How To Save Stained Clothes While Travelling

Whether you’re travelling for work or leisure, it’s always a great opportunity to visit a new place, meet with people you haven’t seen in ages or enjoy your time in a different setting. However, a disaster in the form of a nasty stain on your favorite clothes can strike at any time, and when you’re far away from home and your trusty washing machine and detergent, it might turn into a true wardrobe emergency.

There’s no need to panic, though. While it’s true that your options for removing stains may be limited, there still are a few ways to deal with some of the most common mishaps. In fact, you should be able to get rid of some of the stains using only soap, water, a bit of laundry detergent that you can pack in a small bottle, or even your hairspray. Sounds too good to be true? Then you should read our article below and learn more about ways to save your stained clothes while travelling so you can eat and do whatever you want without worrying about laundry.

Stubborn stains

Blood, grease, grass, ink, lipstick. What do all these have in common? When they get on your clothes, they can lead to stains that will be hard to remove and if you leave them for too long, can even leave behind a permanent mark. As with all stains, you need to remember that time is not on your side. If possible, act quickly and wash the stain out as soon as you notice it.

Packing items such as soap, hairspray or laundry detergent may sound excessive at first, but keep in mind that if you get them in a travel size, they won’t take up much space in your bag but can potentially save your favorite clothes. Here’s how you can deal with some of the most stubborn stains.

Travel clothes

Image by congerdesign from Pixabay

Chocolate

Figuring out how to get chocolate out of clothes when you’re far from the comfort of your home can be a real nightmare. Luckily, there are several ways to handle this. The most travel-friendly way to remove chocolate from your garments is first to scrape the chocolate off the fabric.

Then you can rub some laundry detergent or dish soap on the stained area and soak the clothing in a bowl of cold water for at least 30 minutes. Repeat this process until you see an improvement and wash the garment in a washing machine when possible.

Blood

Blood can be tricky, but all you have to do is use water and soap. Get your garment wet as soon as possible and use cold water only. First, pour some water on the stain, then treat it with soap and rub gently. You should see the stain fading. Pour more water, treat with soap and rub again until the stain is gone.

Grease

Deal with it using dish soap or laundry detergent. Pour some dish soap or detergent on your finger and gently work it into the entire stain. Then place the garment in hot water for at least 20 minutes, provided the label says it can be washed in hot water. After it’s done soaking, rinse the garment and air dry it.

Lipstick

Lipstick stains can be quite stubborn, but a good old can of hairspray should do the trick and help you get rid of them. Spray the hairspray on the stain and leave it for around 15 minutes. Take a cloth, wet it in warm water, wipe the hairspray off your clothing and wash as usual.

Grass

Grass stains aren’t permanent if you act fast to remove them before they’re set in. One of the best ways to remove a grass stain is using a mixture of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, but you might have no access to these two when you’re travelling.

Instead, try wetting the affected area as soon as you notice the grass stain and use cold water only. This will help soften the stain. Then, you can rub and wash it with laundry detergent. If you have some vinegar on hand, you can mix it into the water for additional help. When you’re done treating the stain, wash the garment in a washing machine as you can.

Washing machine

Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay

Ink

The combination of hairspray and some laundry detergent may help save your clothes from ink stains. Spray some hairspray on the affected area and rub gently. Then fill a bowl with lukewarm water and add some laundry detergent. Continue rubbing the water with detergent into the stain, then wash it in a washing machine as soon as possible.

Minimize the risk

One of the best ways to save your clothes when travelling is by packing garments that are made out of the right materials. Try to pack outfits that allow you to dress in clothes made only of man-made fibers. That’s because natural fibers tend to retain moisture and often “soak up” the stains, making them much harder to get out of the material. Man-made fiber will dry faster, retain less dirt and stains and remain less wrinkled during your travels.

Choose the right colours when choosing what clothes to bring with you. For instance, it might be better to wear black jeans or leggings when you’re out and about and leave your white or pastel-colored pants at home to minimize the risk of getting stains that will be very visible. When it comes to your tops, choose quick-dry synthetic fabrics. If possible, try to pack garments you won’t be upset about, even if they get ruined by a stubborn stain.

Final word

Stains are an inevitable part of life. However, this does not make it any less irritating. Luckily, there are things you can do to remove even the most stubborn stains.

In most cases, you should manage to get rid of stains like grass, chocolate, grease, blood, lipstick or even ink using warm or cold water, some laundry detergent, dish soap or even regular soap. The key is to act as quickly as possible and don’t let the stain sit untreated for too long.

When travelling, you can also try to minimize the risk of ruining your favorite clothes by packing quick-drying garments made out of synthetic materials that don’t retain moisture. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Top image by Hans Braxmeier from Pixabay

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