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How to remove gardening stains

Photo by Matteo Badini from Pexels

Gardening, by nature, is a messy task to undertake. That, however, does not mean that your clothing has to be permanently stained by it. 

  • Grass
  • Mud
  • Pollen
  • Rust
  • Suncream 

Grass

Kneeling in the grass for a long period of time will leave you with a stubborn green stain. 

To remove grass stains you will need…

  • Cold water
  • Laundry detergent 
  • Rubbing alcohol (optional)
  • Hairspray (optional)

Begin the grass stain removal process by soaking your garment in cold water for 15 minutes. The cold water will soften the stain, and make it easier to lift. Make sure that your water is cold, as hot water will only set the stain further into your clothing. 

After 15 minutes, use your hands to rub laundry detergent directly onto your stain. You can use liquid detergent for this, however, powder detergent is particularly effective at removing stubborn outdoor stains.

Once you are satisfied that you have adequately rubbed your detergent into the stain, wash your item as you usually would. 

If your stain has not been completely lifted after washing, you may want to consider repeating the process or using rubbing alcohol or hairspray on your stain. The alcohol found in these products breaks down the green pigments in grass stains. 

If you are using rubbing alcohol, dab a small amount onto a clean cloth, and gently sponge it over your stain. When you see the colour lifting, rinse your garment in cold water and continue with the usual removal process. 

To use hairspray, spray a liberal amount over your stain and wait for it to completely dry. Once it has dried, used a soft-bristled brush, such as a toothbrush, to scrub at your stain. When you notice the colour begin to fade, flush out the hairspray with cold water, and continue with the usual stain removal process. 

Mud

When it comes to gardening, mud is unavoidable. Luckily, mud stains can be easily removed. 

To remove mud stains you will need… 

  • Butter knife or spoon
  • Soft-bristled brush
  • Liquid soap

Before beginning the removal process, first, check that the mud is completely dry. Do not attempt to remove wet or damp mud as your stain will only spread. 

When your mud has dried, use a butter knife or spoon to gently lift as much of the mud from your clothing as possible. Be careful when doing this as you don’t want to cause rips in your clothing, or set the mud deeper into the fibers of your garment. 

Once you are satisfied with the amount of mud that you have lifted, use a soft-bristled brush, such as a toothbrush, to gently rub your stain. This will help to loosen the mud that has set into your clothing. 

After carefully brushing your stain, pour a small amount of liquid dish soap over the stain, and rub it in using your fingers. Make sure that the soap completely covers your stain, and is well worked in. 

Add a small amount of water to your soap, just enough to make it damp, and use your soft-bristled brush to rub over it. Use a circular motion, and brush both sides of your item to ensure that you are adequately working the soap in. Be careful to not rub too hard, as this can cause damage to your garment. Repeat these steps as many times as is necessary for the stain to lighten in colour. 

Once you are satisfied that your stain has lightened in colour, wash your garment as you usually would. If, after washing, you notice that your stain has not been completely removed, repeat the process.

Photo by Binyamin Mellish from Pexels

Pollen

Flowers are a beautiful addition to any garden, but their pollen can easily stain clothing. 

To remove pollen stains you will need…

  • Masking tape 
  • Laundry stain remover
  • Laundry detergent 
  • Cold water

To begin removing your pollen stain, first shake off any lingering pollen. Make sure to do this outdoors and holding the stained area face-down. You don’t want to risk the pollen staining any other clothing. 

After removing any lingering pollen, take a long strip of masking tape and wrap it around your fingers, sticky side out. Gently press your tape-covered fingers on top of the pollen stain, and pull them back. As you lift your fingers, the pollen will stick to the tape and be removed from your clothing. You may need to repeat this step a few times to notice a significant difference. 

Once you are satisfied with the amount of pollen removed with the masking tape, hold your stained item under a cold running tap to flush-out the stain. Make sure that your tap is cold, as hot water will only set your stain further into your garment. When you’ve removed as much of the stain as possible, soak your stain in cold water for a further 30 minutes. Each time you flush and soak your clothing, more of the pollen is encouraged to detach so it is advised to repeat this step as many times as necessary. 

Next, cover your stain in a stain remover of your choice. This is the final step before washing and the stain remover will loosen any stubborn pollen particles. Leave your stain remover to penetrate your clothes fibres for 10 minutes, before washing your garment as you usually would. 

If your pollen stain persists after washing, repeat the process. 

Photo by Lukas from Pexels

Rust  

Rust appears when iron is exposed to oxygen and moisture over a long period of time. It is not uncommon to find rust on garden furniture, plant pots, or gardening tools. 

To remove rust stains you will need…

  • A clean cloth
  • Table salt
  • Lemon juice
  • Cream of tartar (optional)
  • Baking soda (optional)
  • Hydrogen peroxide (optional)

When a rust stain occurs, the first thing you need to do is pre-treat the stain. There are several ways you can pre-treat your stain, the first of which is to use table salt and lemon juice. Begin by sprinkling salt directly on to your rust stain. Make sure that the whole stain is covered by the salt. Next, squeeze a liberal amount of fresh lemon juice over the salt. Finally, lay your garment on a flat surface, in direct sunlight. The rays from the sun will help speed up the chemical reaction of the salt and lemon juice, thus speeding up the pre-treatment of your stain. 

An alternative pre-treatment to salt and lemon juice is to create a paste from cream of tartar, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide. To make this paste, combine one teaspoon of cream of tartar, one teaspoon of baking soda, and a few drops of hydrogen peroxide. Stir your ingredients together until a paste is formed. Once your paste has formed, apply it directly to the stain, making sure that it covers the entirety of it. Leave your paste for 30 minutes, before thoroughly rinsing it from your garment. 

Once you have pre-treated your rust stain using one of these two methods, wash your item as you usually would. If, after washing, you notice that your stain has not been removed, repeat the process, or try using the alternative pre-treatment method.

Photo by BedBible from Unsplash

Sun cream

When you are out in the garden for long periods of time, it’s important to regularly apply sun cream to prevent yourself from getting burnt. 

To remove suncream stains you will need…

  • Heavy-duty liquid detergent 
  • Soft-bristled brush

To begin removing your sun cream stain, apply heavy-duty liquid detergent directly on to your stain. Make sure that you use enough to cover the whole of your stain. 

Using a soft-bristled brush, or your fingers, work your liquid detergent into your stain. The detergent contains enzymes that will break down the oils in your sun cream, and make it easier to be removed from your fabric. After working in your detergent, allow your garment to sit and absorb the detergent for 15 minutes. 

After 15 minutes, wash your clothing as you usually would. If you notice that your stain has not been lifted, repeat the process. 

Photo by Moose Photos from Pexels

If you’re struggling to remove stains from your clothing, book a Laundryheap service and let us remove them for you. To book your Laundryheap service, simply head to the Laundryheap website or download the free Laundryheap app. 


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How to clean wellies

Your wellies will help you through any cold and wet weather condition. To keep them intact, it’s important to regularly clean them.

  • General care guide for looking after your wellies 
  • Exterior
  • Soles
  • Inside 
  • Drying
  • Removing ‘blooming’

General care guide for looking after your wellies 

Before explaining how to clean your wellies, let’s begin with some general care guide tips. 

When you are not wearing your boots, keep them in a cool and dry area, standing upright with boot trees or rolled-up towels. This will help your boots maintain their strong shape. If you aren’t wearing your wellies for an extended period of time, you may also want to consider adding a sachet of cedar, lavender, or baking soda to the inside of them to keep them smelling fresh. 

Make sure that you wear socks every time you wear your boots. They will help absorb excess moisture and prevent odours and stains. 

Once you have taken your wellies off, allow them to completely air dry before wearing them again. You can speed up this process by stuffing them with dry, clean, towels or tissue paper for an hour. 

Exterior  

To maintain the flexibility and cleanliness of your wellies, you should wash them with lukewarm water after every wear to remove any mud or debris. 

If there is dried mud and debris you will need…

  • A medium bristle brush 
  • An old cloth
  • A clean cloth
  • Dish soap 
  • Warm water 

To begin cleaning your wellies, use a medium bristle brush to brush away any mud and debris. It’s best to use a circular motion to do this. To prevent getting mud and debris on your floor, complete this step on some newspaper or over the sink. 

After you have removed as much mud and debris as possible, dip an old cloth in warm water until it is damp, and wipe the exterior of your wellies. This will help you identify any mud and debris lingering on your boots. 

To remove the lingering mud and debris, mix one teaspoon of dish soap with two cups of warm water. Dip your old cloth into this solution and wipe your boot from the top to the bottom. The dish soap will help to break down the stronger mud and debris and remove it from your wellies. 

Once you are satisfied that you have removed all of the mud and debris from the exterior of your boots, wipe them down with a clean cloth dampened with lukewarm water. 

Soles

When you are cleaning the exterior of your boots it’s important that you don’t forget to clean the soles. 

To clean the soles you will need…

  • A medium bristle brush 
  • A small bristle brush, such as a toothbrush 

To begin cleaning the soles of your wellies, use a medium bristle brush to scrub the sole of your shoe. This will remove the mud and debris on the base of your sole. 

Once you are satisfied with the cleanliness of the base of your sole, use your small bristle brush to deep-clean the grooves of your sole. Use a vigorous scrubbing motion to lift the dirt from these grooves. 

Inside

If you don’t regularly clean the inside of your wellies, they will become odorous and begin to grow athlete’s foot fungus. 

To clean the inside you will need…

  • Heavy-duty laundry detergent 
  • Warm water 
  • Two clean cloths
  • Distilled white vinegar 
  • A spray bottle 

To begin cleaning the inside of your wellies, mix one teaspoon of heavy-duty laundry detergent and two cups of warm water. Soak a clean cloth in your mixture, and wipe down the entire interior of your wellies. Make sure that you reach every surface to prevent odour and bacteria growth. 

After you have wiped down the interior of your wellies, dip your second clean cloth in warm water and rinse the detergent solution away. Again, make sure that you reach every surface so that all of the detergent solution is removed from the inside of your boots.  

Next, mix a 50/50 solution of distilled white vinegar and warm water. Put this solution in a spray bottle and lightly spray the inside of your wellies. This is an added precaution to ensure that no odorous bacteria or fungi are lingering inside your wellies. 

Drying 

After you have cleaned the exterior, sole, and interior of your wellies, you need to leave them to completely dry before wearing them again. 

To dry, leave them in a cool and dry location, away from direct sunlight and heat, to air dry. It is important that they are left to air dry away from heat as this will break down their strong structure and leave them droopy. If you want to speed up the drying of your wellies, insert dry, clean, towels or tissue paper, inside your boots for one hour. This will help absorb some of the excess moisture and limit the drying time.

Removing ‘blooming’

‘Blooming’ is when a white marbled film develops on the outside of your wellies. This happens as a result of the rubber, which is a natural product, in your boots being exposed to certain temperatures, causing insoluble particles to rise to the surface. It doesn’t affect the durability of your wellies, however, it can be removed if you don’t like the cosmetic look. 

To remove ‘blooming’ you will need…

  • Olive oil 
  • A clean cloth 

To remove ‘blooming’ from your wellies, simply add a few drops of olive oil to a clean, dry, cloth and wipe it over your boots. For the best results, work from the top of your wellies down to the bottom, working on small areas at a time to ensure that every surface is covered. 

Never add the olive oil to the sole of your wellies. This will only result in the sole of your wellies becoming slippy and could result in you falling over. 

Whilst you are cleaning your wellies, we can clean your laundry. From general washing to dry cleaning and ironing, we have a service that will fit your needs.

To book your Laundryheap service head to the Laundryheap website or download the free Laundryheap app.