House Cleaning and Stain Removal Forum

[AndyBirkenhead]

I have a heavyweight karate suit (16oz, 100% white cotton canvas).
Over time it has become quite grubby and a grey/yellowish colour on the lapels, shoulders and armpits through sweat.
I wear it three times a week and wash it once a week in Ariel gel at 40 degrees, but it still won't come clean.
Does anyone have any advice please ?

[mrscleannw]

Andy,

Here are some ideas you can try to help you out with the stains on your karate suit.

The best treatment is to treat the stain as soon as possible. Below are listed several solutions, you can try one or all keeping in mind to work the stain from the inside out.

Hydrogen Peroxide:

Place your karate suit on a clean white towel or paper towels, then using medicinal grade peroxide, pour some over the discolored areas you are trying to clean. Once that is done take plastic wrap to cover all areas and over the plastic wrap place a clean towel to keep the light out as hydrogen peroxide turns to water when exposed to light.
You can let this sit for a few hours or overnight (hydrogen peroxide is safe for fabrics and it won’t degrade cotton).
After you have let the hydrogen peroxide sit, wash as usual. You may have to repeat this process a few times.

Baking Soda:

Make a paste of baking soda and water. Work this into the stained areas of your clothing. Wash as usual.

Salt:

Put 4 tablespoons salt into a bucket of water and soak the garment letting this solution work on the stained area. When done, wash as usual.

Bar Soap:

If the stains are fresh, try using straight bar soap on the garment.

I hope one of these solutions works for you.

Mrs. Clean

[Aerosmith1952]

Hello Andy,

I train 2-3 times per week in Chung Do Kwan, Tae Kwon Do, so my uniform gets pretty sweaty and dirty, and I've washed my dobok after almost every class for the last eight years using 1/4 cup Tide powder and 1 tablespoon Oxi-Clean powder. I add the Tide (which is half what the directions on the box recommend) as the washer fills with warm water, and I dissolve the Oxi-Clean in very hot water in a separate container which I also add as the washer fills ( before my uniform goes in). When the washer is filling for the final rinse in cold water, I add 1/2 cup of white vinegar to remove any leftover soap smell and keep my dobok from getting scratchy. This is a little extra hassle, but washing my uniform like this hasn't damaged or faded the fabric, my patches, or my red or black stripes. This is also a great way to remove any blood or dirt from boards. I dry my dobok on low heat for only 2 to 3 minutes and then hang it up to air dry so I don't heat-damage the fabric. Hope this helps you out.

Kru-Ho,

Aerosmith1952

[bamamom]

Try ESPRO SPORTS CLEANER. It works great on all tough stains from athletic competition (grass, red clay, blood, mud, field paint, sweat) and has an odor control agent (Odor-Guard) to eliminate bad odors in uniforms, shoes, golves and equipment.