In the last article, we looked at what to do when marking happens and the way to treat oil and grease based stains.
Continuing on from there we will now look at the next most typical type of stain that happens on quilts:
Protein Stains
Believe it or not, this is a big one. Many folks are surprised to find out just how many protein based stains there may be. Stuff like mustard, blood, fruit juice, mud, vomit, wine, coffee, chocolate and coca are all protein based stains.
The rough guide is, if it came from a human or something humans eat, probabilities are its a protein stain.
The best way to remove a protein stain is to get rid of as much of it as practicable by blotting with cloth or paper towels to remove excess fluids or materials. Then mix up some cold water and salt using the ratio of 1 tsp of salt to 1 pint of water.
I can not emphasize the importance of cold water enough. Don't use hot water! Hot water will react with the protein and lock in the stain.
For coffee and tea, use borax and water or if you have it on hand, Club Soda works a treat also , this one truly helped me when I spilled coffee on my favouirte patchwork quilt. For wine and fruit juices, you'll need an ammonia based cleaner to remove all the marking.
If the stain does not come out right away, you will need to soak the stained areas for a few hours before putting it through a regular wash.
Permanent Marks
This is an assorted bag. There are so many differing types of chemicals and every one has an individual way of treating it. The good news is that most chemicals will have cleaning instructions on the back of the packing advising how to treat it if marking happens, so consult the packets.
Permanent Marks
There are some things which can't be removed. Stuff like scorch or burn marks will not wash out as these are significant changes in the fibre composition itself, not the colouring.
Tar and asphalt are also almost impossible to get out as this has a tendency to lock into the fibres themselves and can't be softened or scrubbed out.
Continuing on from there we will now look at the next most typical type of stain that happens on quilts:
Protein Stains
Believe it or not, this is a big one. Many folks are surprised to find out just how many protein based stains there may be. Stuff like mustard, blood, fruit juice, mud, vomit, wine, coffee, chocolate and coca are all protein based stains.
The rough guide is, if it came from a human or something humans eat, probabilities are its a protein stain.
The best way to remove a protein stain is to get rid of as much of it as practicable by blotting with cloth or paper towels to remove excess fluids or materials. Then mix up some cold water and salt using the ratio of 1 tsp of salt to 1 pint of water.
I can not emphasize the importance of cold water enough. Don't use hot water! Hot water will react with the protein and lock in the stain.
For coffee and tea, use borax and water or if you have it on hand, Club Soda works a treat also , this one truly helped me when I spilled coffee on my favouirte patchwork quilt. For wine and fruit juices, you'll need an ammonia based cleaner to remove all the marking.
If the stain does not come out right away, you will need to soak the stained areas for a few hours before putting it through a regular wash.
Permanent Marks
This is an assorted bag. There are so many differing types of chemicals and every one has an individual way of treating it. The good news is that most chemicals will have cleaning instructions on the back of the packing advising how to treat it if marking happens, so consult the packets.
Permanent Marks
There are some things which can't be removed. Stuff like scorch or burn marks will not wash out as these are significant changes in the fibre composition itself, not the colouring.
Tar and asphalt are also almost impossible to get out as this has a tendency to lock into the fibres themselves and can't be softened or scrubbed out.
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To get some more great tips about the best way to make a patchwork quilt, check out Jane Green's how to make a patchwork quilt website now!
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