June 25, 2007

Out, Damn Stain

The Stylephile so enjoyed New York. She sweated beneath that hot ball of fiery hate known as the Manhattan sun, which drove her to buy two new summer dresses. She also managed to get splashed with iced coffee that a bike messenger SNEEZED on her in the heart of Soho. Don't even ask if projectile java came from nose or mouth--the orifice is irrelevant and makes us squirm. Worst part? The Stylephile was wearing a lovely taupe silk shift by Grace Sun, which is now patterned with a Pollockesque splattering of coffee stains. Anyway, the debacle inspired a new contest: GET OUT THE COFFEE SPIT STAIN and WIN over $100 worth of Jaqua's new buttercream frosting collection, including shower syrup, lotion, body polish, and shower creme. Post your best remedy for removing coffee from cloth and you might just win. FYI: A sense of humor in a post always ups your chances at triumph. A winner will be picked by tomorrow at 5:00.

June 25, 2007 in GIVEAWAYS | Permalink

Comments

i got honey a my new diane von furstenberg silk blouse.. does anyone have any suggestions on how to get it out?

Posted by help | Jul 20 2008 11:22PM

I was driving in the car and my ice coffee spilled down the front of me. Lucky for me, i had baby wipes with me. Baby wipes may get rid of others stains too.

Posted by Autumn | Jul 6 2007 9:39AM

You can buy it at Amazon.com for about $15

Posted by Monica Corcoran | Jul 1 2007 6:27PM

Where can you find Carbona Stain Devil number 7? I've never heard of it.

Posted by Veronica | Jul 1 2007 8:48AM

Emmalyne Farris, for providing a solution to coffee, cola, sweat, and urine stains. Forty years from now, when we are incontinent, we will all remember Emmalyne fondly. E-mail me with your address, so I can send along the goodies. Thansk to everyone for posting!

Posted by And the WINNER is... | Jun 27 2007 5:24PM

OMG. Froggie10019 just made me spray soda out of my nose. Do you happen to like cigars? Then I would be scared.

Posted by Shannon Nelson (A Girl''s Gotta Spa) | Jun 27 2007 9:25AM

Let's see now...your name is Monica and you want to remove a stain from your dress; a stain that was caused by fluid spurting from a male orifice. Geez, this all sounds so familiar..If I were you, I'd buy a new dress, but save the stained one--it might come in handy some day.

Posted by froggie10019 | Jun 27 2007 6:21AM

I once spilled an entire container of coffee on myself and my best friend. He bought himself a large coffee and handed it to me not knowing that I have Superman like strength so I grabbed it and *swoosh* all over my jeans, his hand and the car. I like Zout or Oxyclean for tough stains but with silk I'd try to steam it out. Steam works really well getting a stain out without any chemicals involved. If you want to ensure it isn't ruined - have it dry cleaned!

Posted by SCL | Jun 26 2007 10:49PM

Blot up excess. Sponge the stain with water. Apply a wet spotter and a few drops of white vinegar. Cover with an absorbent pad dampened with the wet spotter. Let it stand as long as any stain is being lifted. Change the pad as it picks up the stain. Keep the stain and pad moist with the wet spotter and vinegar. Flush with water. Repeat until no more stain is being removed. If any stain remains, apply rubbing alcohol to the stain and cover with an absorbent pad dampened with alcohol. Let it stand as long as it is picking up stain, changing the pad as it does. Keep the stain and pad moist with alcohol. Flush with water. For a stubborn or old stain, try using an enzyme presoak (follow directions on label). Cover with a clean pad dipped in the solution and squeezed almost dry. Let it stand for at least 30 minutes. Add more solution as needed to keep the area warm and moist, but do not allow the wet area to spread. When the stain is lifted, flush thoroughly with water.

Posted by Stain Expert | Jun 26 2007 2:22PM

I make my living buying and reselling vintage and second hand clothing, mostly reselling to stores!!!!!!! So ive learned a few tricks along the way Mixing up cascade with peroxide DOES Miracles!!!! but is is geared for whites, If something is printed, wait until the solution has wekened , meaning after whited have been soiking in it, warm or hoot wataer is used , put enough of each the cascade and peroxide together to make a sudsy solution, soak overnight!!!!!! you''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''ll proabaly have to do a little experimenting!!!! but ive bought table cloths from estates that the people who i purchased them from had already had to the dry cleaners and still the stains would not come out!!!!!!!! I amnage to soak them in the cascade and peroxide solution and made them like brand new!!! CASTILE soap (in bar form) is also great for pre treating!!!!! DREFT pre spray is also great for pre treating!!!!!! ZOUT can also work some pretty amazing miracles!!!! CLorox bleach STICKS are GREAT for reaching specific areas, that cant have the entire piece bleaced!! And Yes good OLE oxy clean , is definitely something to alway shave around!!!

Posted by Elizabeth | Jun 26 2007 1:15PM

Sorry to be the spoilsport, but to remove coffee you have to get to the stain immediately...no procrastinating to post cool contests on Stylephile! Once you figure out how to timewarp yourself back to Soho, attend to the stain immediately. Of course, that would mean removing the dress....which is SUCH the best guilt-free excuse to shop for a new dress (c'mon, you are in Soho after all!)! Sponge off the coffee with a damp sponge, then attack with Carbona/Oxyclean, or whatever high-brow version they happen to sell out there in Soho. Oh, and if and when that fails...there's always the cleaners. And if they can't get it out, then, look on the bright side, b/c that's yet ANOTHER excuse to shop for a new dress...or two. And so it goes...

Posted by Rifka | Jun 26 2007 12:50PM

I was in Palm Springs and stopped at Starbucks to get a boost before my two hour drive back to Los Angeles. I ordered a double macchiato and walked outside to return to my car. Just then, a gust of wind began to blow off my hat and in a clearly misguided attempt to keep it on, used the hand WITH THE COFFEE IN IT and reached up, pouring most of my joe onto my BRAND NEW white tissue linen t-shirt and BRAND NEW baby blue tissue llinen trousers. After picking my hysterical husband off the ground, I got in my car and drove home as the espresso darkened to the color of dried blood on my new clothes. About three hours later, I removed my clothes and put them in a sink of water with a couple scoops of Oxi-clean. I'm sure this sounds like a commercial, but three hours later, there were no stains left. None. Nada. Zip. I now carry a small spray bottle of Oxi-clean with me where ever I go (of course, a small bottle would have done me no good whatsoever this day). I've removed large spots of ketchup from my husband's shirt (while at the restaurant), sweat stains from my white blouses and hairball stains from the carpet. If it's an organic stain, Oxi-clean will almost always get it out.

Posted by Teresa Connors | Jun 26 2007 11:06AM

The best thing that I've ever used is Carbona Stain Devil number 7 for coffee and cola stains (of course, this is for washable fabrics only and not for silk). Not only will it get out coffee and cola as promised, it will also get out honey, sweat stains, and urine (don’t ask me how I know this-I’ll just say it was one wild party, okay? After all, my mom might read this!). Carbona will damn near get a stain out of anything, and what it won’t fix was ugly and didn’t look good on you to begin with!

Posted by Emmalyne Farris | Jun 26 2007 11:01AM

OK. When things are this bad, you call your lawyer. I''m here for you, babe. First thing you do, is breathe. Next, take a small nail brush (old toothbrush - clean, please - will do in a pinch) in one hand, and a few tablespoons of OxyClean laundry booster (in a measuring cup or some such container) in the other. Spread the garment in front of you on a flat surface, on top of a white towel. Dip brush in laundry goo, and then attack the stain working from the outside in. Once you''ve scrubbed the Hades out of one side of the stain (the whole stain), flip inside out and repeat from the other side. Now, pour a little more of the booster into a plastic container or clean, stopped up sink. Fill with lukewarm water. Soak for 30 minutes. Wring or press out excess water, and put it back on the towel. Repeat if necessary, or proceed to wash (hand wash, of course). Now, pour a stiff shot of your liquor of choice, find the address of the messenger company, and send them a demand letter for $4.59 (the cost of the booster) and $1,000,000 in emotional distress damages. You''ve heard of this tort - intentional infliction of a motional dress? OK, that was bad. Sue me.

Posted by Sheryl Sisk | Jun 26 2007 10:59AM

Oh Monica. I am the mother, and I mean Mother with a capitol M, of stains. I have 4 small children, my youngest being 6 weeks old. If that doesn''t tell you that I am a walking advertisement for stain remover, I don''t know what does. My tried and true stain remover is Spray''n Wash Dual Power. So far it has not failed me. It''s gotten out every stain on my kids clothes that you could possibly think of 4 boys concocting, and the stains they lovingly bestow upon me. Fashion is never pretty unless you have a great stain remover. If my entry doesn''t persuade you to let me win this contest, please see one of my beauty blogs, A Girl''s Gotta Spa, and you can see on the front page a review I did with pictures of my baby included. :) He''s awfully cute and thinks his mommy deserves to win.

Posted by Shannon Nelson (A Girl''s Gotta Spa) | Jun 26 2007 10:19AM