Laundryheap Blog – Laundry & Dry Cleaning

Same-day collection. Free delivery in 24 hours.

Tag Archives: stains


by Leave a comment

How to remove hair dye stains

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Hair dye can be incredibly difficult to remove from clothing. If you have accidentally dripped some on yourself, this is how you can remove it. 

  • Before treating your stain
  • Black, brown, or blue hair dye 
  • Red hair dye

Before treating your stain

Before you begin treating your stain, check your item’s care label. If it says ‘dry-clean only’ do not treat the stain yourself. Instead, book your Laundryheap dry cleaning service and let us handle it. If your care label doesn’t say ‘dry-clean only’ you are safe to proceed. 

Black, brown, or blue hair dye

To treat your hair dye stain you will need…

  • A soft-bristled brush
  • Water
  • A basin 
  • Heavy-duty laundry detergent 
  • Oxygen-based bleach
  • Chlorine bleach (for white clothing)

Begin treating your stain by holding your garment under a cold water tap. This will help remove any hair dye lingering on the surface of your item. Make sure that you use cold water only as hot water will only aid the stain in setting further into your clothing. 

Next, pour a capful of heavy-duty laundry detergent over the stain and use a soft-bristled brush to gently rub it in. It’s best to use a laundry detergent with stain-lifting enzymes, so double check you are using the right detergent prior to pouring. Continue rubbing your stain for 5-15 minutes, or until you begin to see the hair dye become lighter in colour.

Once you are satisfied that your stain is a lighter colour, fill a basin with cold water and add oxygen-based bleach per the instructions on the packaging. Submerge your garment in the water and bleach mixture, making sure that the hair dye stain is completely in the water, and leave it to soak for at least 8 hours. 

After 8 hours, lift your item out of the water. If your stain has been removed, you can wash your item as you normally would. Should the stain remain, mix a fresh basin of cool water and oxygen-based bleach and leave your garment for another 8 hours. 

If your hair dye stain is on a white item of clothing and mix a solution of 1 gallon of water and 1-fourth a cup of chlorine bleach. Submerge your stained garment in this mixture, and leave it to soak for 15 minutes. Do not leave your item in the solution for any longer than 15 minutes as the chlorine bleach will begin to weaken the fabric. 

After 15 minutes, remove your item from the solution.

Removing red hair dye 

Red hair dye has a different composition than black, brown, or blue hair dye, and so the stain needs to be treated in a different way. 

To treat your hair dye stain you will need…

  • 2 soaking containers
  • Dishwashing liquid 
  • Ammonia
  • Distilled white vinegar 
  • Oxygen-based bleach 
  • Water 

As with removing black, brown, or blue hair dye, begin treatment by running your stained item under a cool water tap to remove any surface hair dye. 

Next, mix a solution of 1 quarter of water, one-half teaspoon of dishwashing liquid, and one tablespoon of ammonia, in a container. Submerge your stained garment in this solution and leave it to soak for 15 minutes. 

After 15 minutes, remove your garment from the solution and, using your fingers, rub the stained area. This will help loosen the hair dye and allow it to be removed from the fabric with greater ease. Once you have rubbed your stain for around 5-10 minutes, submerge it in the previously used solution for a further 15 minutes. 

Whilst your item is soaking, use a separate container to mix 1 quarter warm water with 1 quarter distilled white vinegar. Once your item has completed it’s 15-minute soak, rinse it well, and submerge it in your new solution. Leave your item to soak for 30 minutes. 

After 30 minutes, remove your garment from the solution. If your stain has been removed, wash your item as you usually would.

Should your stain remain, fill your sink with cold water and add oxygen-based bleach per the packet’s instructions. Submerge your stained item in the solution, and leave it to soak for 8 hours. If, after 8 hours, the stain has not been removed, repeat the process with fresh water and fresh oxygen-based bleach. 

The most effective way to remove any stain is to get it treated by a professional. When you book your Laundryheap service, let us know what item(s) of clothing is stained and where the stain(s) is located. To book your Laundryheap service, head to the Laundryheap website, or download the free Laundryheap app. 


by Leave a comment

How to remove toothpaste stains

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

It’s easy to accidentally drip toothpaste onto your new suit or comfiest PJ’s. This is how you get that pesky stain out. 

  • White toothpaste
  • Whitening toothpaste 
  • Gel toothpaste

White toothpaste 

White toothpaste contains titanium dioxide, which is the chemical that makes it look white. If you use white toothpaste, water will not be enough to lift the stain it leaves behind.

What you’ll need

  • A blunt object, such as a spoon 
  • A clean cloth
  • Liquid laundry detergent

Begin by using your blunt object to remove excess toothpaste from your clothing. Try and use an upwards motion when doing this to avoid spreading the loose particles to other parts of your clothing. 

Once you have sufficiently removed the top layer of the stain, slightly dampen a clean cloth and blot the area. This will help loosen the stain and aid in it being lifted from your clothing. 

Next, work a small amount of liquid laundry detergent onto your toothpaste stain. Make sure that the detergent is spread over the entirety of the stain so that the whole area can be lifted. 

After you have adequately rubbed in your detergent, wash your stained item of clothing in your washing machine as usual. 

If your toothpaste stain has not been completely removed after washing, repeat the full process again. 

Image by wei zhu from Pixabay

Whitening toothpaste 

Whitening toothpaste usually contains a mild bleaching agent that works to whiten your teeth. This bleaching agent can cause discoloration on coloured and dark clothing if it is left for an extended period of time. To remove a whitening toothpaste stain you need to follow the exact process of removing a white toothpaste stain, however, you need to act as soon as you notice the stain to avoid excessive discolouration to your clothing. 

Image by Marco Verch Professional P

Gel toothpaste 

Gel toothpaste contains dye to make it a blue/green colour. This dye can discolour your white clothing if left for too long. As soon as you notice a gel toothpaste stain you need to follow the same procedure as removing a regular toothpaste stain. Once you have washed your stained item of clothing, dry your garment in direct sunlight. Sunlight has natural bleaching qualities and can help even out any discolouration. 

If you have a toothpaste stain, or any stain, that you can not get rid of, let us help you. If you tell us what items of clothing are stained we will take extra precautions to help lift the stain and deliver your clothes back to you stain-free. To book your Laundryheap service head to the Laundryheap website or download the free Laundryheap app. 


by 2 Comments

How to remove coffee stains

One minute you’re drinking a coffee, the next, you’re looking down to see a coffee stain on your top. This is how to remove those pesky coffee stains. 

  • Removing coffee stains from synthetic fabrics
  • Removing coffee stains from cotton
  • Using Laundryheap

Removing coffee stains from synthetic fabrics 

Synthetic fabric is any fabric that is man-made as opposed to natural. This includes acrylic, nylon, and polyester. These materials are fairly durable when compared to natural fabrics, so coffee stains are fairly easy to remove. 

You will need…

  • A dry cloth
  • A sponge
  • Warm water
  • Dishwashing detergent 
  • White vinegar 
  • Rubbing alcohol

Begin by blotting the stain with a dry cloth. This will lift any of the excess coffee on the fabric. Remember to blot rather than rub as rubbing will only force the stain further into your fabric. 

Next, create a solution of 1 quarter warm water, half a teaspoon of dish-washing detergent, and one tablespoon of white vinegar. Once made, let your stain soak in the solution for 15 minutes. 

After 15 minutes has passed, remove your stained item from the solution and rinse with warm water. You should notice that the stain is a lighter colour as you wash the solution off. 

Once the solution has been washed off, use a sponge to dab rubbing alcohol onto the remainder of the stain. This will help to lift what is left of the coffee. 

Finally, wash your garment as you usually would. Once washed, if you notice that the stain has not been completely removed, repeat the process again. 

Removing coffee stains from cotton

Cotton, although a natural fabric, is strong. There are two methods that can be used to remove coffee stains from cotton or linen. 

For method one you will need…

  • A dry cloth
  • Warm water
  • Dishwashing detergent 
  • White vinegar
  • A sponge
  • Rubbing alcohol

This method is exactly the same as removing coffee stains from synthetic fabrics. The only difference in this method is that you have to rinse the rubbing alcohol off of your cotton before washing as usual. 

For method two you will need…

  • A rubber band
  • A large bowl
  • A temperature display kettle

Begin by stretching your stained cotton over a large bowl. Secure the material over the bowl with your rubber band. 

After securing your material, boil your temperature display kettle to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Once boiled pour the water over the stain. Be careful whilst doing so, you don’t want to burn yourself. 

If the stain does not instantly disappear, try pouring fresh water over the stain. 

It is important to note that near-boiling water is safe for cotton, however, can damage some dyes that may have been used on your clothing. To avoid damage to your whole garment you may want to pre-test this method on an inconspicuous part of the item, such as the seam. 

Using Laundryheap

The best way to treat any stain is by using a professional dry cleaning service. If you have a coffee stain, or any other stain, that needs to be treated book a Laundryheap slot. Simply select your service and write in the comments which items are stained and by what, and leave the rest to us. 

To book your Laundryheap dry cleaning slot head to the Laundryheap website or download the free Laundryheap app. We are fully operational in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Coventry, Amsterdam, Doha, Kuwait City, Dublin, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Singapore, Boston, New York City, Manama, and, most recently, Rotterdam, and The Hague.  


by Leave a comment

Everything you need to know about colour run stains

Image by Aqua Mechanical

When the colours of your clothing bleed together, this is known as a colour run. Colour runs are very common, and this is everything you need to know about them. 

  • Why do colour run stains occur?
  • The colourfastness test
  • How to prevent colour runs 
  • How to get rid of colour run stains

Why do colour run stains occur? 

The brightly coloured clothing that we buy has been dyed using colour pigments. In order for our clothes to remain a vibrant colour, the colour pigments of the dye must be securely attached to the fabric. Colour run occurs when the coloured pigments have not been adequately attached to the fabric. When these inadequately attached pigments come into contact with water, the dye begins to run and can transfer onto other items of clothing. Colour run stains are most apparent when washing isn’t separated. If a darker item of clothing begins to run, it can be damaging to lighter colours of clothing.

Image by Mark Hillary

The colourfastness test

The most effective way to test if your clothing will run in the wash is by using the colourfastness test. This test should be carried out before you wash your item with any other clothing. 

Begin the test by selecting a hidden section of your item, such as the hem or seam. Dampen that section and lay something absorbent on the spot, such as a white paper towel or handkerchief. Next, iron on top of the absorbent material. If the colour from your item bleeds onto the absorbent material than your item is not colourfast and therefore could stain any other clothing it is washed with. 

Image by Marco Verch Professional Photographer and Speaker

How to prevent colour runs 

The best way to minimise the damage of colour run stains is by washing the same, or similar, coloured clothing together. This will mean that, should your colours run in the wash, there will not be a dramatic impact made to your other items in the wash in turns of colour difference. 

It is important to remember that hot water opens the fibres in clothing, therefore encouraging any non-colourfast clothing to run. The best way to combat this issue is to wash your clothing in cold water. 

Finally, to prevent colour runs, don’t leave your washing in a wet pile or in your washing machine, whilst wet, for a long period of time. This encourages any non-colourfast clothing to run and potentially stain multiple items of your clothing.

How to get rid of colour run stains 

If your colours have run and the stain is noticeable the best thing to do is treat the stain as soon as possible. Put your stained item back into the washing machine, on its own, and wash it again using laundry detergent. As long as you act fast, ideally when the item is still wet, the stain should remove itself. If washing your stained item using normal laundry detergent does not treat the stain, you can find specific stain remover laundry detergents. 

If your colour run was particularly bad, don’t forget to put your washing machine on an empty spin to clean out your machine and avoid any damage to the clothes you put in later. 

The best way to avoid colour run stains is by letting us launder your clothes for you. Book your Laundryheap service by visiting the Laundryheap website or by downloading the free Laundryheap app. We are now servicing Boston, including Boston City, Cambridge, Somerville and Brookline.