Common Stain Removers and Methods in Laundry Shops

When facing clothes with obvious special stains, laundry shops usually pre-treat the clothes. After removing the obvious stains, they use industrial washing machines to wash the clothes.  

Pre-treatment is a stain removal treatment. People use auxiliaries to pre-treat the severely contaminated stains (juice, nail polish, paint, ink...) to help the following normal washing process. For heavily soiled stains that remain after the pre-treatment and the normal washing, they need to be post-treated again.

Common Stain Removers

In this article, we will introduce the common stain removers in laundry shops.

The common stain removers: rust removers, oil removers, acetone, banana oil (thinner), hydrogen peroxide, oxalic acid, 84 disinfectant (sodium hypochlorite solution), and whitening laundry detergent.

The use skills and precautions of every stain remover are different.

• Rust remover

Rust remover and oxalic acid are mainly used for removing rust and some grass stains. It is strongly acidic, which has a color-changing phenomenon with some dyes. Once the color changes, immediately use a concentrated laundry powder solution or pure alkaline water to wash it, and the appearance will be restored. In addition, the rust remover is mainly used to remove partial stains. The oxalic acid is mainly used to remove a large scale of rust stains or grass stains by complete soaking. The dosage is generally not over 10 grams per liter of water, and the water temperature is generally not over 40℃.

• Acetone

Acetone is mainly used to remove oil-based stains and 502 glue. However, acetone can damage the cellulose acetate fibers and the down jacket coatings. When facing these two kinds of clothes, please do not use acetone to remove stains. Cellulose acetate fiber has the same hand feeling and luster as silk. If people think the cellulose acetate fiber is silk, and use acetone to remove stains, a hole will occur in the clothes. As a result, people should carefully read the labels of the clothes.

• Banana Oil

It is mainly used to remove paint, ink, nail polish...

• Solvent-based oil remover

It has a good stain removal effect on the oil-based stains. However, it may cause some clothes’ colors to dissolve and fade (gray, brown casual clothes). In addition, it may dissolve the down jacket coatings as well. Please do a test in the conspicuous area first when meeting these two kinds of clothes and control the dosage later.

• Hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is mainly used to remove the yellowness, bleach clothes, and remove pigment stains. If the water quality is poor (has metal ions (rust) or has metal decorations on the clothes), it must be used with caution. Otherwise, it may cause the clothes to change color or even get damaged.

It should be noted that the treatment of special stains must be done by experienced professionals. When doing the stain removal, please do the protection task well. For unfamiliar stain removers, people must do a test on a conspicuous area of the clothes first to ensure no damage to the clothes, and then do the stain removal. People should also timely observe the stains during the stain removal process and immediately wash away the stain remover when the stain removal is done to avoid damage caused by the chemical substances staying for a long time on the fabrics of the clothes.

Five Stain Removal Methods

• Rinsing method

Put the clothes on the stain removal table → apply the stain remover → let the remover stay for a few minutes → rinse the stained area with a stain removal gun → starting with low water pressure and gradually increasing it

• Brushing method

Laundries mostly use soft-bristle brushes. This method can remove stains like sugar, protein, tannin, and oil.

Apply the stain remover to the garment before treatment → let it sit → place the clothes in a solution of cleaning powder dissolved in cold water → gently tap the stain surface with the back of the soft-bristle brush → once the stain softens, lightly brush it away until it is removed.

• Scraping method

Paint, sugar, and various adhesives...

Apply the stain remover to the stain surface → After the remover penetrates and dissolves the stain, gently scrape off the stain with a scraper (e.g., a horn stain removal scraper).

• Soaking method

This method is used for old/stale stains.

Apply the stain remover to the stain → soak the garment thoroughly in a cleaning powder solution.

• The Absorption method

This method is suitable for delicate fabrics. (pure silk, wool, velvet, and fur. )

Apply the stain remover to the stain → let it dissolve the stain → use a cotton cloth to blot both the front and back of the stained area (gradually wiping while blotting) to transfer the stain to the cotton cloth → wipe the area clean with a fresh cotton cloth.

After the stain removal is finished, it can be washed according to the normal washing process. An industrial washing machine or a professional wet cleaning machine can be used for cleaning.