Clothes first,” our mothers and grandmothers tell us. And while fashion and relevance of clothing is not always a concern for people, a neat appearance says a lot about a person. Dirty, dirty, laundry must always be avoided. The condition of your clothes largely depends on how you take care of them. And shirt collars can safely be called one of the most difficult challenges for hostesses. In fact, to get rid of them is not as difficult as it seems at first glance.
Causes of stains
The human body is constantly producing sweat and sebum. These substances are deposited on the garment. Shirt collars and cuffs fit snugly against the skin. Because of this, more of these substances collect on the fabric. And no matter how clean a person is, how often he didn’t take a shower, it will be impossible to avoid such dirt.
Also, shirts often leave behind traces of makeup. Lipstick and foundation have a greasy base and absorb well into the fabric. And any grease stains are removed by special products. Not only that, but decorative cosmetics have persistent dyes. This makes the task even more difficult.
In any of these cases, if you act in time, with confidence and precision, you will be able to remove all the dirt and return shirt collars to their original appearance.
Preparing your clothes for the wash
Shirts aren’t the kind of clothes you can just throw in the washer and carelessly wait for the cycle to complete. If the main part of the product is easy to refresh, the collar area is unlikely to regain its pristine appearance. To call a garment clean, it needs to be properly prepared.
Before you clean a shirt, remove all accessories, things from pockets, and so on. It is important to be sure to know the type of fabric and the manufacturer’s recommendations on how to care for it. The following tips will be given for cotton fabrics. At the end, consider a few tips on how to wash delicate shirts.
Prepare all tools and appliances before you begin. It is important to have a bowl for soaking and rinsing on hand. A brush with a synthetic moderately stiff pile also comes in handy. With its help it will be easier to remove stains.
Removing stains in the traditional way
Even our grandmothers used to say that there is no better detergent than laundry soap 72%. And no matter how many powders and detergents are invented, the popularity of this brown bar does not fall. It is best used to wash shirt collars.
To do this, the fabric should be abundantly moistened with water and well rubbed with soap. The product will leave a red stain. There is no need to be intimidated by them. They will disappear by themselves during the washing process.
After processing with soap, leave the shirt for 15-20 minutes. For a better effect, the washed part can be placed in a bag with a little bit of warm water. So the soap will be more effective. After the time is up, rinse the collar well in cold water and send the shirt to the machine for further washing. Soap should be rinsed well (as well as any other detergents), so they do not create a copious foam in the drum of the washing machine, which can put it out of service.
For collars, manufacturers today create different special products. As a rule, they work on the principle of washing with bubbles: after soaking, gas begins to be released, which gently removes the dirt. But here it should be understood that such products are more expensive than laundry soap, but not much better. To buy or not to buy such cleaners is everyone’s business. But every housewife should think about reasonable savings.
Folk remedies for cleaning collars
Special products are not always on hand. This does not mean that dirty collars should be left until better times. There are a few good ways to deal with stains with local remedies:
Potato juice.Wash the potatoes well, peel them, remove all the eyes. Grate the tuber on a fine grater and squeeze the juice through several layers. The cake can be used on drapes, and the resulting liquid to abundantly moisten the place of contamination and leave for 20-25 minutes. Rinse the collar well afterwards. The stains will go away without much effort. The starch in the juice will remove them. It soaks up the sebum that forms the dirt.
Potato or corn starch.It works in the same way as potato juice. For soaking, the powder is diluted to a liquid gruel. Apply a thick layer of the product to the abundantly soaked fabric and leave for some time, rinse and wash the entire shirt.
Hydrogen peroxide.You can buy it at any drugstore. Soak the collar in warm water for a few minutes. A good squeeze. Pour hydrogen peroxide on the stains. As soon as the bubbles appear, it takes effect. It dissolves biological secretions and cleans the fabric. After the collar stops gassing, rinse.
Vinegar.Only table synthetic vinegar of 9% concentration may be used. The natural varieties are not suitable. Better to replace them with citric acid or a fresh slice of lemon. Soak the soaked fabric well with detergent and let the stains work for about 15 minutes. Rinse in cold water. For heavy soiling, vinegar can be sprinkled with baking soda to begin to release gas and remove stains from deep layers of fabric.
Dishwashing detergent.Its use is justified by its ability to dissolve grease. It works well on collars, too. But because of its high foaming ability, it requires a particularly thorough rinse, if the washing will continue in the machine.
All of these methods are effective with fresh stains. If they are out of date, a more aggressive formula is better, but there is a risk of damaging the fabric. Chlorine-free bleach is the best of all emergency methods. But they should be used with care on colored fabrics. It can wash away stains and dyes as well.
Machine wash. Delicate fabrics
It’s better to wash the entire shirt in the machine on the mode recommended by the manufacturer. As a rule, these are temperatures up to 40 degrees and low spin speeds. Washing time can be minimal. Some machines have a mode for shirts or a quick wash for 20-30 minutes. It is enough for clothes that just need to be freshened up. But you will not be able to use these modes on collars and shirts. That’s why they require special treatment.
Not all shirts are made of cotton. Silk and knitwear require special care. The remedies described above do not apply to them. Also, do not use abrasive brushes to treat them. You should wash this type of garment only with a special detergent. Collars have to pre-soak in them, and wash on a delicate mode. Speeds must be kept as low as possible in order to avoid damaging the fabric.
General guidelines for collar care
To easily remove stains from collars and cuffs, you need to follow some simple rules:
Changing shirts every day;
Wash it right away after wearing it;
Brush dry clothes before you wash them to remove skin particles;
Test each product on an inconspicuous area or on a fabric similar in texture;
Always wash and soak before the main wash cycle.
If your collar gets stains from other pollutants, you should remove them as recommended. For example, lipstick is washed with dish detergent, blood with hydrogen peroxide in cold water, fresh berry juice with boiling water (not for all fabrics) or vinegar.
Taking care of things is not difficult. It is important to adhere to basic rules and consistency. If you don’t wash once a month, you shouldn’t have a problem with it.
