Whenever there’s a stain accident, I always feel the need to come to the rescue. Maybe it’s my OCD on how to properly remove a stain or maybe it’s just because through trial and error, I’ve been pretty successful at removing stains that otherwise would have been rubbed into forever existence.
Although I’m not a stain removing pro, here are some tips & tricks on getting the job done.
ANTICIPATE THE STAIN.

-If you’re wearing a white dress, stay clear of coloured drinks and drippy foods. Obvi but you have to be reminded!
-If you’re going to eat spaghetti or pad thai or soup of any sort, wear a bib. I love the ‘tie napkin’ above. You’ll thank me when your napkin is a speckled masterpiece and your shirt isn’t.
-Always place a napkin on your lap. That should be the first thing you do when you sit down at a restaurant. Whether your drink drips from condensation or you miss your mouth, the napkin will protect your bottoms.
DON’T RUB OUT OF RAGE.
The worst thing to do is start rubbing out of rage. It will create a bigger and deeper stain and will make it that much harder to remove.
STAIN REMOVAL PROCESS

1. You will need a bunch of napkins or paper towels (toilet paper breaks too easily), soda water and an absorbent product like salt, talcum powder or starch.
2. Place a folded paper towel on the under side of the fabric where the stain is (this will absorb the stain and any excess water) If you can’t reach the inside (ex pants) take ‘em off.
3. Sprinkle some salt on the stain. This will absorb some of the stain. Let it sit for a couple minutes and them shake the salt away.
4. Take a napkin and wrap it around your peter pointer and dip it in the soda water.
5. Dip and Dab the stain. Dip in soda and Dab over and over. If the stain is really dark, change napkins frequently. You may also have to change the napkin under the stain as well.
6. More is better. Don’t be afraid to get the area wet. Use lots of soda and many napkin changes. If you’re home, you can always blow dry the area dry or if you’re out, place it under a dryer. If neither option is available, press two dry napkins on either side of the fabric together. It will dry in no time!
OIL STAINS
Whether it’s cooking oil, baby oil, or an oily hair product, these can be the most tricky.
1. Use an absorbent product like salt or starch to catch as much of the stain as possible.
2. Dab some dish wash liquid into stain and leave it for 15 mins. If you’re out and don’t have 15 mins, do the process mentioned previously with dish-wash liquid. Soaps like Sunlight have grease fighter ingredients yet are still safe on most fabrics.
GUM STAINS

Last week, a friend had a huge piece of gum stuck to the side of her platform shoe and she just started scraping the leather with a knife in rage. Not a good idea, so I took over. She had no clue what ice could do!
1. Scrape/scratch (not with your nails obviously. EW!) as much gum as possible without ruining the surface.
2. Press ice to the gum that is left.
3. Once cold enough, gum will chip off easily.
WAX STAINS

This is the most annoying stain because you feel like there’s no hope.
1. You’ll need paper towel and an iron
2. Sandwich the fabric between paper towels on an ironing board
3. Turn iron on high and iron over the paper towel making sure to keep the iron moving (you don’t want to start a fire) The wax will be absorbed by the paper towel.
4. If you’re left with a fatty stain, you can try the oil stain removal method or  just send it to the drycleaners and mention what it was.
Always remember to treat stains as soon as possible and be patient. If you have any other tips for stain removal, share by leaving a comment!
xoxo,
lowe