Fabric stains are hard to avoid, whether from grass, blood, ink, wine, coffee or dozens of other possibilities. (We think it’s a sign that you’re living an active, vibrant life!)
But before you turn to the internet for ideas on how to remove a stain, why not let Oceanside Cleaners take a look? “Many stain removal ideas people hear about can actually permanently set the stain rather than remove it,” says Mike Harris, owner, Oceanside Cleaners. “It’s much easier for us to remove a stain when the person hasn’t tried a home remedy first.”
Three “Don’ts” for Successful Stain Removal
Based on 35 years of expertise, Harris shares three rules of thumb for dealing with fabric stains:
- Don’t try it yourself. Often when our customers come in, they have tried all the so-called remedies: Rinse with cold water or warm water. Dab with vinegar, baking soda or hydrogen peroxide. Spray it with WD-40. Rub it with polishing paste. Unfortunately, most will leave you with a worse mess than when you started.
- Don’t despair. The other extreme is to admit defeat and trash the item. Customers particularly give up on stains from peanut butter, mustard, berry juice, tomato sauce, red wine, cooking grease or butter. But most of these stains can be removed by our professionals at Oceanside Cleaners.
- Don’t wait. The longer you wait, the more time the stain has to set—to weld itself to the fabric, destroying or distorting fibers and becoming impossible to remove. Bring the item to us as soon as you can to improve the chance of complete stain removal.
We’re Professional Stain Removers—Try Us
Oceanside’s process of fabric stain removal is not magic. We rely on extensive experience, access to specialized spotting agents and the careful application of heat and steam, depending on the stain. We always assess the stain and fabric first, then apply spotting solutions and enzymes to break down the stain, adding more spotting agents as necessary. Finally, we may use tools and vacuums to remove any remnants of the stain.
Our stain removal expertise is not limited to clothing. We’ve removed stains from bedding, tablecloths and patio cushions, among other items.
“We love seeing customers’ surprise and delight when they discover the item they thought was hopelessly stained looking like new,” Harris says. “The next time you have an ’oops,’ get that item to us soon for the best possible outcome.”
Oceanside was named one of America’s top 70 small businesses in 2023 by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and has been named “Best of Weddings” by The Knot every year since 2019 for wedding-wear treatment.
