Ask Mrs. Clean: House Cleaning, Stain Removal and Organizing Tips

[dmc]

Hello, I'm hoping that you can help me! I have a light-colored duvet cover that has some stains on it. I believe they are your run of the mill dirt and grime (probably from the dogs jumping on the bed) :roll: I've tried spraying the stains with a stain removing cleaner (oxyclean) and then washing and letting the cover air dry, but it barely made a difference. My drycleaner said that these duvet covers can be difficult to clean because, apparently, they often put some kind of waterproof material on them here in the states. I have confirmed that the duvet is machine washable. Any suggestions you have would be most appreciated! The cover is lovely, and I hate to get rid of it because it is stained! Thank you!

[mrscleannw]

Hello dmc,

What some people have good luck with is hydrogen peroxide (3%). You can pick this up in most grocery or drug stores in your area.

It’s quite an easy process. To keep the hydrogen peroxide centralized to the stained area put a piece of plastic wrap under the stain; then saturate the dirt and grime with the hydrogen peroxide. Place another piece of plastic wrap over the stain and cover with a towel.

Let this sit overnight, then wash as you usually would wash your duvet cover.

FYI - We cover with a towel to keep the light from getting to the hydrogen peroxide which will turn to water when exposed to light. We cover with the plastic wrap to keep the towel from soaking up the hydrogen peroxide.

I actually just used this process on seat cushions (upholstery material) from an old dirty couch. It was a big help.

Mrs. Clean

[mold removal tampa]

Here are some of the tips that you can follow to remove stains from cotton..hope it will be useful to you... :)

=> Pour 1 qt. of warm water into a small bucket. Add ½ tsp. of dishwashing liquid to the water, and stir slowly to prevent bubbles from forming.

=> Allow the cotton fabric to soak in the solution for 15 to 20 minutes. The detergent will penetrate the stain during this time.

=> Remove the cotton fabric from the bucket. Wring out the excess water from the fabric. Squeeze the excess water into the small bucket.

=> Soak a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol. Blot stain with the rubbing alcohol until the stain appears faint or it disappears completely.

=> Place the fabric in the washing machine.

=> Follow the care directions on the tag.

=> Hang the fabric on a clothesline instead of drying it in the dryer. The dryer often causes stains to become permanent.