Laundry stains are frustrating, but what’s even more upsetting is when you unintentionally make the situation worse by scrubbing while frantically trying to clean up the mess. You’re not alone in this either – one of Most Common Laundry Mistakes That Make Stains Worse this is when you rub it, rather than dabbing it. It’s best to avoid rubbing laundry stains, as rubbing can damage the fabric, which can cause the stain to penetrate further into the material. One of the only times it’s okay to scrub rather than blot is when you’re rubbing something to remove the stain, like a baking soda paste..

In addition to determining when to scrub instead of dabbing, using the incorrect water temperature to treat laundry stains can also make them worse. Depending on the type of stain and the material of the fabric you are trying to wash, the water temperature you should use to combat stains will vary. For example, for blood stains you should use cold water, but for berry stains you should use cold water before hot water. And no matter what type of laundry stain you’re dealing with or whatever your cleaning approach, you should always treat it as quickly as possible. The longer a stain remains, the more difficult it will be to remove it.

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When to Dab Laundry Stains (And How to Do It Right)

Depending on the type of stain you’re dealing with, you may want to soak the cloth you’re using before you start blotting. For example, if you’re working on a stain that’s best treated with cold water, you can dip the cloth in cold water first before blotting. Some of the Toughest Laundry Stains that you need to treat with cold water come from grass, water-based paint and egg stains. For stains that you can treat with hot water, you will follow the same process as if you were using cold water. You can also soak the fabric in hot water if the material is able to handle it. Stains you can treat with hot water include oil, grease, lotion, and foundation. The material of the fabric you are working with also influences the temperature of the water you should use. Cold water is generally best when working with delicate, natural fabrics, and hot water is best for synthetic fabrics.

Now that we know when to blot stains, let’s talk about how to do it correctly. The key is not to blot the stain too aggressively. Instead, you should gently blot the stain with a clean towel. This will help absorb the spill and prevent it from spreading. Try to absorb as much of the spill as possible, but be sure to take your time and do it gently to avoid damaging the fabric. You should also dab the stain from the outside in and make sure you use all of the fabric to ensure you don’t accidentally spread the stain.

When it’s okay to scrub a laundry stain

There are really only two scenarios in which you will scrub a laundry stain. The first is when you spill or get a ball of something, like butter or mud, on your laundry. In this case, you definitely want to wipe off as much residue as possible. To be clear though, you should wipe off the residue rather than scrub it, so be very careful with this process.

The other circumstance in which it may be OK to scrub a laundry stain is when you are pretreating it.. This could be with a baking soda paste or a enzymatic stain remover from Amazon for $3.48. For example, a paste of baking soda can help you banish paint stains and grass marks from your laundry, and the best way to apply it is to massage the paste directly onto the affected area of ​​the fabric. The process is the same when using enzymatic stain removers to remove stains like oil and grease: You can help get stains out of fabric by rubbing enzymatic stain removers or detergent directly onto the stain. Make sure this process takes place after you have done the initial soaking or blotting to avoid accidentally setting the stain.

Read the original article on House Digest.