THE CLEANING POWER OF MILK
Milk, the magical stain remover. It really does work but only for biological stains and you have to do it right away.
Milk is a natural emulsion. This means that it will mix with other emulsions. So if you stain an item of clothing with coffee or tomato or even oil, just a little drop of milk will help remove the blemish. It works for blood and chocolate and most ice-creams and yogurts. Spaghetti sauce and red wine are two of the worst culprits, especially on white cloth. It will not generally work for manufactured colourings but may be worth a try. Kids’ paints and colouring pencils are often naturally based these days but the milk won’t work on spirit bases.
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The blouse in the photo was stained with drops of vinegar from a bowl of beetroot. It was more of a spray than a splash and you have to look quite close to see the spots. A few minutes work and the spots were gone. Not just that but it was immediately ready to put back on. These spillages often happen when the family are round the table. If you’re at home, you just get another blouse but if you’re in someone else’s house, it’s not so easy. If you use a chemical spot remover you need to rinse it right away. The soapy milk just sponges off and you can wash it later at home.
I normally use semi-skimmed UHT milk because that’s what’s in our fridge but, in general, any cow’s milk will do the job. Don’t try to clean the item with water or detergent and then attempt the milk trick. You must use the milk first. If it doesn’t work, you can then try chemical cleaners. Here’s how to do it.
Firstly, if it is a garment you have to isolate the part that is stained. If not you’ll probably extend the mark to other parts of the garment. For the blouse in the photo it was easy to roll up the back so that only the front is treated. For sleeves or trouser legs, place a barrier between the layers of cloth. Lay the item on a kitchen table or counter top.
Use a spoon or the plastic cap of the milk carton to drop a small amount of milk onto the spot. Work the milk in with your finger. The stain will not disappear but will get lighter in colour. Take a piece of kitchen roll or toilet roll and dab the spot to absorb the milk. Repeat with a little more milk and dab again. Now squeeze a little liquid soap on (not detergent) and work it in with your finger. Dab again with absorbent paper. Finally, when most of the stain has gone, add a little soap (not detergent) and dab with a little warm water. You can wash it normally later.
I have never tried the trick with one of the modern vegan milk-drinks. Just guessing, I would say that some will work and some won’t. They are, after all, emulsions too. But with old fashioned cows’ milk I have rescued dozens of garments including my grandson’s brand new Atletico de Madrid shirt that was splattered with spaghetti sauce and, of course, my wife’s blouse in the pictures above.
