We're all about making it easy to care for your fine linen and clothing.
Our signature Fine Laundry Detergent is formulated to clean while maintaining the beauty and integrity of delicate fabric. When it comes to stains -- and trust us, eventually there will be stains -- we've got your back there, too. Following a few simple guidelines and understanding precisely how to treat specific stains will go a long way toward making that messy stain disappear.
That said, stain removal is always easier when you have the proper tools. We've rounded up our must-have stain treatment products and tools. Keeping these essential stain removal products and tools on hand will make tackling tough linen and clothing stains much simpler.
Must-Have Laundry Cleaning Products
Stock your laundry room with these products and you'll have a strong start at stain fighting:
A Gentle and Effective Detergent: A good liquid laundry detergent can be used to wash as well as to spot-treat or pretreat a stain. We recommend having both an enzyme-based liquid detergent such as Heritage Park All-Purpose Laundry Detergent, along with an enzyme-free formula for delicate fabrics, such as Heritage Park Silk and Wool Detergent. All-natural laundry enzymes are the "position players" in a detergent; each works to tackle various types of stains. Heritage Park Fine Laundry detergent contains a proprietary blend of enzymes that boost its cleaning power. Enzymes will work to dissolve a protein stain. However, they are not ideal for regular washing of protein-based fibers such as silk and wool; for these fabrics, we recommend an enzyme-free detergent.
An enzyme-based stain spray or stick: This is an absolute MUST for pretreating stains. Simply spray or rub directly on the stained area, following manufacturer's directions, and let the enzymes go to work breaking down the stain.
Bar laundry soap: A mud or grass stain responds wonderfully to being pre-treated with an old-fashioned laundry soap bar. You can also grate or shave these bars and toss them right in the wash.
Oxygen bleach: Powdered oxygen bleach hydrogen peroxide and is an effective stain remover that lifts stains out of fabric mixed when with warm or hot water. Oxygen bleach is more gentle and safer to use than chlorine bleach and can be used to remove stains and brighten colors.
Chlorine bleach: One of the strongest chemical cleaners, chlorine bleach should be used with caution and only on items whose care labels indicate they can be bleached; we typically reserve chlorine bleach for occasional use on all-white cotton towels and sheets.
Household products that do double duty
Many common household items are powerful stain fighters in their own rights. Again, follow stain-removal protocol for both the fabric and type of stain when using these products:
Baking soda: An all-purpose household and pantry staple, baking soda can be used to pretreat stains by adding water to make a paste; rubbing paste onto stain; allowing it to dry then washing as usual. (Note: always test for color fastness before using baking soda).
Club soda: While there's lots of debate over whether club soda works better than tap water for blotting, we're in the camp that thinks the carbonated bubbles help lift stains.
Hydrogen peroxide: Can be used for treating an older or persistent blood stain or as an alternative to chlorine bleach.
Isopropyl alcohol: Rubbing alcohol can be used in tiny amounts (think: eyedropper) to treat an ink stain.
Lemon juice: Pre-soak in lemon juice and water or remove spots with a paste of lemon juice and salt or baking soda.
Liquid dish soap: This really is a secret weapon for pre-treating and pre-soaking any grease or oil stain. Think about it: liquid dish soap is made to dissolve all manner of cooking grease. Just be sure to adequately dilute.
Salt: Can be used to help remove wine stains (make a paste with club soda).
White vinegar: Good for removing perspiration stains and, along with baking soda, can be used to remove build up on towels and restore their beauty and performance.
Invest in A Few Stain-Fighting Tools
No matter the size of your laundry space, make room the following items. You'll be glad to have them in your stain kit the time you spill your coffee or have a misfire with the ketchup bottle.
A laundry brush to gently work stains out of fabric.
Plastic tub to pre-soak, rinse, and hand wash. If your laundry room has a utility sink, hooray! You're ahead of the game.
Spray bottle for mixing your own stain-treatment solutions (for example, liquid dish detergent and water, or a DIY stain spray of oxygen bleach, hydrogen peroxide, and water). light solutions
Low-lint clean cloth (white is best) or paper towel for blotting.
Avoiding Harsh Chemicals When Treating Fabric Stains
Although we occasionally use a limited amount of bleach (see above) it definitely falls into the category of harsh chemicals. As such, we recommend using it extremely judiciously. While bleach is effective for sanitizing and killing germs, it is also extremely irritating to eyes, skin, and the respiratory system.
Similarly, ammonia fumes are extremely irritating and corrosive to the throat and respiratory tract. Our advice is to avoid using ammonia on laundry altogether. And remember your high-school chemistry: NEVER MIX BLEACH AND AMMONIA UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES AS THEY FORM A LETHAL TOXIC GAS.
Finally, tempting as they may be, dry cleaning solutions and solvents should never be used at home. Leave these to the professionals!
Heritage Park Laundry Essentials
At Heritage Park, caring for fine fabric is our passion. As lifelong collectors of luxury sheets, towels, and cloths, we found many commercially available "gentle detergents" either damaged our fabrics or didn't get the job done, leaving stains. We knew we could do better. So we developed a formula with the perfect balance of powerful -- yet safe -- ingredients designed to remove tough, set-in stains while remaining gentle on luxury linens. Please connect with us at (800) 977-1841 or email us at info@heritageparklaundry.com with any product feedback or cleaning questions.
