Maintenance advice for your clothes

Oh no! Disaster! You've just left the restaurant after lunch and you've got an enormous vinigarette stain on your tie. How do you remove it before your five o'clock meeting?

Keep an emergency pack in a box, out of reach of children, this box should consist of:

Solvent
Hydrogen Peroxide
Bleach
Washing Up Liquid
White Vinegar
90° Alcohol
Talc
A White Cloth

Blood: Rinse in cold water. Blood cannot be removed once a garment has been washed in warm water.

Grass: Place the garment on a clean white cloth. Dab the stain with another white cloth soaked in 90° Alcohol.

Mud: Allow to dry, then brush. If traces remain, rinse in water mixed with a little vinegar (one spoonful per litre of water).

Perfume: Perfume is very difficult to remove without leaving a ring. Rub with hydrogen peroxide Note: This may cause colours to fade. Carry out a test on a less visible part of the garment first.

Lipstick: Apply ether or a dilute hydrogen peroxide.

Ink: Soak the fabric in milk for several hours and rinse in cold water.

Felt pen, ballpoint pen. Place the garment on a clean white cloth. Dab the stain with another white cloth soaked in 90° Alcohol.

Tea: Dab with white vinegar.

Coffee: Apply pure glycerin, then rinse with warm water.

Sauces: Hot water or trichloroethylene can be used to dissolve grease.

Chewing gum: Rub with an ice cude to harden the gum, which can then be removed by breaking it without damage to the garment.

Candle wax: Scrape off any solid wax. Place the stained area between two pieces of blotting paper and press down with a warm iron on the piece of blotting paper in contact with the wax. The wax will stick to the blotting paper.

Fruit: Rinse whites in soapy water mixed with a small amount of bleach. For wool and silk, apply lemon juice to the stain and rinse well.

Beer: For wool and silk, apply a mixture of warm water and 90° Alcohol, then rub with a clean cloth.

Chocolate:
Cotton: Dry-rub with soap and wash in cold water.
Synthetic: Apply lemon juice.
Wool: Apply benzine.
Silk: Apply warm water.

Care advice for natural fibre garments:
Dry cleaning should be used sparingly. Even the finest fabrics will take on the tell-tale sheen eventually. To remove creases, follow this simple method: hang your garment on a hanger, place it in the bathroom when you take a shower. The water vapour will remove any creases instantly without damaging it. Quality garments should never be worn on two consecutive days and should be placed carefully on a hanger for a day in a well ventilated room when not being worn.