Mum’s Magic

When we were growing up, it sometimes seemed as though our mothers could work magic. She took those clothes that we had got mud, blood, grass stains, chocolate and egg yolk all over (sometimes all at once) and did things with them that had the items coming back looking spotless and new. When we grew up, we realised that it probably wasn’t magic but it’s still darn tricky to do. Maybe she was dabbling in the Dark Arts to get our dirty clothes that clean.

Photo courtesy of Stephani Spitzer

But she wasn’t. She just knew the right way to tackle stains. Now, you could always phone your mother when you have a difficult stain to wash out, but if she’s anything like my mother and spending her golden years globe-trotting, it’s probably simpler to just learn the right way to do things.

So here’s how to deal with the mud, blood, grass stains, chocolate and egg yolk that you got over your clothes… and that your children are probably getting on their clothes.

Mud

Soak the garment thoroughly, then rub soap into the stain hard. Soak the item in warm or hot soapy water. If the garment has other stains on it, such as blood or egg yolk, deal with those stains first and any lingering mud after that.

Blood

Soak the item in cold water – it’s got to be cold so you don’t set the stain. You can also fizz the blood away with a hydrogen peroxide solution. Then wash as normal – in cold water.

Egg yolk

Do what you do for blood, as they’re both protein stains. One good thing about egg yolk is that it is a bit more solid than blood and tends to crust on the outside of clothes, bibs and tablecloths, meaning that it can be picked or brushed off before trying the soak in cold water treatment.

Grass stains

These are a real pain to remove. Eucalyptus essential oil and/or methylated spirits rubbed well into the stain and left to sit in the fabric go a long way towards dealing with them. This is best followed by a soak in one of those proprietary whitening and brightening solutions of the sort designed for cloth nappies. Then wash as usual – hot or cold.

Chocolate

Surprisingly easy to remove, although any chocolate stain is a waste of chocolate. Warm soapy water usually does the trick, If something’s particularly stubborn, try soaking the item and rubbing soap hard into the spot and working up a good lather.

Beetroot juice

Washes out easily in spite of the bright colour. The only way that beetroot juice works as a deliberate dye is if you add a mordant to the solution.

Permanent marker

These aren’t permanent if you work a bit of meths or strong alcoholic spirits (e.g. vodka) into the spot and wash the garment while the meths or vodka is still wet.

Biro

Also soluble in alcohol but washes out a lot easier than you think. Small smears and scribbles come out in the regular wash. Larger blobs from leaking pens need a soak in alcohol.