It’s picnic season! Grab your basket, your blanket, and your favourite drinks and finger food. When you get home, you can eliminate any stains that may have happened using this simple guide. 

• Tomato
• Mayonnaise 
• Strawberries 
• Fruit juice 
• Beer 

Tomato 

A good picnic always begins with a delicious sandwich. Fresh tomatoes are a great addition to any sandwich, but be careful, because they can very easily slide out and onto your clothing. 

To remove a fresh tomato stain you will need…

• Dish soap 
• Cold water 

If you catch your tomato stain when it has not yet set, apply a small amount of dish soap directly to it, and gently scrub with your fingers or a soft-bristled brush. Once you are satisfied that your dish soap has been adequately rubbed in, rinse your garment thoroughly with cold water. If the stain is still there, repeat the process. 

To remove a set tomato stain you will need…

• Coldwater
• Laundry detergent 
• Ice 
• Clean cloth
• Vinegar 

If your tomato stain has set before you have managed to treat it, you can still remove it. Begin by wetting the stained area with cold water and applying a small amount of laundry detergent to the stain. Gently rub your laundry detergent into the stain until it has been thoroughly worked into your garment. Next, take a piece of ice and gently rub it over your stained fabric. This will help to lift the stain. Once you are satisfied that no more of the stain will be lifted using the ice, blot the area with a clean cloth that has been soaked in vinegar. The acid in the vinegar will cut through the remaining stain and lift it from your item. Once your stain has lifted, wash your garment as you usually would. 

Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is the perfect sauce for a sandwich, but, like any sauce, is very easy to drip down yourself. 

To remove a mayonnaise stain you will need…

• A blunt knife or spoon
• Heavy duty liquid laundry detergent 
• Soft bristled brush (optional)

To begin removing your stain, lift as much mayonnaise from your garment as possible using a blunt knife or spoon. Be careful not to push too hard on the fabric as this can lead to rips in your clothing. Once you have removed as much of the stain as possible, pour a small amount of heavy-duty liquid laundry detergent directly onto the stain and gently rub it in using your fingers or a soft-bristled brush. After adequately working the detergent into your stain, leave it to sit for 15 minutes. Finally, check your care label and wash your garment at the hottest temperature appropriate for your item. Once your wash has finished, check your garment to make sure that the stain has gone before drying. If your stain persists, repeat the process. 

Strawberries 

Fresh fruit tastes all the sweeter when enjoyed on a picnic, and there is no fruit better than a juicy punnet of strawberries. Don’t panic if you drip some juice down yourself, strawberry juice can be easily removed. 

To remove strawberry stains you will need…

• Heavy duty liquid laundry detergent 
• White vinegar 
• Warm water 
• Cool water 

Begin the stain removal process by flushing out your stain with cold water. Next, make a solution from half a teaspoon of liquid laundry detergent, a tablespoon of white vinegar, and a quarter of a cup of warm water. Place your stained garment in your solution and leave it to soak for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove your item from the solution, and thoroughly rinse it with cold water. Finally, check your care label and wash your item using the hottest wash setting possible for your garment. Once your wash has finished, check that your stain has been completely removed before drying it. If your stain has not been completely removed, repeat the process. 

Fruit juice 

Drinks are an essential part of a picnic, and fruit juice is both refreshing and delicious. As with any drink, spillages are easily done, and, luckily, just as easily removed. 

To remove a fruit juice stain you will need…

• Coldwater
• Heavy-duty liquid laundry detergent
• Soft-bristled brush (optional)
• Chlorine bleach (optional)
• Colour bleach (optional)

To begin removing your fruit juice, flush out your stain by running it under cold water for a few minutes. Next, pour a small amount of heavy-duty liquid laundry detergent onto your stain and gently work it in using your fingers or a soft-bristled brush. Leave your stain for 15 minutes, before rinsing it with cool water. Finally, check your care label and wash your garment at the hottest temperature possible. If you can still faintly see your stain after rinsing off the liquid laundry detergent, you may want to add chlorine bleach or colour bleach to your washing machine. 

Beer

For adults, an alcoholic beverage on a warm sunny day is bliss. Much the same as children, adults too can easily spill their drink down themselves. 

To remove a beer stain you will need…

• Cold water
• Liquid laundry detergent 
• Soft bristled brush (optional)
• Baking soda

Begin removing your beer stain by flushing it with cold water for a few minutes. Next, pour a small amount of liquid laundry detergent over the stain and thoroughly work it in with your fingers or a soft-bristled brush. Allow your stain to sit for 5 minutes and absorb the liquid laundry detergent. After 5 minutes, thoroughly rinse your detergent off of your garment with cool water until no detergent residue remains. You may notice a lingering beer odour on your item. To remove this odour, sprinkle baking soda over your stain and leave it for 15 minutes. The baking soda will absorb the odour and help lift the remaining stain. After 15 minutes, rinse away the baking soda and observe whether the stain has been completely removed. If it has not, repeat the detergent and baking soda steps as many times as possible until your stain has been completely lifted. 

If you want all the joys of a picnic with none of the hassle of removing post-picnic stains, then book your Laundryheap order today. It’s as simple as heading to the Laundryheap website or downloading the free Laundryheap app.