It’s always super disappointing when you have to discard a beloved garment because it’s picked up a permanent, disfiguring stain or an unshakeable odour.
It’s heartbreaking to have to wipe the kitchen counter or mop up the floor with a piece of cloth you once wore proudly.
No piece of clothing is more at risk of picking up permanent stains and odours than a kitchen apron. From splattering oil to splashing stews and fishy smells, the danger is everywhere.
When you look at it, though, aprons are actually designed to take the hits we don’t want our regular clothes to take. We wear them to take the stains, but still, being civilized people, we can’t stand the sight of a disfigured garment.
That is why over the next few paragraphs, we will be sharing useful tips on how to maintain your cooking aprons and even bring the discarded ones back to life.
Degrease Your Aprons With Dish Soap
Grease stains are the hardest to wash out. Even after soaking your apron in hot, soapy water and washing with all your energy, you might still be left with the stain. It can be frustrating.
The key to getting rid of grease stains, though, is not washing hard, but washing smart and you need to smarten up to the fact that the answer to restoring your apron’s beauty is sitting right on your kitchen sink- the dish washing liquid!
Dish washing liquid is what is known as a degreaser, meaning that it cuts through grease. The molecules in dish washing liquid break down and separate the impurities in water so that they can be washed away quickly.
It does this for your dishes and it will do the same for your aprons.
Lemon Juice Works Like A Charm
They say when life gives your lemons, you should make lemonade. But, do you know that you can also create a number of very potent liquid solutions which can be used to get the stains out of your cooking aprons?
There are multiple combinations available to you and they include mostly readily-available ingredients that you probably have in your kitchen, your bathroom or your laundry right now. The combination you choose need not be stain-specific, if you do want to get specific, then you can reference the following guide.
For juice stains, it is best to go with the Lemon Juice and Water combo.
For rust stains, it is best to go with the Lemon Juice and Detergent combo.
The Lemon Juice and Salt combo is best for food-related stains like oil.
In the unlikely case that you do not have any of the above-named ingredients at home, lemons on their own are potent stain removers.
Note that you do not have to wash the entire garment with the lemon juice solution- just the affected spot or spots.
Vinegar Is The Solution
The difference between a permanent stain on your apron and a temporary one is sometimes only a couple minutes. We all know this and it is why people have a tendency to make a run for the nearest bathroom to soak their clothes in a bucket of soapy water as soon as they get stained.
But there are times when you will be unable to get to the water and the detergent fast enough and you will have to let that stew stain set into your apron. It is not a problem, though. Not as long as you have some vinegar at home.
Vinegar is an extremely powerful stain remover and it is effective even on dry, set-in stains. Apply vinegar to the affected area and let it soak in for a few minutes then handwash or scrub out the stain.
Alternatively, you could soak the entire apron in a bucket of vinegar and detergent for a few hours, then wash it. To create an even more potent cleaning solution, you could combine your vinegar with the aforementioned detergent, baking soda and, salt, warm water even hairspray.
The vinegar and baking soda combination is especially effective in getting rid of kitchen odours.
Chalk It Out
Oil and water do not mix, but oil and chalk do and you should be using this to your advantage. And we’re not talking about some magic chalk from a faraway place. All you need is ordinary, plain, white chalk. The same chalk your teacher wrote your notes on the board with.
Simply rub the chalk over the stained area, and leave it for a while. After a few minutes, the deep-seated stains begin to be absorbed into the chalk, after which you can wash the stains out in soap and water. Repeat the process as many times as it takes to get the stain completely out.
Alcohol Hand Sanitizer Gets Rid Of More Than Germs
Bet you didn’t know that your germ remover could also be a stain remover.
It works sort of like first aid. You’ve got to apply it to the affected area very quickly after getting stained after which you should rub the stain out completely.
It is important to wash the apron with soap and water as soon as possible as the alcohol can leave stains of its own if allowed to set into the fabric of your apron.
Act Fast With Flour
When applied quickly to stained fabric, baking flour can prevent oily stains from becoming permanent.
Simply sprinkle your flour on the affected area, then tap in on the stain till the powder has been fully absorbed. Apply a squirt of dish washing liquid on the spot and gently dab it into the fabric [don’t spread].
Then, wash the apron in warm water. Simple and effective.
Got an apron that’s too stinky or stained to wear, but you just couldn’t bring yourself to throw away because you love it so much?
Go get it from wherever you’ve kept it and bring it back to life. Happy cleaning.
If you do not have an apron, you could win a beautiful Golden Penny apron by sharing this article on social media, tagging us and using the hashtag #GoldenApron
