We may have mentioned before how much we like to keep things clean. Just take a look at the way The Clean Team™ at Hollywood Storage Center of Thousand Oaks keeps our storage unit facility looking great! So, we thought we would put together this handy-dandy guide to removing all sorts of stains. No need to thank us…it’s our pleasure! 😊

Some of the most frequent stains are listed below. As a common denominator for all of them, be sure to air dry after you attempt to remove the stain. Throwing your garment into the dryer can set the discoloration, so you’ll want to make sure it’s gone before resuming your normal laundering.

Tomato Stains

Spumoni’s Italian Restaurant in Newbury Park is a treat for the taste buds, but their marinara sauce can ruin your shirt faster than our team can devour one of their pizzas! Don’t fret. Saturate the stain with vinegar and let it soak. Then launder as usual.

Coffee Stains

Easy to do, right? We mean, we’re just waking up! To remove coffee stains, flush the back side of the garment with hot water, then blot with a clean rag and a solution of dish soap and water. Allow material to dry, then pre-treat with a stain remover and wash in cold water.

Red Wine Stains

Put the party on pause, this is going to take some attention. First, dab (but don’t rub) the stain with a damp, white cloth to absorb excess liquid. Then, pull the fabric taut and fasten it with a rubber band, stain-side-up, over a bowl. Sprinkle the stain with a good amount of salt and let it sit for a bit (at least 5 minutes). Meanwhile boil some water. After the salt has absorbed the liquid, pour boiling water over the stain from a height of at least eight inches. Finally, machine wash on the hottest setting.

Mustard Stains

Start off by flushing the stain with vinegar and blot with a clean rag and dish soap/water solution. Pre-treat with stain remover and wash in cold water.

Grass Stains

We’re going to focus on jeans for this one. Those of us with kids know why for sure, right?!  After some play time at one of the Conejo Valley’s many parks, our youngsters typically have them.

Generously wet with the stain with rubbing alcohol, then let the area dry completely. Rinse with cool water, then smear on a small amount of liquid detergent and rub it in for about five minutes. Rinse with cold water, then allow to air dry. Repeat as needed until the stain is a thing of the past, then wash as normal.

Ink Stains

Rubbing alcohol is the key to ink stain success. Blot the stain with the rubbing alcohol before pre-treating with a stain remover. Then, wash in hot water.

Blood Stains

If possible, get working on this stain right away. Apply hydrogen peroxide liberally and scrub it in with an old toothbrush. Allow the peroxide to soak into the stain for about 15 minutes, then rinse. If it’s gone, great! If not, grab some liquid dish soap and some baking soda. Put a drop of soap on the stain and sprinkle with a bit of the baking soda. Then scrub with that toothbrush again. As soon as you see results, throw your garment into the wash on cold.

Cooking Oil Stains

This is a toughie, but we got you! First thing, sprinkle with cornstarch, then flush the back side with cold water. Blot with dish soap and water, then pre-treat with stain remover before laundering in hot water.

Stains are no fun, but with these tips you can keep looking your best! Do you have some other stain-removal tips to share? We’d love to hear them, so write them in the comments section below or share them with us when you’re in looking for a sparkling-clean storage unit.