In the autumn-winter period, the most popular and comfortable clothing among people is considered to be a down jacket. This is a comfortable and warm outerwear that wears well and needs to be washed infrequently. However, down jackets get quite dirty, especially for children, and you have to come up with ways to bring the jacket back to its original condition. It is especially difficult with greasy stains, as they require the use of aggressive cleaning agents that can ruin the fabric or paint on the down jacket . Let's figure out how to safely clean your outerwear from dirt.
How to remove a stain on a down jacket?
Taking a jacket to the dry cleaner is the first thought that arises in the head of a person who notices a blot on his outerwear. This is a good method, but not always effective and very expensive. Not every wallet can withstand frequent trips to the dry cleaner to wash clothes. Therefore, you should explore ways to deal with stains on your jacket in your own home. Many housewives have in their arsenal of knowledge more than one recipe for getting rid of stains of various types. Various available means and substances can be used here:
- soap;
- salt;
- cleaning agents for washing dishes;
- glycerol;
- ammonia;
- gasoline and others.
You need to choose a cleaning method based on your own abilities and accuracy. When using chemical bleach, you need to act extremely carefully so as not to harm things.
Some of them are safe, but some can seriously damage the item. In order not to throw away your down jacket after unsuccessful cleaning, you need to choose the least traumatic cleaning method for clothing and act as carefully and carefully as possible. If a woman is not confident in her abilities, it is better to entrust this work to professionals and have the jacket dry cleaned. However, this will not guarantee a clean item.
Vinegar + salt
- Salt and starch are added to a small amount of water. A thick mixture should form.
- The resulting composition is applied to greasy surfaces.
- After drying, the treated areas are wiped with a damp cloth. This way you can clean your jacket and get rid of shine.
The type of cleaning depends on the material from which the collar is made. The most common is knitwear. It is easiest for such a collar to return to its original appearance. Special or household chemicals can handle the stains. Traditional recipes may also work, but they must be used with caution.
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Rules for cleaning a down jacket
There are many ways to get rid of stains; experienced housewives suggest using various available means for this. But first you need to have general rules for cleaning a down jacket from dirt, which will help preserve the product without spoiling it with improper manipulations:
- before using a special aggressive stain remover, it is necessary to remove other existing contaminants (it is important not to damage the fabric);
- a blot of any origin is cleaned off, moving towards the center of the contamination (so as not to smear the dirt even more);
- after cleansing, be sure to remove any remaining product using regular running water;
- the area outside the blot is thoroughly moistened with plain water (if the jacket cannot be washed further, this will help avoid streaks).
Only after drying, the jacket will “show” the result of the housewife’s labors. If there are still residues of a greasy substance or stains at the spot, all manipulations must be carried out again or the jacket must be dry cleaned.
How to wash 100% polyester
This fabric can be added to natural fibers to improve wrinkle resistance and elasticity. 100% polyester can be found much less often. You need to clean it with the following means:
- light things - active powders that do not include chlorine;
- colored - preparations marked “Color”;
- dark - liquid laundry detergents for black.
Attention! Products made from polyester are washed at a temperature of 20-40 degrees. Some things are marked “60”, which means that this temperature will also be acceptable. Before you start washing, turn the item inside out so as not to cause rapid wear of the “face,” and when rinsing, use rinse aid to remove the static effect.
Cleaning methods at home
Everyone knows that the first remedy when greasy stains appear on clothes is salt .
If the dirt on the down jacket is fresh, you need to cover it with salt and leave the jacket on a horizontal surface for 8–10 minutes. If during this time all the fat has not been absorbed, you need to add more salt and rub the stained area a little. Similarly, you can use potato starch , which can be found in almost any kitchen. Cover the area of contamination with starch and wait a couple of minutes. Then the starch is shaken off and a new portion is poured. This needs to be done several times one after another. After this, the down jacket should be thoroughly vacuumed to remove any remaining starch that has absorbed fat.
Important! Methods of treating stains with improvised means are considered effective only in the case of a fresh greasy stain. With old stains, you will have to use synthetic stain removers, and also work hard to remove them.
These two methods are very effective and are often used by housewives to remove fresh stains on down jackets and other clothes. There are also a huge number of available products that you can use without spending money on expensive products or dry cleaning.
What you absolutely cannot do
In the wardrobe of a modern person there is not only 100% polyester, but also its mixtures with other materials: viscose, cotton, wool and others. In any case, the presence of synthetic fiber in this composition means that things cannot:
- Bleach. The material does not perceive chemistry. Nylon, another synthetic fabric with parameters similar to polyester, tolerates bleaching much easier.
- Do not wash in hot water or use boiling water. The product will take on an untidy appearance due to disruption of the fiber structure. In this case, white things will acquire a yellowish tint.
- Dry in the sun or heaters. This destroys the polyester fibers.
How to remove a grease stain?
No matter how careful the owner of the jacket is, stains will sooner or later appear on it. Experienced housewives advise trying improvised means for cleaning a down jacket. And only if it is impossible to clean it yourself, contact professional dry cleaners.
There are quite a few ways to clean a down jacket from a greasy stain. These products can be easily found in any home and kitchen. The main thing is to know the basic rules for cleaning a down jacket and act as carefully as possible so as not to increase the area of contamination and not spoil the fabric of the jacket .
Using soap
Regular liquid soap can help deal not only with fresh stains, but also with old stains. To do this, the jacket will have to be washed by hand with a solution of liquid soap diluted in warm water. Grease stains are thoroughly washed with soapy water until the stain is completely removed. After this, you need to wash the jacket completely in the washing machine with the addition of high-quality washing powder.
Important! After washing, the down jacket should be thoroughly rinsed several times to remove any remaining soap and powder.
Old methods, such as using black laundry soap, which our grandmothers used, also remain relevant. Experienced housewives advise taking a bar of black soap. Rub the blots with this soap and wash them by hand. You can make a solution by diluting laundry soap in water and rubbing it onto the stain. A soft sponge is usually used for scrubbing. After cleaning, the fabric is rinsed with clean water and hung to dry, preferably in a well-ventilated area or outside .
We use salt
As already mentioned, salt is the first assistant for greasy stains on clothes, including down jackets. After pouring a small amount of salt onto the stain, you need to wait a few minutes until the fat is absorbed. Then, if the stain has not disappeared, add another pinch of salt and so on until the stain completely disappears.
Important! To clean a grease stain with salt or another bulk product, the stain must be fresh. Old stains will require additional work.
You can make a paste to clean the stain by adding table vinegar or lemon juice to the salt. The resulting mixture is distributed over the stain and allowed to dry for 1 hour. Then the area is thoroughly washed in clean water and the result is assessed after complete drying.
Clean with dish soap
Regular dish detergent can be a great way to clean a greasy stain from a down jacket. In addition, dish soap is a good option if it is not possible to wash the entire item in a machine . The jacket is cleaned of dust and dirt, then a clean sponge is soaked in the cleaning product and the greasy stain is wiped off in a circular motion towards the center. Then the foam is left for a quarter of an hour, and then washed off with clean water. To completely remove soap suds, you need to run a clean, dry sponge over the area of contamination.
Mustard
The method is very effective, but the process itself takes quite a lot of time. Mustard powder is diluted in warm water to obtain a paste, which is subsequently distributed over a greasy blot. Leave the mixture to dry for at least 1 hour. After this, you should wash the area of contamination with soapy water and wait until it dries completely.
Glycerin
A simple and cheap product that can be easily purchased at any pharmacy chain. A couple of drops of glycerin are spread over the surface of the stain and left for 30 minutes. After the fat disappears, wipe off the glycerin with a dry cloth. Glycerin is not an aggressive substance and is acceptable for use on any fabric . It will also not harm the paints of outerwear.
Ammonia
Ammonia is a good option for cleaning outerwear.
It has unique degreasing properties and is able to cope even with dried grease stains. Artificial fabric is not afraid of aggressive influences, so ammonia is applied to the blot, leaving for about 40 minutes. After this, all that remains is to wash the stained area in a soap solution. It is better to dry the product on the street or balcony. For natural fabrics, apply a solution of ammonia and cold water to the jacket. The first time you may not be able to completely remove the greasy stain. In this case, it is necessary to repeat all manipulations from the beginning.
Gasoline
This caustic substance is also used to clean down jackets. But you need to buy it not at gas stations, but at a hardware store . When using gasoline, you should first try it on an invisible part of the jacket. Such precautions are associated with the unpleasant property of gasoline to corrode the paint on the jacket. Wipe off the dirt with a moistened cotton swab and wait a few minutes. Then the down jacket is washed and rinsed twice. You need to dry your jacket outside to remove the pungent smell.
Toothpaste
To do this, place a sheet of paper on the contaminated area and iron it well, heating it. Then distribute toothpaste over the blot and foam it. Then the jacket is left for a day until the fat is absorbed.
Important! Toothpaste or powder should only be used in white color. Otherwise, the dyes may adversely affect the fabric of the jacket.
Vinegar
9% table vinegar can be a very effective remedy in the fight against greasy stains. The cotton wool is moistened with the composition and the stain is wiped several times. Then the down jacket needs to be washed with powder and rinsed several times.
Washing a backpack
- The backpack is washed like all other synthetic products.
- If the backpack does not have straps or rivets, then wash it in a machine using the previously described procedure.
- If the product has straps, rivets or metal accessories, then dissolve a measuring cap of liquid laundry detergent in warm water, immerse the backpack in it, scrub the dirt with a brush and rinse.
Now you know how to properly wash polyester. This material prolongs the life of your things, and their resistance to wear depends only on proper care.
