The terror of every self-respecting housewife is the stains of wine and oil on the tablecloth! Avoiding them is almost impossible sometimes, especially if we have children at the table.
Few household items are more exposed to dirt than tablecloths. For this reason, it is sometimes particularly difficult to clean them, even if they are washed several times in the washing machine. Doing so is not a matter of perseverance, but of knowing how to remove those stains from the fabrics.
Tricks to remove oil stains from tablecloths
Cleaning them with soap alone is sometimes not enough as there are stains that are difficult to remove, such as those from oil or red wine. Precisely in this type of case you have to resort to old homemade tricks.
At the table at mealtime, all kinds of accidents can happen: spilled wine, broken glasses or grease stains that ruin the look of our favorite tablecloth.
Fortunately, we can make use of many home remedies that, in just a few minutes, will restore your tablecloth to its original appearance.
There are several ways to prevent grease stains from sticking to tablecloths. One of them is to try to keep them from drying out. Therefore, if we detect that a tablecloth has been stained, we should try to clean it immediately. To do this, it may be sufficient to use soap and water applied with a damp cloth.
However, removing these stains is not always so easy. For these cases, in which the work of the washing machine may not be enough, numerous tricks can be resorted to with products that are found in almost every home. In this article we tell you some that you will surely not be disappointed.
How to Remove Oil Stains from Tablecloths
One of the reasons why this type of stain affects our fabrics so much, regardless of their color, is that the presence of oil seriously affects the fabrics.
That is, the oil permeates the fiber and absorbs all its properties, including the pigment. And even if soap is applied quickly, it may not be enough to remove the oil.
If we notice the stain immediately, better results can be achieved if we use products that we have at home such as: cornstarch, talcum powder or baking soda capable of “absorbing” the oil from the tablecloth.
Recent oil stains
These products, used as the first thing as soon as you finish eating, will interrupt absorption and allow you to continue with other cleaning tricks. There are also people who rub ice on the stain so that it does not continue to spread on the fabric and damage it further.
Talc or baking soda also work as natural bleaching products that act delicately on fabrics to remove food and drink debris. They work great at removing grease from light fabrics and do not allow permanent stains to form.
Finally, once the stain has been rubbed and removed with vinegar, talcum powder or baking soda, the garment should be washed as usual. It can be put in the washing machine or washed by hand, depending on the manufacturer’s specifications.
But this step completes the cleaning, as it ensures that you have not left traces of grease or other oil on the tablecloths.
Old, dry oil stains to remove
Baking soda works on both fresh and dry spots; however, you’ll need to add a little vinegar.
To obtain results it is necessary to cover the oil stain with a mixture made with both products, leave it on for 10 minutes and then wash as usual.
Another way is to mix baking soda with a little water to form a paste and rub on the stain, rinsing every 15 minutes for about three hours.
To remove old or dry oil stains we can rub with a little dish soap and then soak in a bowl with water and white vinegar for a few hours. Then rinse with plenty of cold water and wash as usual.