You spilled something on your favorite sweater or blanket and now you don't know what to do.You can get many types of stains out of wool with the right cleaning solution and patience.Wool is a naturally stain-repelling material.If you stain some wool, make sure you spot- clean it rather than washing the whole item, which can damage the wool.
Step 1: If the item is not labeled dry- clean only, spot-clean wool is required.
If you want to see clean clothing, look on the inside of the collar or elsewhere in the garment.If the item is a blanket, look for the tag near one of the corners.If the wool item is dry clean, don't try to clean it yourself.It is possible that you will ruin the color or damage it.
Step 2: Put equal parts water and alcohol in a container.
Put the liquids in a container or bowl.This can be used on cocktail, brown liquor, and beer stains.Rubbing alcohol is called surgical spirits.
Step 3: Pure mineral spirits can be used for oily and greasy stains.
Oily stains from things like butter, cooking oil, and sauces can be worked on by undiluted mineral spirits.It works well for greasy stains like makeup, lipstick, and shoe polish.It works on stains from grass and ink.Mineral spirits include white spirits, mineral turpentine, petroleum spirits and paint thinner.Minor skin irritation can be caused by mineral spirits.When working with it or wearing gloves, be careful not to get it on your hands.
Step 4: Equal parts rubbing alcohol and white vinegar can be used to clean coffee stains.
Put the liquids in a container.You should treat chocolate and tea stains with pure mineral spirits first.Treat the coffee stain with mineral spirits if it is from a coffee that has milk.
Step 5: Red wine or fruit juice stains can be treated with rubbing alcohol and water.
Stir or shake the liquids in a bowl or container to remove the rubbing alcohol.The solution works well for fruit stains.If you bite into a ripe red plum and a bit of its juices are sprayed onto your sweater, this will work.
Step 6: White vinegar is used to treat blood stains.
It helps break down blood stains.It's much harder to get out of dried blood with vinegar.Warm or hot water can cause blood to set even more into the wool if you try to wash it out with it.It is better to leave it alone until you can treat it.
Step 7: The edge of a spoon or butter knife can be used to remove caked-on substances.
To get rid of food or other substances stuck on the edge of the utensil, gently scrub it back and forth over the stain.Don't use sharp objects that could hurt the wool.If the stain is from a liquid, skip this step.
Step 8: Fresh stains can be soaked with a dry paper towel or cloth.
The paper towel should be folded up once or twice.Lift it up by pressing it against the stain.When no more liquid is lifting off the wool, switch to a clean part of the paper towel or cloth.If you have a fresh stain on your wool item, act as fast as possible.
Step 9: Put your cleaning solution on the part of the wool that isn't visible.
Put a clean cloth in your cleaning solution and wring it out.To make sure the solution doesn't damage the color, gently rub a part of the wool that is not normally seen.If you spot cleaning a sweater, try the solution on the inside of the sleeve.Don't proceed if the cleaning solution alters the color of the wool.Get the wool item dry cleaned.
Step 10: Blot the stain with a damp cloth.
Lift the stain with the cloth that was soaked in the cleaning solution.Continue this process until the stain is gone.You can try different cleaning solutions if you can't completely lift the stain.You might be able to find a combination of several different solutions.All of the solutions listed here are safe to use and you don't have to worry about them reacting with one another in a negative way.
Step 11: If the items are dirty, wash them with cold water and wool soap.
Put the item in a tub or bucket full of cold water and use wool detergent to wash it.Rub the soapy water into the dirty parts of the item with your hands.It is best to hand-wash wool items because some machine cycles can be rough on the wool.If you want to wash something in a machine, choose the most gentle cycle and use cold water.
Step 12: To remove the cleaning solution, Blot spots with cold water.
The cloth should be soaked in cold water.The treated area needs to be sprayed several times to remove any leftover cleaning solution.You can rinse a spot-treated area by holding the wool under the water for a few seconds.
Step 13: It's a good idea to rinse hand-washed items with cold water.
Put a bucket or tub with cold water in it's mouth.Dunk the wool item into the bucket and gently wash it.When you see soap suds in the water, pour it out and repeat the process.If you machine-wash anything on a gentle, cold cycle, the machine will rinse it for you.
Step 14: If there are any bad odors, spray wool with a mixture of water and water.
Put the water and water in a spray bottle and shake it to mix them.The wool item should be misted with a solution to kill odors.Any time your wool item gets a little musty, you can do this.It can be done after you spot a stain.
Step 15: Hang the item up or lay it flat.
To avoid misshaping heavy clothing, lay them flat on a drying rack.Large items like blankets should be hung up.It is never a good idea to put wool garments in a drying machine.You will damage them this way.