Lipstick, sweat and other stains you should know how to remove this V-Day

Valentine’s Day brings with it some “accidental” stains that, unlike love, are not what we want to last. Here are seven of the most common and how to deal with them.

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General stain removal tips:

• Treat pronto for best results (Consider carrying a pre-treating stick like the Clorox Bleach Pen or Tide to Go with you always).

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• Put a clean cloth or paper towel behind stain to avoid bleeding onto other parts of your garment.

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• Dab, do not rub.

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• Never put a stained item in the dryer until the stain is removed or it will become a permanent one.

t LIPSTICK: Apply a quarter-sized amount of non-gel white shaving cream to stain (FYI: Shaving cream is aerated soap). Gently work into stain and leave on for 10 minutes. Dab with a damp cloth. Rinse with club soda or water. Repeat if necessary and switch to clear lip balm!

t CHOCOLATE: Remove any excess. Cover stain with clear, alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Be sure it doesn’t have any aloe or lotion. Let it stay on for three to five minutes. Dab the stain with a damp paper towel or micro-fiber cloth. Repeat if necessary and launder.

t STRAWBERRIES: Douse stain with your can of aerosol hairspray. Blot gently. Rinse with cool water and launder as usual.

t CHAMPAGNE: Add a squirt of mild liquid dish soap into a small bowl filled with cool to tepid water. Dip a clean sponge into the solution and dab the stain. Rinse with warm water.

t RED WINE: Run cool water through the stain and pour either white wine or Champagne over the stain. If stain remains shake enough salt on it to cover. The salt will help lift the stain. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Rinse with cool water and switch to drinking water or club soda.

t SWEAT STAINS: Valentine’s Day is one of the most popular days to propose, which can cause one to sweat. Here’s how to get rid of sweat stains (which, by the way, are caused by the aluminum in antiperspirants interacting with the salt in your sweat): Pour enough warm water into a bowl to cover the stain. Crush two to six aspirin tablets into the bowl and allow to dissolve before submerging the stained area. Leave for two to four hours (overnight is fine as well so you can continue to focus on being engaged).

t LOVE STAINS: First priority is to be safe and use proper protection, but if you do and some of the “love” escapes, use hydrogen peroxide, a natural bleaching agent to remove the excess. As noted, since this is a bleaching agent, do not use on dark colored bedding or clothing.

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