Getting Rid of Gravy Stains
The top stain problem during the holiday season at our house aside from red wine is gravy. With all of the extra precautions, such as a drip tray under the gravy boat, there are always errant drops of gravy left behind on the tablecloth or your clothing.
If your tablecloth (or shirt) can be washed in warm water, then you will probably have no trouble removing the stain, as long as you do not wait to put it in the wash.
Because gravy contains fat and grease, you will need the help of a dishwashing liquid that breaks down these types of products. Dawn dishwashing detergent is a popular example.
You will need to work from the wrong side of the fabric, or underside, so that you continue to push the grease away from the fabric, instead of rubbing it into the fibers any further. Take a few drops of the dishwashing detergent and apply it to the back-side of the stain and rub it in gently. If you have a soft toothbrush, brush gently to work it in – otherwise your fingers will do fine.
While you are treating all of the gravy spots with the dishwashing detergent, start filling your washer with the warmest water allowable for the fabric (check care label). When it is about half way full, add the stained item along with a little bit of grease fighting detergent (like Simple Green or Tide) – and do not use fabric softener.
The stains should be completely gone when the wash is complete. Line-dry the item if you are not sure and if any stains remain, re-treat the areas with a grease fighting stain remover. Never put the tablecloth or clothing in the dryer unless you are sure that the stain is completely gone. Remember, as with any stain – time is of the essence – if you are quick to treat them, then you should have no problems getting rid of gravy stains completely.
Washing Reds Without Loosing Your Head
It may have happened to you (or someone you know) – a red-colored item happened to be mistakenly washed with a white load of laundry, and turned everything pink. There are different methods to remedy this type of mistake, varying from rewashing the whites with bleach, to using a dye-remover, however we want to prevent this from happening in the first place.
Sorting your laundry properly is the simplest way to avoid catastrophes. Take the time to go through each piece – don’t just grab a pile of colors or whites and toss them in the washer. Doing the wash in a rush like that will not only increase your chances of a misplaced item, but you will miss the opportunity to pre-treat stained or heavily soiled articles.
Red clothing is often over-dyed in order to produce the desired vibrant color, which is why this color tends to bleed most during the first few washes. Other colors like black and dark blue will bleed somewhat also, but not as much as red, and those bleeding incidents are not as noticeable because we tend to have more of those colors in our wardrobe, so they are usually sorted and washed together.
Divide and conquer! The best way to prevent accidents with reds is to do them separately, in a load of their own. Unless you have a lot of red items (the average person does not), this may not be a very economical solution. So, in order to help prevent the bleeding that occurs in newly purchased (washable) reds, you might want to run the item(s) through a cold-water rinse cycle, with a ¼ cup of vinegar before washing for the first time.
Although rinsing items in the vinegar-water solution will help to set the red dye, it is no guarantee that it will completely eliminate a problem for the first few washes. If you want to be absolutely certain that no other colors will be affected in the wash load, then your only choice would be to hand wash, or wash in the machine separately from other colors.
There is a product – Shout Color Catcher Dye-Trapping, In-Wash Cloths – 24 ea
Remember, to keep your reds and other bright colors looking their best, always wash and rinse in cold water using detergents and stain removers specifically designated for colors.
