Old-Time Stain Removal Tips: Timeless Wisdom

These tips were collected from vintage booklets dating from the 1930’s and 1940’s. The Timeless Wisdom collection is a regular feature on Tipnut where we take a look back at the methods used and advice given to tackle regular household tasks. These were the days when fancy gadgets and cleaning powders weren’t yet invented so they were quite creative with what they had.

Laundry Stain Removal

1. Wet ink stains may be removed by washing in milk or, better still, in buttermilk. Wash, changing the milk frequently.
2. To remove iron mould or dry ink from white materials, steep the stained material in a hot solution of salts of lemon–one tablespoon of salts to one quart of boiling water; or simply place the stained part over a basin, cover the stain with salts, and pour the boiling water through. Repeat if necessary.
3. Ink stains may be removed by covering the spot with lard. Let this stand for about twelve hours and wash the article in the regular way.
4. To remove tea, coffee, or cocoa stains, use glycerine. A fresh stain can be removed by gentle rubbing; if the stain is old, soak in the glycerine for some time.
5. Wine stains may be removed by holding the stained portion of the cloth in boiling milk.
6. While a fruit stain is still moist, cover it with powdered starch. When dry, rinse the article in cold water and wash in the ordinary way.
7. Fruit stains may be removed with a strong solution of borax, or the stain moistened with water, rubbed with borax, and boiling water poured through.
8. Fruit and Rust stains: Apply lemon juice, salt and expose to sun.
9. Grass stains: When fresh, can be removed by soaking in alcohol. If stain is old, rub with molasses and allow to stand several hours before washing.
10. For grass stains use cold water and no soap. Alcohol may be used if the material is unwashable.
11. Blood stains, if fresh, may be removed by washing in cold water. If hard and dry steep for a few hours in cold water, to which add a pinch of baking soda. Washing and bleaching will finish the process. Never put blood stains in hot water.
12. Never put hot water on milk and cream stains. Wash them out in cold water, followed by soap and water. Rinse in clear water.
13. Egg stains on washable fabrics may be removed by soaking the garment in cold water for a short time before washing with soap and water in the usual way.
14. To remove paint from colored material, dip the stains in turpentine, rub, then dip in a little ammonia, rub and wash in warm water.
15. Mildew on linen may be removed by dampening the marks, rubbing soap on them, and covering them with chalk scraped into a powder. Work this well in and then wash the linen in the ordinary way.
16. Mildew stains may be removed by rubbing with a paste made by mixing two teaspoonfuls of water, one of powdered chalk, and two of soap powder. The spots should afterwards be well rinsed and dried out of doors in the sunlight. This has a bleaching effect on them.
17. Mildew: Use a mixture of soft soap, powdered starch, half as much salt and the juice of a lemon. Apply to both sides of the fabric and expose to the sun.
18. To remove grease from silk lay the silk on a table on top of a clean white cloth. Cover the spot thickly with powdered French chalk. On this lay a sheet of blotting paper and over that a moderately hot iron. If grease does not disappear at once, repeat process.
19. Grease spots on suede shoes will disappear if they are rubbed with a clean rag dipped in glycerine.
20. Rub sewing machine oil stains with lard, let stand for several hours, and then wash with cold water and soap.
21. Table salt and cream of tartar, equal parts, will remove rust stains. Wet the spot and spread the mixture on thickly, then place the material in the sun.
22. To remove rain spots from satin, felt and similar materials, use a soft ball of tissue paper. Rub the effected parts with a circular movement.
23. To remove iodine stains from linens rub the stained area with a slice of lemon.
24. Chocolate and Cocoa Stains: Use borax and cold water and bleach, if necessary.
25. Scorch Marks: Dip a cloth in diluted peroxide and rub the scorched spot. Then iron over it and stain will disappear.

More laundry stain helpers are here: Laundry Stain Treatments: Tip Sheet, Laundry Stain Treatments: Methods & Guidelines and Homemade Laundry Stain Pretreater Recipes.

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