Household Stains and Removal Solutions Whether you like it or not, your clothes are going to get stained. Being a nurse is particularly dynamic and that’s one of the last things that you are going to pay attention to. However, keeping your uniform clean is absolutely essential. With this in mind, being aware of a few household stain removing solutions might turn out to be quite handy. Sure, you are usually going to use the hospital’s laundry capacities but that’s not always an option. So, with this in mind, we’ve prepared a few solutions for commonly found stains that are likely to appear on nurse’s uniforms. Related: What does a Certified Nurse Midwife Do? Typical stains and their hot-fixes Understanding how to remove common stains is going to save you time, effort and money. That’s why we’ve compiled this list to help you out in this endeavor. ● Blood stains Of course, blood is likely to be the most common stain that you are going to encounter. The first thing that you need to do is to soak the fabric in a solution of salt and cold water. Make sure to start rubbing as soon as possible until the stain starts to fade away. This is, however, when the stain is rather fresh. If it’s an older blood stain, you should start off with an initial pre-soak with 2 tablespoons of ammonia per one single gallon of cold water. Make sure to wash it off immediately afterwards. ● Coffee stains Let’s face it; you spill coffee quite a lot. The reason is quite simple. You rarely have the time to sit down and enjoy a fresh cup of coffee. So, naturally, you drink it on foot. That’s when the spills happen. Stretch the fabric on a bowl and pour boiling hot water over the stain from a height of about three feet. Make sure not to burn yourself. This is going to loosen up the stain and it’s also going to remove other stains such as from wine. ● Ink stains Ink stains are also common as you need to prepare quite a few reports on a daily basis. With this in mind, you need to make sure that you put a piece of scrap fabric under the
spot and spray the stain with aerosol hair spray. You might have to repeat this a few times but it’s a particularly effective method of getting rid of ink stains. Keep in mind that hairspray will usually remove ballpoint ink from leather which is particularly helpful. Another approach you can use is to coat the stain with petroleum jelly. Related: Two Part-Time Nursing Positions vs. One Full-Time: Which is Better for You? Act fast If any of these stains happen to occur on your clothes, your best bet is to act fast. Of course, this is when circumstances allow it. The safety of your patients is your only priority. However, if you have a few spare minutes, you can pre-treat the stain in order to make removal easier later on. Keeping your uniform tidy is absolutely essential. Make sure that you do this every time there is a stain. However, not all stains are challenging to remove and the majority of them are going to get cleaned after a regular laundry session. These types of stains are difficult to remove, and following these handy tips will help you lift any tough stain on your uniform. Related: International Nurses Association Please follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest and Twitter