Question: That family picnic seemed like a great idea until my kids got grass stains on their pants. What do I do?
Answer: Hot summer weather boosts the appeal of eating a meal outside in the fresh air, but there are drawbacks to dining on the lawn. Grass stains can be a nuisance, especially if you enjoyed your meal on a lush green lawn or shared your picnic with rambunctious kids who love to slide on the grass.
The general rule with laundry is that the sooner you can address the issue, the better. Pretreating and removing the grass stains before laundering is the key to successfully removing them.
Start by wetting the stained area and apply one of these products: Sunlight Laundry Bar soap, Amaze Stain Remover dissolved in hot water, or Oxy containing laundry pre-treater. Massage it into the stain with the pads of your fingers, allow it to sit 10 minutes, rinse under warm running water and reapply if necessary until the stain is gone. Amaze should never be used on silk or wool.
It’s very important to test any product first in an inconspicuous area of the garment, such as the inside of a hem, to make sure it doesn’t change the colour of the garment. Another precaution is to avoid rubbing the garment against itself while cleaning it because it can damage the fibres. Do a final application of product and wash the garment to remove any of the remaining stain. Don’t dry it in the dryer until the stain is completely gone.
The type of fibres, dye and fabric finishes don’t always react the same way, and khakis, jeans and bright cottons pose different problems. The denim tends to have an unstable dye, the khaki often locks in stains, and bright cottons often lose colour easily.
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