in an enzyme-containingproduct or oxygen bleach in hottest water safe for fabric.

• Rust: Rust stains cannot be removed in normal laundering.Use of chlorine bleach makes them permanent. Use a rustremover recommended for fabrics; launder.

• Smoke/soot: Use a liquid laundry detergent, if possible.Otherwise, use a powdered laundry detergent and liquidchlorine bleach (if safe for fabric). Use normal cycle withwarm wash and warm rinse. Keep the load small so fabricshave room to move easily in the water. Do not use a fabricsoftener until all odor has been removed as it will “mask” theodor. Repeat the washing three to five times until all smokeodor is gone. Avoid drying the fabric between launderings ifpossible. If fabric must be dried, use no heat in the drier

9.3.2 Techniques of stain removal

There are two methods of stain removal: (i) Sponging and (ii) Dipping. Let us learn how stains are removed by using these methods.

Sponging

Place an absorbent paperor fabric under the stain so that the right side of the stain faces the absorbing surface. Sponging should always be done on the wrong side of the stain.

Take a soft cloth, dip it

in the stain-remover and gently rub the stain starting from its outer corner moving inwards, towards the centre.

Use light, circular strokes as these prevent the stain from spreading.

The absorbent paper or fabric (commonly known as blotter) must be changed as soon as it starts showing the stain.

Dipping

Dipping is the method in which the entire fabric can be immersed in the stain removing agent. It is suitable if there are many stains or a large stain on the fabric. We can choose the stain removing re-agent depending upon the type of stain.

Fig. 9.7 Dipping

Some of the common reagents used for stain removal are borax powder, ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, oxalic acid and ready to use bleaches.

Type of stains and method of removal

1. Vegetable stains Tea, coffee, fruit, etc.

Consideration for Use alkaline reagents such as borax powder toremoval remove stains as these are acidic in nature.

Stains White Cottons Colored Cotton

FRESH

tea/coffee, chocolate, Pour boiling water on the Soak in warm waterFruit stain and borax (2

cups of water + ½OLD teaspoon of borax)Dip the stained portion in Same as for whiteglycerin. Or spread borax cottonspowder over stain and pourboiling water while holdingthe stained portion on theMouth of a mug or pan.

henna (MENHDI) FRESH

dip in warm milk for half same as for whitean hour cotton

OLD

repeat the above two or same as for whitethree times cotton

2. Animal stains

blood, milk, egg, etc.

Consideration for Avoid heat as these stains contain protein which getsremoval Fixed on heat treatment.

Stains white cottons colored cotton

blood, egg, meat FRESH

Wash with cold water and same as for whitesoap cottons

OLD

soak in salt water (2 table same as for whitespoons of salt + ½ bucket cottonsof water), or in dilutedammonia

3.Grease stains

Butter, ghee, oil, curry, shoe polish, tar, oil paints, etc.

Consideration for Use grease absorbents and solvents like chalk, talcumremoval powder to remove greasy matter and then, remove

the coloring matter.

Stains White Cottons Coloured Cotton

butter, ghee, oil, curry FRESH

wash with hot water, and same as for whitesoap. Dry on grass or shrub/ cottons, but leave itplant in the sunlight in shade

OLD

Make a paste of soap and same as for white cottonswater and apply it on the but leave in shadestain. Leave it wet in thesunlight until it is removed

paint, shoe polish, nail FRESHpolish, lipstick, ball pen Scrape all the excess stain same as for white

(a) Sponge gently with cottonsmethylated spirit or kerosene(b) Sponge with turpentine

OLDRepeat the above method same as for whitetwo or three times cottons

4.Mineral stains Rust and some medicines

Consideration for These stains contain metallic compounds and therefore,removal require treatment with mild acidic reagents followed

by alkaline solutions to neutralise.

Stains white Cottons coloured cotton

iron rust FRESHrub lime juice and salt same as for white cotton

OLDapply dilute oxalic acid same as for whiteand neutralize with dilute cottonborax solution

5. Miscellaneous dye, ink, mildew, grass, perspiration, etc.stains

Consideration for Give specific treatment to each of these stains.removal

Stains white cottons coloured cotton

grass FRESHWash with soap and water same as for white

cottonOLDSponge the stained portion same as for whitewith methylated spirit same as for white

betal leaf (paan) FRESH

apply a paste of onions and same as for white cottonsleave in the sunlight but leave in shade

OLD

repeat above method two same as for white cottonor three times

ink FRESH

wash with soap and cold same as for white cottonwater

OLD

(a) soak in sour butter milk same as for white cotton(lassi) for half an hour except do not leave in

sun, put it in shade

(b) apply lime juice and saltand leave in the sun

(c) bleach the stain

9.3.3 Precautions while removing stains

• As far as possible, remove the stain when it is still fresh.

• For delicate and/or coloured fabrics, first try out the chemical on a small portion of the fabric on the inner side of the seam or some portion of the garment which is not visible when worn. In case the fabric or its colour gets damaged, do not use the chemical.

• Use dilute and mild reagents as these are less harmful, though it may take a little longer to remove the stain.

• Rinse the fabric several times after the removal of the stain, or the reagent may damage the fabric on drying.

Understanding PrecautionaryStatementsA cleaning product’s label supplies a great deal of importantinformation including that which appears in the precautionarystatement. To ensure accurate safety information, theFederal Hazardous Substances Act governs how precautionarystatements are used on household cleaning product labels.Read and pay careful attention to all precautionary statements.Most household cleaning products are not dangerous. Ifexposure in small amounts or swallowing small amounts doesnot cause major harm, the product is not required to carry aprecautionary statement. Many hand dishwashing detergentsfall into this category.The “signal word” is the first, and largest, word in theprecautionary statement. The word signaling the mildestwarning is either CAUTION or WARNING. These twointerchangeable words are the ones most commonly used forhousehold cleaning products. When they appear in the statement,the product is not likely to produce permanent damageas a result of exposure if appropriate first aid is administered.Many laundry detergents fall into this category.DANGER indicates that greater precaution should betaken and often appears on specialty products intended for toughjobs, such as unclogging drains or removing certain stains.Although POISON is not classified as a signal wordunder the act, it is the strongest indication of hazard. It is rarelyused on household cleaning products.Specific words and phrases, such as “flammable,” areincluded in the precautionary statement. These explain possibleconsequences that could occur if the product is misused.Precautionary measures are also included. These describeactions to be taken or avoided. For example, the labelmight instruct consumers to wear rubber gloves for protection,avoid product vapors, and/or use the product in a wellventilatedarea.When necessary or where appropriate, first-aid instructionsare also included in the precautionary statement.

Take advantage of all information on labels to get the bestand safest use from cleaning products.

ACTIVITYS 9.2

ACTIVITYS 9.2

Take an old white cotton cloth and cut out 4 (5x5 cm) pieces. Stain each piece with a different stain and keep it to dry. Now observe the color, feel and smell of each stain. Stick each stain on a big paper and write its description.

INTEXT QUESTIONS

1. State whether the following statements are true or false and justify with reasoning-

Statement True/False Justification

(a) Dirty clothes are harmful forpersonal hygiene

(b) ‘Laundering’ is same as ‘washing’clothes

(c) Airing of clothes is useful when theyare not to be washed immediately.

(d) Stains should be removed from thefabrics before washing.

Post-Test I. Multiple Choice: Choose the letter of the of the correct answer.1. It is an unwanted mark of discoloration on a fabric caused due to contact with another substance. a. Detergent b. Gheec. Stain d. Wax2. Most of the stains can be identified by their ?a. Size, Shape, Appearance. b. Texture, Size, Color.c. Shape, Color, Texture. d. Color, Smell, Feel.3. Tea, Coffee and Fruit are belonging to what category of stains?a. Vegetable Stains b. Grease Stains c. Animal Stains d. Mineral Stains4. It is the method in which the entire fabric can be immersed in the stain removing agent.a. Dyeing b. Washingc. Dipping d. Squeezing5. It is more effective than oxygen bleach but might damage some fibers, dyes, and finishes. a. Detergent b. Finishing Agentsc. Mildew d. Chlorine Bleach

II. Matching Type: Match the Column A and the Column B.

A B

1. Vegetable Stains a. Butter, ghee, oil, curry, shoe polish, tar, oil paints

2. Animal Stainsb. Dye, ink, mildew, grass, perspiration

3. Grease Stainsc. Blood, milk, egg

4. Mineral Stainsd. Tea, coffee, fruit

5. Miscellaneous Stainse. Rust

III. Situationala. Shane wore a very beautiful white silk suit for an interview.

She was very cautious about protecting it all through. After the interview she came home and changed her clothes. While she was folding her suit she noticed a big curry stain on it. She was very tired hence she did not do anything about it. Next morning she dusted talcum powder on the stain and left it for a little while. Then, she soaked the suit in a strong hot detergent solution for an hour. She hung the suit on the line until it dried. The stain was still there though a little less prominent. She treated the stained portion with hydrogen peroxide. The stain had disappeared. She rinsed the suit many times to remove all traces of the chemical and then dried it in shade.

List each step that Shane followed to handle the stain and comment if it was correct or incorrect. Give reason for your answer.

S.No. Steps Correct Wrong Reason

1

2

3

References

Home Science in Daily LifeCARE AND MAINTENANCEOF FABRICSpp. 147-153

Cooperative Extension ServiceUniversity of Kentucky College of Agriculturepp-HE-2-840

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Stain definition of stain

Commission on Higher EducationLemery Colleges

College of EducationBSED-TLE

Check stains and Remove Them

Lorenzo P. Peren

Key in pre-test and post-testI. Multiple Choice1. C.2. D.3. A. 4. C.5. D.II. Matching type1. d.2. c.3. a. 4. e.5. b.III.The Answer of the students will vary depending on their experiences.