Whitening Plus Stain Remover Soak

My family has elevated sweaty grimy greasy stains to a creative art form! This reality, plus a modest spending budget, meant that I had to discover a method to get rid of stains and maintain the usefulness of apparel. It is a formulation that I've used on whites, jeans and brightly colored clothing. I have not made use of it on many delicate fabrics, but if the item of clothing was useless because of an unattractive stain, I'd personally try it out. From time to time, I'll run across a stain so firmly embedded into the fabric that it remains. In that instance, the item of clothing either gets dyed darker or sent to the scrap basket.

You'll need two 5-gallon buckets with lids.



Blend Well:

* two cups borax
* two cups washing soda
* one cup OxiClean®
* one cup Cascade Complete All In One Gel
* one cup hydrogen peroxide
* two cups vinegar
* one to two gallons of HOT water



Gradually add one to two gallons of HOT water while stirring the mixture. The powder will tend to make hard clumps if not well stirred. Should this happen, you will be able to mash the clumps up against the side of the bucket with a wooden spoon. Put the clothing you would like to soak into a separate 5 gallon bucket. If this fills the bucket over 2/3 full, you may wish to divide the clothing between the two buckets. For instance, the whites and colors could be separated. Pour the liquid solution over the fabric in the bucket. If using two buckets, equally divide the formula among them. To boost the water level so the clothes are immersed, add more hot water. Cover the bucket and let it soak until morning.

The next day, dump the contents of the bucket into your washing machine (or wash tub) and run them through the rinse and spin cycle. Then, wash the clothes as you would typically. I've had positive results turning soiled socks into white socks, as well as cleaning linens and dingy undershirts. In the event you shop garage and yard sales, this is a good solution to try and restore fabrics to daily use.

This is a formulation that's evolved with time for me. Feel free to change it to suit your own needs.

By: NGJEricDavis

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For more about healthy hydration and other DIY tips, visit Kay Morrison's Learn and Live Well blog.