Spring Cleaning Service NYC

Spring Cleaning tips for your laundry...

With so many different fabrics now available, it's hard to know what to do in the laundry room. Cold water or hot? Dry-clean or not? Should natural fibers be washed differently than synthetic? Once it's stained, is it ruined?
Here are some hints that will make doing the wash a lot less scary:
* Remove stains as soon as possible. Once a stain has gone through the wash and dry cycle it's more difficult to remove.
* Blot the stain with a clean cloth.
* Use a small amount of spot remover and dab it into the stain. Blot frequently and don't rub.
* Work from the outer edges toward the center of the stain. This should prevent rings from forming.
Treating stains & spots:
* Acid:
Acids are found in drainopeners, toilet bowl cleaners and other common household cleansers as well as in urine and vomit. It's important that you get to them in time, otherwise the acid may eat a hole in your fabric. Flush the area with cold water immediately. Next, neutralize the acid, using baking soda or ammonia. Blot out the neutralizer using fresh water.
Launder as usual.
* Antiperspirant:
Blot the spot with a paper towel dampened with a solution of baking soda and vinegar. Wash as usual in the hottest water that's safe for the fabric.
* Baby formula:
If the stains don't come out with normal washing, squeeze lemon juice on the spot and let it sit in the sun until it has dried. Then launder as usual.
* Ballpoint pen:
Commercial prewash sprays work well on ink. Place a paper towel under the spot and spray. Keep blotting and spraying until the stain is gone. Wash as usual. Nail polish remover works well on some fabrics, but test on a hidden area first.
* Beer:
Not only does it smell bad, but it can also leave a permanent spot. Make a vinegar and water solution and dab it into the stain. Rinse with warm water, then wash as usual.
* Bleach:
This is the most difficult stain to deal with, and unfortunately, one of the most common. All you really can do is flush the stain with water. That may dilute the damage so that the garment is still wearable. If not, try dying it with a commercial dye.
* Blood:
Get to bloodstains immediately. Rinse well in cold water, then try one of the following:
* Sprinkle stain with unflavored meat tenderizer.
* Blot on hydrogen peroxide with a damp cloth, allow to bubble, then wipe with a fresh cloth. Repeat if necessary.
For dried bloodstains: Soak overnight in cold water and two cups salt. Wash as usual.
* Candle wax:
Scrape off as much as possible. Place a paper towel or brown bag over and under the spot. Iron on medium setting; the wax should be absorbed by the paper.
Candy (not chocolate):
Remove as much of the sticky stuff as you can with a dull knife. Soak the garment in warm water. Make a solution of vinegar and water and dab it onto the spot. Wash as usual.
* Catsup:
Blot off as much as possible - don't rub. Soak in cold water, then use an enzyme detergent as a presoak. Wash as usual.
* Chocolate:
Sponge the stain with cold water. Then add two tablespoons of borax to two cups of warm water and continue sponging the stain with this solution. Rinse and wash as usual.
* Cigarette burns:
The nicotine and tar should come out by washing the garment in hot water and bleach or color-safe bleach. Other than reweaving, there's not much you can do if you've burnt the item.
Coffee:
Sponge the stain or soak it in cold water. Make a solution of two tablespoons borax to two cups warm water and let the fabric soak. Rinse and wash as usual.
* Cosmetics:
A bar of white soap should be all you need. Wet the stain and rub the soap into it. Use a prewash formula if stain persists, then wash as usual.
* Egg:
Scrape away as much as possible with a dull knife. Soak fabric in a solution of detergent and water. Wash as usual.
* Fruit juice:
If it's a fresh stain, put the fabric in the sink and pour boil
ing water over it. Wash as usual. For older stains, soak in cold water, then rub in detergent. Work into stain, then wash as usual.
* Glue:
Rinse with warm water and blot. Or loosen by soaking a clean cloth in white vinegar and saturating the glue spot until it loosens.
* Grass:
Mix one-third cup vinegar and two-thirds cup water. Apply to stain and blot. Or pre-soak in hydrogen peroxide and launder as usual.
*Grease:
Use a powder, such as talcum or cornstarch, to soak up anyexcess grease. When powder gets thick, scrape away and repeat. Place garment face down on paper towels and apply a dry cleaning solvent or liquid detergent. Then dampen the area with water and rub with a bar of white soap. Wash as usual.
* Honey (or syrup):
Sponge the'area with warm water until it's no longer sticky. Use a pre-treater, then wash as usual.
* Iron scorch:
Rub liquid detergent into the area. Then wash entire garment in hot water with bleach or hydrogen peroxide (for items that can't take bleach).
*Lipstick:
Scrape off as much as you can with a dull knife. Use a prewash spray and rub with a cleanwhite towel. Wash as usual.
* Margarine or butter:
Mix one teaspoon laundry detergent with warm water. Apply to spot and blot. You may need to repeat a few times. Mix one part white vinegar and two parts water. Saturate the stain and blot until dry. Wash as usual.
* Mildew:
Apply white vinegar and lemon juice to kill the mildew. Let the item sit in the sun for a few hours. Wash as usual, but separately from other items.
* Milk:
Soak in warm water and use a pre-wash enzyme solution.
* Mud:
Allow mud to dry, then scrape off with a soft brush. Rub the remaining spot with a solution of two tablespoons borax to two cups water. Rinse well and wash as usual.
* Mustard:
Use white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide. Wash as usual.
* Nail polish:
Sponge with polish remover or banana oil, then wash as usual. If stain remains, add a few drops of alcohol and blot. Wash again. Caution: Do not use polish remover on acetate or triacetate fabric.
* Paint (oil-based):
Blot up as much excess as possible. Turpentine or paint thinner diluted with water will do the trick if the fabric is color-safe.
* Paint (water-based):
Blot up excess. Wet the spot with water, then dab on a liquid detergent with a clean cloth. For an older stain, apply a paint remover. As the spots turn soft, gently scrape them away. Wash as usual.
* Pencil lead:
This isn't a problem for most sturdy fabrics, but it can cause problems for delicate fabrics or white cottons and linens. First, wet the area, then make a spray using water and a few drops ammonia. Sponge on the solution, then wash as recommended on the garment label.
* Perfume:
Wash a fresh perfume stain immediately in clear, warm water. Rub an old stain
with glycerine, then wash as usual.
* Pet stains (urine):
Blot up as much liquid as possible with paper towels. Change the towels often. Sponge on a little white vinegar to neutralize the stain. This helps stop any further discoloration. Mix two tablespoons liquid detergent with one cup water and apply sparingly. Blot up any excess with a clean towel.
Ring around the collar:
Brush shampoo into the collar using a stiff brush or an old toothbrush. Wash as usual. Or rub the dirty areas with chalk, which absorbs the body oil causing the dirt.
* Rust:
Soak in lemon juice and salt. Wash as usual.
* Shoe polish:
Remove with rubbing alcohol. Use one part alcohol to two parts water for color-fast fabrics. Apply straight for white fabrics.
* Soft drinks:
Rinse right away in cold water and rubbing alcohol.
* Spaghetti sauce (catsup, barbecue sauce):
Scrape off as much as I you can. Flush the area with cold water. If stain remains, dab on a vine
gar and water solution and rinse thoroughly. Apply a commercial stain treater and let sit for a few minutes. Wash as usual in warm water.
* Suntan lotion:
Treat with a commercial pre-treater. Let sit for a while, then rub in petroleum jelly. Wash the item in hot water.
* Tar:
Rub with kerosene until tar is gone, then wash with detergent and water. Wash as usual.
* Tea:
Pour boiling water over white fabrics if stain is still fresh. Rinse in
warm water. Bleach in final wash if necessary. For colored fabrics, apply a solution of two tablespoons borax to two cups water. Dampen a clean cloth and scrub the fabric. Rinse and wash as usual.
* Vomit:
First scrape up as much as you can. Flush the spot with cold water to dilute the acid. Soak the item in warm water and one teaspoon of detergent and two teaspoons of ammonia. (Don't use ammonia with delicate fabrics.) Rinse with cool water until stain disappears. Wash as usual.
* Water spots:
Use the back of a stainless steel spoon to rub the area or gently scrub with a dry toothbrush. If that doesn't work, wet the entire garment with cool water and dryas usual.
* Wine:
The old standby, club soda, really does the trick. Put the stained item in the sink and pour the club soda over it. Rinse with cold water and wash as usual. If that doesn't work, try a vinegar and water solution. Sponge it onto the spot and let sit a few moments. Then launder as usual. If wine is spilled on a tablecloth, sprinkle with salt immediately.

* Most lint on laundry is caused by a dirty lint basket. Make sure you empty it before every load.
* Eliminate lint on clothing by adding one cup of white vinegar to the final rinse cycle.
* Adding a tablespoon of Epsom salt to each gallon of rinse water helps keep colors from fading or running.
* If you've accidentally shrunk a wool item, wash it in a mixture of hair conditioner and water. Gently reshape it to its original size and let it air dry.
* Make your own spray starch. Mix one tablespoon cornstarch and one-half cup water. Then slowly add one cup of boiling water. Transfer to a spray bottle and let cool.
* Wash feather pillows inside a pillowcase. Use warm water and a low sudsing detergent on the gentle cycle. Stop the cycle halfway through and turn pillows over. Drying in the dryer (on a light heat) takes about two hours.
* To clean velvet at home, hold it over a steaming kettle to remove wrinkles. Shake item out, then brush with a soft brush. Iron from the inside out.
* You can machine wash your delicates by placing them in a pillowcase or mesh bag and using the gentle cycle.
As always, for more information or cleaning tips visit our web site at http://www.springcleaning.us/ or if you reside in the New York City,NYC area call Spring Cleaning Service at 212-962-6730.We are confident that you'll find Spring Cleaning Service to be the best resource for all your spring house,apartment cleaning needs in New York City,NYC.