"Then she took something else off a clothes-horse— "That isn't my pinny?" said Lucie. "Oh no, if you please'm; that's a damask table-cloth belonging to Jenny Wren; look how it's stained with currant wine!
It's very bad to wash!" said Mrs. Tiggy-winkle."
~ The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-winkle by Beatrix Potter
Ah, the sorrow of stains in the laundry! No one understands that better than our dear washer-woman, Mrs. Tiggy-winkle. However, she does not fret my friends, for she knows how to make her own frugal stain remover!
If you please'm, all you need is some water, dish soap, liquid glycerin and essential oils (the essential oils are optional but helpful). Liquid glycerin can often be found in the health/body care aisle in most markets or it can be purchased online.
Either lemon or eucalyptus oils are chosen specifically for this easy project because of their stain removing abilities. I often use lemon in our household recipes when acceptable because it is a less expensive oil.
Simply mix together 1/4 cup of dish soap (Dawn is preferred), 1/4 cup of liquid glycerin, 1 1/2 cups of water and pour into a spray bottle. Optional: add 8 drops of lemon or eucalyptus essential oil to the final product. Use like you would any stain remover spray. This recipe was adapted from Clean House, Clean Planet by Karen Logan.
Here is also a printable stain remover chart that may be helpful to have on hand (per Mrs. Tiggy-winkle of course).
Here is also a printable stain remover chart that may be helpful to have on hand (per Mrs. Tiggy-winkle of course).
"If at all possible, it's best to treat spills and stains on washable garments immediately --while the stains are fresh and before they dry. The more quickly you treat a stain, the less likely it is to set... Blot liquid stains with a clean white, lint-free cloth or paper towel. Gently scrape or brush off excess solids, if there are any. Avoid excessive rubbing, as it may spread the stain or damage delicate fabrics... After pretreating and washing a stained item, always check to make sure the stain has been removed before putting the item in the dryer. Dryer heat can permanently set some stains. If the stain remains, pretreat and wash again."
~ Donna Smallin, Cleaning Plain and Simple
| "Lily-white and clean, oh! |
| With little frills between, oh! |
| Smooth and hot—red rusty spot |
| Never here be seen, oh!" |
~ Mrs. Tiggy-winkle's Wash Day Song by Beatrix Potter
We are also sharing our label for the stain remover spray (feel free to copy). If you enjoyed this tutorial, you may be interested in making Mrs. Tiggy-winkle's spray starch or her handkerchief tutorial. For more Beatrix Potter inspired projects, visit here (if you please 'm)! Thank you for joining us for another week of "Fun Friday" this spring! Have a lovely day.
Mrs. TW's stain spray is timely for me as I have a pile of clothes that have stubborn stains my current remover can't budge. I've never used glycerin in a stain remover so I'm going to give it a try. Thank you for sharing her recipe. ;) Hmm... I'm also wondering if soaking a dried out stain remover pen (I have a few I've just can't part with.) in this homemade solution to give it new life. I think I'll try that, too.
ReplyDeleteHope you have a great weekend!
Love it. I have never seen the liquid glycerine like that. Now I'll have to look. We make plenty of opportunities to test this out:)
ReplyDeleteThank you
The liquid glycerin will be found in a plastic bottle. I purchased mine in "bulk" at a local store and decant it into a glass bottle in which I added a vintage label for fun :)
DeleteHi JES! Thanks for a lovely tutorial, love the images and prose from Beatrix Potter - so quaint! I happen to have some glycerin on hand as I use it in making homemade body wash. I will certainly give this recipe a try! Thanks for sharing another wonderful post! :)
ReplyDeleteJES, I have needed to get a strain remover going again... I have made some before and they worked well.. but I can't find the recipe, so this is timely for me.... thank you. :)
ReplyDeleteI've never made my own cleaner before but I've always wanted to try. I've pinned it for later. Have a lovely weekend Jes! Diane
ReplyDeleteI love the photos in your posts. Thanks for the DIY stain remover, I'll look for some glycerin and try making it. Thanks Jes. ~ Abby
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Jes thank you. A little basket of laundry things would make such a sweet gift. I am thinking wooden pegs and some of your homemade items and lovely labels. Thank you very much!
ReplyDeleteSuch pretty photos. Thank you for the recipe.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to trying this . . . why the glycerine? Do you know what action it has?
ReplyDelete"Glycerin's quality as a solvent, along with it being hygroscopic, make it good for cleaning and stain removal. These qualities allow gylcerin to soften hardened and set stains, so that even old stains can be more easily removed." ~ http://www.stain-removal-101.com/what-is-glycerin-used-for.html
DeleteHope this helps!
Thanks for posting! You're laundry inspirations never cease to encourage me. (I love the recipes too!) The only stain removing recipe I've encountered before couldn't be used on reds and purples because it would pull the color.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to try this one. I've got some glycerin at home from making handsoaps.
I'll tell ya, when you live on a farm, a good stain remover is a lifesaver! :)
-Christina
Thank you. I must get some glycerine. Where do you perchase yours?
ReplyDeleteJES, I use essential oils for cleaning but have never made stain remover--thanks for sharing! I love how you wove in the Beatrix Potter story, so sweet!
ReplyDeleteAnother delightful tutorial, my friend :) My laundry room will soon be stocked full of your wonderful ideas :) Thanks for sharing your loveliness with Roses of Inspiration. Hugs!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing I saw this an the Homemaking Linkup and I am glad I did.I can't wait to give it a try. It is pretty close to a recipe I have for stamp cleaner so I bet it will do a great job removing stains!
ReplyDeleteHI. is dish liquid washing up liquid for the kitchen? if so will any one do, no fills cheapy or concentrated with enzymes types.
ReplyDeleteHi there, yes, the kind you hand wash dishes with. Mine is a cheap one. Hope this helps!
DeleteWhat a great idea, thanks for this. It would be much better to use than the chemical one. Thanks for sharing at Good Morning Mondays Jes, Blessings.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this idea. My husband had to run to the store so I added a spray bottle and glycerin to my list.
ReplyDelete