Suggestions? Tea/coffee stain out of cotton-polyester

[Opti]

Help!

I didn't realize until shopping after work, but I spilled decaf coffee or black tea

onto my cotton-polyester work shirt. I tried a couple suggestions I found on

a web-site - rubbing baking soda on the stain and soaking in half water & half vinegar.

The latter solution is helping, but not entirely. It recommends soaking for 20 to 30

minutes which I have already done.

Wise to the solution and repeat? Its a white shirt and the instructions say do not

bleach.  Suggestions welcome.

[snapdragon]

have you tried hydrogen peroxide? I know it can end up taking the color out of dark fabrics.

[mroped]

I did that once! I had to use a pair of good sharp, tailoring scissors.

[kittensaver]

First of all: if you haven't (machine) dried the garment yet, DON'T. Heat sets a stain and makes it almost impossible to get out . I've learned the hard way to never dry a garment until the stain is completely removed. If I can't remove it after a couple of tries, I take it (wet) to the cleaners and they can usually get it out. But being the frugal YM'er that I am, however, I consider the cleaners to be a last resort.

Here is my favorite recipe for spot remover. This gets out everything . . . I love this stuff!

1 part liquid detergent (I use Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds, but any detergent will do - not soap)

1 part vegetable glycerin (get it online or at a health food store)

2 parts water.

Combine well and keep in a squeeze bottle (not a spray bottle).

Good luck!

[973beachbum]

I use a recipe I got on the grocery challenge.  the basic parts are 1 part Dawn dish detergent and 2 parts hydrogen peroxide.  I mix it with a cup of water if I am spraying and leaving the clothes for later to wash.  If I am going to rub in and rinse right out I just use it staight.

I actually think Dawn works better than other dish detergents but really any regular dish detergent should work.  I would just make sure it didn't have any extra's in it like hand lotion or bleach ect.

Good luck!

[swamp]

I use one of those Shout stain sticks.

[Tiny]

I'm a bit late to the game - but I wanted to add in my 'vote'

I like using dishwashing liquid (I like Dawn but any of the others should work as well... just watch out for 'lotions' or other stuff added)   I don't even bother diluting it anymore - I wet the stained area and then rub in the dishwashing liquid and let it be for at least 10 or 15 minutes - rinse and repeat... I usually let the soap/wet spot stay overnight and the rinse well before it goes in the washer.  Dishwashing liquid and washing machines DO NOT MIX well.  too much suds.  

If I discover the stain when I'm sorting laundry or already in the basement - I'll use straight laundry detergent instead of the Dawn.   Wet the area with the stain, rub in a bit of laundry detegent and then let it sit for about 30minutes to an hour. 
Wash as usual.    I've had excellent success with the bit of Laundry Detergent directly on the stain (with some water).

Modern day laundry detergents are marvels - they get out an amazing amount of stuff.  


Which method I choose depends on where I am when I discover the stain (upstairs or down in the basement or on my way to the basement). 
 

ADDED:  if you routinely use Fabric Softner - you may want to 'hand wash' the shirt abit and rinse really really well... and then work on the stain.   Fabric Softener works by coating the fibers of the article of clothing - not all of it rinses out in the rinse cycle.   That means the Fabric Softener is in there with the stain (sort of) so to get another product to work on the stain it has to get past the fabric softener that's already there...  I'm kinda paraphrasing this but hopefully you get the general jist of what it.
  

[Opti]

Thanks all, for your suggestions. You've given me something to think about.

I think I might buy some Dawn first, before I get some hydrogen peroxide.

I hope to wash it tomorrow, as opposed to my initial hand-washing attempts

at stain removal.

Today I did not spill anything on my shirt. That's success right?

[ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ]

"Shout" is your friend!

Also, if you haven't machine-laundered the shirt yet, soak the stained area in a diluted solution of water & bleach. After that, repeat with rubbing in "Shout" spray or gel and massage into stain. Let sit for 30-60 min before rinsing in sink under COLD water - rubbing & massaging as you rinse.

I've been able to make stains like you describe disappear that way - IF the garment hasn't been machine washed OR HEAT DRIED!


.

[thyme4change]

I had a coffee stain on a white skirt I owned.  I took it to the dry cleaner (it was dry clean only) and they didn't get the stain out.  I went to the store and found Carbona Stain Remover specifically for coffee.  It said to use the hottest water I could, so I took out my big spaghetti pot and boiled up some water.  Used the stain stuff, boiled the skirt (I figure the skirt was already ruined since the spot was right on my va-jay-jay) took it out, and treated the stain again, rinsed it and threw it in the washer.  It came out perfect, and I wore it often for another 3 years.  It was a rayon/poly skirt I think.  The experience made me a Carbona fan.  


www.amazon.com/Carbona-Stain-Devils-Coffee-Juice/dp/B00J5HV6H0/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1424870599&sr=8-8&keywords=carbona+stain+devils+1

[Tiny]

Feb 24, 2015 22:53:59 GMT -5 Opti said:

Thanks all, for your suggestions. You've given me something to think about.

I think I might buy some Dawn first, before I get some hydrogen peroxide.

I hope to wash it tomorrow, as opposed to my initial hand-washing attempts

at stain removal.

Today I did not spill anything on my shirt. That's success right?

If you do buy some Dawn - it's good for more than just dishes (and clothing stains).  It's really good for greasy kinds of stains on clothes too.    It's good for cleaning up the bacon grease/greasy splatter from your stove top (or anywhere else it gets (which is like everywhere).   It's great for removing 'Cat Grease' from all the corners cats are forever rubbing themselves on.  It's great for removing "Sticky Toddler Goo" from all the places they put their gooey little hands (walls, light switches, cabinet pulls, etc).   Just wet a sponge or cloth - add a little Dawn and start wiping.       Ok.  Toddler's aren't really all that gooey... I just don't really like little kids (cause they're gooey!!)    

 

[kadee79]

If a stain is really stubborn and won't come out any other way, I make a paste of a color safe bleach & water and apply it to the stain with a stick (popsicle) or a brush and let it dry on there...then throw it in the wash without rinsing that out/off.

That has even taken SET blood out of a couple of things for me....they had been washed and dried several times before I tried that.

[Happy prose]

Feb 23, 2015 14:31:24 GMT -5 973beachbum said:

I use a recipe I got on the grocery challenge.  the basic parts are 1 part Dawn dish detergent and 2 parts hydrogen peroxide.  I mix it with a cup of water if I am spraying and leaving the clothes for later to wash.  If I am going to rub in and rinse right out I just use it staight.

I actually think Dawn works better than other dish detergents but really any regular dish detergent should work.  I would just make sure it didn't have any extra's in it like hand lotion or bleach ect.

Good luck!

I do this too, with the blue Dawn. Works great. 

[ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ]

Feb 25, 2015 15:36:20 GMT -5 Tiny said:

If you do buy some Dawn - it's good for more than just dishes (and clothing stains).  It's really good for greasy kinds of stains on clothes too.    It's good for cleaning up the bacon grease/greasy splatter from your stove top (or anywhere else it gets (which is like everywhere).   It's great for removing 'Cat Grease' from all the corners cats are forever rubbing themselves on.  It's great for removing "Sticky Toddler Goo" from all the places they put their gooey little hands (walls, light switches, cabinet pulls, etc).   Just wet a sponge or cloth - add a little Dawn and start wiping.       Ok.  Toddler's aren't really all that gooey... I just don't really like little kids (cause they're gooey!!)    

Have you ever seen the commerical for Dawn - where they use it to clean the oil off of rescued water birds (ducks, etc) who get trapped/bogged-down in water contaminated by an oil spill?