YOU SHOULD KNOW THE FABRIC you are dealing with, for success in routing stains ;whether it is silk, wool, linen, cotton, rayon, or one of the other synthetics and whether it has a special finish. You should also know, if possible, what caused the stain. If the material will not wash and you are uncertain about these things, it will be better to send an expensive article to a good dry cleaner than to try to do it yourself. Fabrics differ in the stain removers they can stand, and what works on one stain will not necessarily work on another, or on a different material. So test your stain remover on a hidden seam on in some inconspicuous area if you are in doubt. However, the stains that you can remove successfully and easily are legion.



STAINS ON WASHABLE SYNTHETICS. Many stains can be removed very easily from washable synthetic clothing at the time they occur. The material will dry quickly and there will usually be no trace. Just sponge them off with soap or a detergent and water. Stains such as CATSUP, MUSTARD, CHOCOLATE, SHERBET, LIPSTICK, and even SOME

GREASE STAINS disappear from nylon by this simple method, while ordinary household cleaning fluids will deal with stubborn GREASE and CHEWING GUM. If you have any doubt about the effect of some other stain remover you may consider using, test it first in some inconspicuous place, such as a seam.

ALL STAINS SHOULD BE TREATED PROMPTLY, whatever their source, because the fresher they are the easier they are to remove. Stains allowed to stand often become hopelessly set and some become difficult or impossible if the material is washed, ironed, or pressed. So sponge off grease and oil stains quickly with cleaning fluid and treat others promptly with plain cool water.

OIL AND GREASE STAINS on washable fabrics are best treated before they go into the water. While they often wash out in the course of ordinary laundering, their removal will be more certain if you pretreat them with detergent or soap (whichever you plan to use), or by sponging them with cleaning fluid. Dark-colored table linens and clothing tend to hide such spots until the material is ironed, and ironing a grease spot also tends to set it. In addition to grease stains caused by foods on linens there may be lipstick stains, which can be tricky depending upon their composition, and candlewax drippings. Drippings of candlewax should be scraped off gently with a case knife, after which any remaining traces can usually be sponged off with cleaning fluid. If color remains from lip stick or candlewax, sponge the spot with a cloth dipped in alcohol. (Dilute the alcohol with one or two parts of water for very delicate materials.)

FOR OIL AND GREASE STAINS on non-washable fabrics use cleaning fluid. Use carbon tetrachloride in a well ventilated room or outdoors because the fumes are poisonous. Do not use flammable cleaners near an open flame. Place a pad of clean cloth on your working surface and arrange the stained part of the cloth on the pad. If the material is thick, put the cloth wrong side up so that the stain can be worked out without having to go through the material. Apply the cleaning fluid to the stain with another pad of cloth, working always from the outer edge of the stain toward the center. This avoids spreading the stain. Use the cleaning fluid sparingly and quickly, repeating applications as many times as are necessary. Use a light brushing motion since hard rubbing damages some materials. Keep moving the pad as it absorbs the stain and excess cleaning fluid. To avoid making a ring, feather the cleaning fluid irregularly into the cloth around the stain and fan it to make it evaporate quickly.

Know the fabric that you use before cleaning it. Many stains can be removed easily at the time they occur using the water or soap. To clean the stains at the time they occur or promptly will reduce the chance that the stains to stand. Oil and grease on washable fabric can be pretreat with detergent or soap. While the non washable fabrics can be cleaned with cleaning fluid. Use the cleaning fluid sparingly and quickly, repeating applications as many times as are necessary.