20 | USING THE MACHINE |
HOW TO REMOVE STAINS
Some stains cannot be removed by just washing in a washing machine. Before trying to remove any type of stain by hand, first try the removal procedure on a small area of hidden fabric starting from the edge of the stain and working inwards, this will prevent a dark ring from forming around the site of the stain. A few methods for removing stains are reported below.
●WAX: scrape the wax using a blunt point in order not to damage the fabric. Then, with the fabric placed between two pieces of ab- sorbent paper, run a hot iron over the stain.
●
a soft cloth soaked in ethyl alcohol. Take care not to spread the mark.
●DAMP AND MOULD: if the fabric supports the use of bleach, perform a wash cycle adding bleach to the appropriate compartment in the dispenser (see table of programmes). Other- wise, soak the soiled part in hydrogen per- oxide (10 volumes) and leave for 10 to 15 minutes.
●LIGHT SCORCH MARKS CAUSED BY IRONING: follow
the instructions for mould and damp.
●RUST: use products specially designed for rust stains, following the manufacturer’s instruc- tions written on the packet.
●CHEWING GUM: rub ice over the mark, scrape away as much as possible and then rub with a cotton cloth soaked in acetone (alterna- tively, use nail varnish remover).
●PAINT: do not allow the paint to dry. Rub the area with the solvent recommended by the paint manufacturer (e.g. water, turps, trichlo- roethylene), apply soap and then rinse.
●LIPSTICK: stains on cotton or wool can be eliminated using a cloth soaked in ether. Stains on silk require the use of trichloroeth- ylene.
●NAIL VARNISH: place a sheet of absorbent paper on the stained material, then dampen the back of the fabric with acetone, fre- quently changing the paper placed over the stain. Continue like this until the stain has disappeared.
●TAR OR DIRT: spread some fresh butter over the stain, allow to stand and then wash with oil of turpentine.
●GRASS: delicately soap the stain, use diluted bleach. Good results can be obtained on woollen fabrics using 90% alcohol.
●BLOOD: put into soak in cold water with added salt, then wash with washing soap.
INTERNATIONAL CLOTHING CARE SYMBOLS
Before placing the clothes in the washing machine and selecting the wash programme, examine the symbols on the manufacturer’s label. The table reported below will provide a useful guide to reading the symbols.
GB
SM1634
