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Dallas, TX – Spots on clothing and upholstery can ruin the look of the fabric and cost quite a bit of money to replace. There are several tricks you use do to get these stains out yourself, and save a favorite piece of clothing from the trash in the process.

The first thing to remember is that most stains only set on a piece of clothing if the staining material is left in contact with the fabric for a long period of time. The good news is that most stains are noticed fairly quickly and should be dealt with immediately to avoid letting them set. Addressing these stains and spots when you first notice them is the best way to ensure they don’t become permanent. If you are eating out when the stain occurs, leave the table and deal with the stain in the restroom. This will give you the lighting and time you need to make sure you clean the garment completely. Also before you leave the table, order a glass of seltzer water and take it with you. Seltzer water makes a great cleaning solution for most stains.

Your first line of defense should be to blot up as much of the stain as possible with a clean napkin or towel. Do not wipe the stain as this will spread the stain to other parts of the garment and the pressure will force any liquid deeper into the fabric. Simply place a clean napkin or cloth on top of the stain and let it absorb whatever liquid is still there. Be sure to check to see if there is more liquid to absorb and use a different napkin for each blot. Many people try to use different sections of the same napkin and end up spreading the stain to other parts of the fabric as a result.

Once you have the area dry and have removed all of the liquid, you next need to try to dilute the stain. The first thing you should try is clean water. And apply this to the stained area with a clean cloth. Apply the water to the outside of the garment and have a dry cloth on the inside to absorb the water. This way you are drawing any material left in the fabric to the inside of the garment and if a stain remains after you have done your best to remove it, it will be less noticeable from the outside of the garment. You may need to repeat the application of the water several times to get all of the liquid. If you aren’t completely successful, try applying the seltzer water next and repeat the procedure of drying the garment from the inside with the clean paper towels. By placing the dry paper towels on the inside of the material it will create a wicking effect and draw the liquid and stain out to the dry cloth.

Once you have cleaned the area as much as possible, leave the garment wet. Many people have the tendency of trying to use a hand dryer to dry the garment and this can be a mistake for most stains. The heat from this dryer may set whatever stain still remains in the garment and will make getting this remainder out when you have the garment laundered next. Let the area air dry and you’ll have a better chance of cleaning the garment completely when you get back home.