Powder or liquid? This is an easy question for skiers to answer. But when it comes to laundry detergent, you have to wonder: is there a difference between powdered and liquid detergents? Aside from the obvious physical differences between the two, they appear to be identical. That’s my opinion (based on experience), for what it’s worth. Some disagree, claiming each type has specific advantages over the other. This is their argument (along with my interjections):

Pro Powdered Detergent

1. Lower cost per load. If you divide the cost of the package (box or bottle) of detergent by the number of loads indicated on the package. This must be true, as powder detergent is typically cheaper.
2. Ingredients in detergents, such as bleaching agents and surfactants, are more stable in powders and therefore have a longer shelf life than liquid detergents. Interesting, but who is concerned with detergent shelf-life? I suppose it would be smart to buy powders in bulk to save some money.

Pro Liquid Detergent

1. Liquid detergents are pre-dissolved. If you have problems with getting your powdered detergent to dissolve (cold climates, hard water, etc.) a liquid detergent can resolve the problem. This is the best argument yet.
2. Convenient for pre-treating stains: just dribble a little of the detergent on the stained area before placing the laundry in the washer. True, but a similar result can be had by mixing powdered detergent with water. Plus, the grittiness of the resulting solution may help remove stains.

If we really want to argue the advantages of each, I choose liquid detergent.

Carving pumpkins and making homemade pumpkin pie are amazingly messy tasks. Orange pulp gets all over your hands, the kitchen table and, eventually, your clothes. Thus, we thought it pertinent to write up a quick “how to” guide for removing those pre-Halloween stains.

The “I took precautions but got a little on my shirt” variety:

1. Always read the care label on clothing or fabric.
2. Using the hottest water safe for the fabric, clean the item with detergent. Avoid using natural soap since it could make the stain harder to remove.

The “I carve pumpkins with grenades” variety:

1. Always read the care label on clothing or fabric.
2. Mix one quart of warm water to 1 teaspoon of an enzyme pre-soak. Add the soiled item and let soak for at least 30 minutes.
3. Wash following care label instructions.

Not all the stains during the holidays are food related – bringing us to our next holiday stain tip: candle wax. Luckily, GoodHousekeeping.com‘s list of holiday time stain removal is pretty extensive.

Candle wax on linens

Rapid response: Wait for the wax to dry, then pick off what you can with your fingernails.
Postparty steps: Put the cloth in the freezer for several days so the remaining wax will stiffen. Once the wax has hardened, scrape it off with a regular table knife. Place paper towels on the top and bottom side of the stain and press with an iron set at warm. It may be necessary to change the towels several times to absorb all of the wax. Then launder as you normally would.

Here’s the third installment of Preparing for Thanksgiving Stains. During the holidays, wine pour like… well, wine, and some of it never makes it to the glass. Here’s how GoodHousekeeping.com handles the situation:

Wine on the tablecloth

Rapid response: Pour a good amount of salt, baking soda, or artificial sweetener on top of the liquid to absorb it.
Postparty steps: Place the tablecloth in cold water and rub out the stain. Pour an enzyme detergent into the hottest water that’s safe for the fabric and soak for about a half hour. Then launder as usual.

Here’s part two of Preparing for Thanksgiving Stains. Gravy – perhaps the worst of the holiday stains. But, where there’s a will , there’s a way. Here’s what GoodHousekeeping.com has to say:

Gravy on linens
Rapid response: Spoon up as much as you can, then cover the spot with flour or cornstarch.
Postparty steps: Soak the tablecloth in a mixture of 1 teaspoon mild, colorless detergent to each cup of lukewarm water. If the stain remains, pour a bit of full-strength liquid laundry detergent onto the fabric, rub well, and then launder as you normally would.

Here are 13 tips for removing bike chain grease from your clothing. Now, before you quote us on any of these, we found the list on BikeHacks.com. The list is in order of how caustic the chemical is. In fact, the writer of the original article says that they may  not even consider using the final three. So! Here’s the list. Use with your own discretion!

• Sprinkle cornstarch on freshly greased clothes. Let it soak up the grease for a while, then shake it out, slop some dishwashing liquid on there and wash as usual
• On fresh grease: a dot of laundry detergent, rub, wash as usual
• On set grease: sprinkle some baby powder, let it set a while, shake out, wash as usual
• Rub some Dawn dishwashing detergent into the spot, then wash
• Make a paste of Ajax dish soap and baking powder, then rub into the stain using an old toothbrush. Let it sit for about 5 minutes before washing as usual
• Dribble a little bit of your shampoo (brand agnostic) on the stain, rub and wash as usual
• Use Simple Green on stains, wash as usual
• Throw some PineSol or Simple Green in with your laundry
• Use Goo-Gone on stains, wash as usual
• Get the stain out with Goof-Off, then get out the Goof-Off residue with
• Goop hand cleaner before washing as usual
• Use oven cleaner on the stain, wash as usual
• Use tire cleaner on the stain, wash as usual
• Use brake parts cleaner on the stain, wash as usual

Dirty is the new trend in the art world. Just a few posts ago we wrote about Matt Fargo’s Armpit Shirt – a wearable ode to pit stains – and today we came across a gallery show called “Dirty Laundry.” Several artists were asked to create t-shirt designs using stained fabric while incorporating the stain with the design. The purpose is to express the concept of potential — to view things as “remixed” rather than “ruined.”

Dirty Laundry is a thought provoking exhibit, no doubt, but I’ll still opt for the Woolite Dry Clean At Home by Dry Cleaner’s Secret. But, to appreciate art for art’s sake, please check out DirtyLaundry.com. It’s truly cool stuff.

Nano technology has opened new doors in fashion, giving clothing manufacturers the ability to make stain resistant clothing. Even some of the most well-known brands (Old Navy, Brooks Brothers) and leading designers (Hugo Boss and Tommy) have taken advantage of the technology. But, does it actually keep you stain free? Susan Koeppen of CBS’ The Early Show put some stain resistant clothes to the test.

Test #1: 
Koeppen spilled coffee all over her trenchcoat, and orange juice all over her suit. Both wiped right off without soiling the fabric. PASS

Test #2:
Koeppen smeared mustard, ketchup, chocolate ice cream, juice, paint, pizza grease, yougurt and paint all over the clothes. Most of it wiped away without stains, but some items (namely the mustard and the ketchup) caused stains that couldn’t even come out in the way. FAIL

The verdict is that stain resistant fabric does a great job at repelling liquids, but doesn’t seem to handle heavy dyes or oil-based substances any better than other materials. Still, stain resistant clothing may be worth the extra coin if you’re looking for some relief from everyday stains.

Artist Matt Fargo is trying to foster an appreciation for armpit stains with one his latest works, The Armpit Shirt. He rifled through shirts at the Manhattan Salvation Army for ten days searching for the perfect bits of crusty, yellowed fabric. So why try to get out the stains when it appears we’re on the fringe of a mega trend shift! Ok, just kidding.

A wonderful little detail Matt added to the shirts were brand new, spotless patches of fabric in the underarm area so that the wearer can add some pit stains of their own! Where do I get one of these?

Ever wonder how to keep your shirt collar clean? So have we, but we could never figure out a solution. Luckily, someone else did and they were kind enough to post their method on YouTube. Enjoy!