

Blood
They are easily removed when fresh with cold water + soap.
For difficult stains:
Soak in ammonia water (1 tablespoon per 1 litre of water) and put a bit of soap then rinse.
If there is still a slight stain, start again lightly dabbing with hydrogen peroxide at 10 or 15 volumes (available in pharmacy), rinse
Tricks:
- Use saline solution but only for colourfast fabrics.
- Aspirin (anticoagulant) may be effective to dissolve certain stains.
Cosmetics and shoe polish
Gently remove by scraping the excess with a knife and then treat with a Turpentine type solvent, liquid stain remover or white spirit. Verify colour hold before using solvents. Warning, makeup stains must not be wetted.
Deodorant
After rubbing detergent into the dampened stain, wash in hot water using chlorine bleach for bleachable fabrics or in warm water for non-bleachable fabrics. Sponge with ammonia to restore the fabric's colour. When working with more delicate fabrics like wool, mohair or silk, dilute ammonia with equal parts of water. Wash normally.
Mercurochrome
- Water with ammonia or water with Chlorine bleach (depending on the care code of the article of clothing) gives good results. Rinse with white vinegar and then water.
- On synthetic and artificial fabrics, use lemon juice.
- On wool and silk, as for pen ink stains, apply on the stain a rag soaked in a mixture composed of 1/3 burning alcohol and 2/3 cold water.
Nail polish
Apply acetone or amyl acetate. Always rinse well to avoid rings. Verify the hold of certain colours.
Never use nail polish remover on acetate and triacetate fabrics.
Perfume
Wash with warm water + soap. For difficult stains:
- On cotton, rub with hydrogen peroxide, rinse
- On wool, silk, synthetic and artificial fabrics, delicately dab with a 1/3 alcohol and 2/3 cold water mixture. Warning, the fabric’s colours may fade.
Sweat, urine
Immediately rinse with warm water and then soak in ammonia water (1 tablespoon per 1 litre of water) and put a bit of soap and then rinse.
If there is still a slight stain, start again lightly dabbing with hydrogen peroxide at 10 or 15 volumes (available in pharmacy), rinse.
Vomit
Sponge with warm water containing a little ammonia. Cosmetics and shoe polish.