Getting rid of Garden Stains

As national allotment week starts to come to an end we have put together some top tips for getting out those garden stains that we all hate but that you have bound to have picked up.  Whether it be mud, pollen or grass; below are some simple steps to shift those nuisance stains. If your item is only suitable for dry cleaning take it to a local dry cleaners and point out the stain.

Remove Grass Stains
Start by working in some heavy-duty detergent such as Persil into the stain. We would suggest using an old toothbrush to do this, then leave to rest for around 15 mins. Then place the item to soak in luke-warm water for a few hours with a non-chlorine fabric bleach. If the water is too hot it can allow the stain to soak deeper into the fabric so make sure the water is not overly hot.

Once soaked place in the washing machine on a cold wash, no hotter than 30. Hopefully your stain will have gone, if not do not allow the item to dry as this will make the stain harder to remove. If required repeat the process until the stain has gone.

It is important to note that this process is not suitable for silk or wool.
 
Remove Ground Mud Stains
If the mud has already dried shake off as much as you can, you can also use an old dry toothbrush to assist. If the stain is still wet or once you have removed as much of the dry mud as possible you should place the item in cold water and rubbing it together with your hands (the colder the water the better) then add some liquid detergent and soak for half an hour before lightly rubbing it together with your hands again. Repeat this process again with warm water. If the stain still persists replenish the water, this time with cold water and detergent and leave to soak overnight. The entire process can be repeated until the stain can no longer be seen. Once the stain is no longer visible you can then machine wash at a high temperature.
 
Remove Pollen Stains
When you get a pollen stain it is important to act as quickly as possible. And also keep the stain completely dry. Touching it with your hands can cause it to go deeper into your clothing as it mixes with the oils.

Start by shaking off as much of the pollen as possible then using sticky tape place it over the stain and peel off until the majority if not all the stain has gone soak in cold water with a non-chlorine fabric bleach for several hours. If the stain is still there soak again in a fresh solution (still cold) until it has gone before washing in the machine on a cold setting. Only dry the item once the stain has completely gone.