If your clothing shows the ravages of spilled food and other assorted mystery substances, dishwashing soap mixed with white distilled vinegar works very well as a homemade stain remover.
To remove persistent stains from white clothing, I mix one part dishwashing soap and one part white distilled vinegar in a small medicine cup. I dab this mixture on the stain and let it sit overnight. The stain usually fades completely by morning, but if it hasn’t, I rub more of the mixture on the spot and let it soak in again before washing in cold water.
It’s a safe and effective chlorine bleach alternative, and it works with many fabrics, although I would recommend testing the fabric before treating the whole garment. My homemade stain remover has been effective against red fruit juice that spilled onto a white sweater and sweat stains under the arms of white cotton shirts.
Heidi Holliday
Lawrence, Kansas
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Sorry, Chanan. I meant I wonder if that is what Heidi meant!
In my experience, dishwashing liquid does not contain bleach unless it is specified. Most say not to mix with bleach since the fumes could be hazardous. I have heard of using automatic dishwasher soap to remove stains - I wonder if that is what Chanan meant.
Do you think she meant dishwashing liquid? If so, does that have bleach in it as well? I'm kind of new to green living, so I have no idea. Also, does anyone have a great tip for removing stains from colored fabrics?
I was thinking the same thing. I believe most dishwashing detergents do have bleach in them, so it's probably a good thing this person only uses her solution on whites!
Doesn't dishwashing detergent contain bleach?