What can I do to these scrub stains? Help Me!!!!

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Omg, My first HELP ME!!!! Post.

My wife is gone to visit her sister in NC, while I stay here and toil on this assignment. She is Sooooooooo Amazing at getting out stains from my scrubs. I realize how much I miss her already!! This facility requires WHITE scrubs, and I (slob) have gotten just about everything on them you can imagine-plus (slob) I eat on the way home, and now have a wonderful half-dollar sized ketchup stain on my white pants leg!!!!

I noticed a bottle of "Shout," I sprayed, rubbed, (prayed) Lol, and even poured hot water on it. Now a wash later-looks like it just happened! What else can I do- there is a 24 hr grocer right down the block- so please help Boston out!!! Thanks Guys!

P.S. For all that think I'm uselessly dependent on my wife- we have a balance- I cook/wash dishes/take garbage out/All Dog Care-those with pets know what I mean.

She does the Laundry (and it's a task here using the Extended Stay Hotel's little Laundrymat.

Also, I'm keeping the stained ones wet- they haven't been dried. P.S. My Labcoat suffered part of the Ketchup Stain- a gift from my late grandmother (I know I shouldn't have worn it to work-just got chilly these last few nights- and you might as well "enjoy" something. But I will definetly put it up if I can get this stain out!) Not going to eat and drive anymore either- if I stain her Audi she is going to KILL ME!!!

Is it better to go buy new whites- or you guys have some tips?

Specializes in Rehab, critical care.

I like the oxyclean spray (you can spray on prior to throwing them in the wash). they sell it at grocery stores. I hate white scrubs. Whenever I wear a white top, that usually is the only time I spill something on it lol

Maybe keep a tide to go pen in your pocket of your scrubs. Even if it doesn't get all stains out right away, it may make it easier to get out later.

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Specializes in Rehab, critical care.

Oh, and P.S. It's nice that you share the chores with your wife, but even if you were "uselessly dependent" on her, we're okay with that lol. Whether you want to have an egalitarian household or not, that's your business, no need to justify your lack of laundry skills. We all have our strengths domestically.

My husband can iron way better than me; half the time I end up adding more wrinkles (not to scrubs lol, which is why I like scrubs lol), and he can organize a cupboard so well it looks like a tetris champion did it; I can fit about half as many things in the closet as he can. But, then again, I pay the bills, make all of the appts, and remember them. He would probably have dentures at his young age if it weren't for me scheduling his appt for him lol.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Put "DAWN" (gets the grease out) detergent on the stain. Then soak in oxyclean. DAWN oxi clean with a little meat tenderizer for blood works very well (tenderizer breaks up the protein). It's ok to be uselessly dependent on your wife...If she wants it that way......If it works for you guys, it's good for me!!! :)

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I find this works with most food & bio stains:

- squirt some blue Dawn (dish soap) onto the stain

- wet your fingers and rub it into the fabric on both sides. it should foam up a bit. you could also use a brush.

- let it sit for at least 20 minutes

- launder in warm to hot water with generous amount of oxyclean powder, longest wash cycle

- double rinse

- check for stain before putting it into the dryer. repeat as necessary.

Not a nurse yet, but my husband is a messy eater and my baby's cloth diapers are stain free. This technique works especially great for grease/cooking oil stains, even if they've already been through the dryer.

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Specializes in Trauma, ER, ICU, CCU, PACU, GI, Cardiology, OR.

unquestionably, great advises from all of you regarding the dilemma of stains. as a single parent i had to learn all of the above mentioned on my own. therefore, i never run out of peroxide, bleach, oxyclean, meat tenderizer etc. lastly, regarding all of your advises i have to say you guys rock! :hug:

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Specializes in Early Intervention, Nsg. Education.
Put "DAWN" (gets the grease out) detergent on the stain. Then soak in oxyclean. DAWN oxi clean with a little meat tenderizer for blood works very well (tenderizer breaks up the protein). It's ok to be uselessly dependent on your wife...If she wants it that way......If it works for you guys, it's good for me!!! :)

Absolutely, Esme! Oxyclean and meat tenderizer has been my "body fluid kryptonite of choice" for years and years. My MF/TD daughter ^Petunia^ taught me more about laundry...and life...in her three years than I had learned in the 30+ before that. Pick a body fluid, med, TPN/IL, betadine, benzoin, anything at all, they are no match for this wonderful stuff. Just remember to add a generous serving of patience and a pinch of prayer...:heartbeat

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Specializes in Adult/Ped Emergency and Trauma.

All you guys are awesome!!!:bow: Never heard about the Hairspray before the help cry!

(will always have a small travel bottle in my bag now)

Progress Report: I have actually got the pants/shirts looking much better- you have to look at them real hard to see the faint grease marks (haven't dried yet, now rubbing in dawn).

The biggest worry, my labcoat is 100% Cotton, and is a bit more challenging. I am afraid bleach will yellow it like I did with my white teeshirts when I tried. (my wife could do it, I'm scared). The dawn is actually cutting away very well on the Lab Coat, the Scrubs seem to have a stain blocker on them that helped alot (or maybe it's the synthetic mix.)

On the dependence thing, I admit it, I'm skilless in the domestic area beyond cooking, kitchen upkeep, and pet care. I went from one woman's authority (mom), straight into another's (wife), and I am a work in progress!

I have learned through much remedial learning to lower the commode seat (wiped clean:jester:), not put my socks and underwear on the bathroom floor, and not leave empty containers in the refrigerator. I have listed all these laundry tips, and the ones to come (i will get) in my iPhone, and they are all appreciated. It takes the village to raise the child! Thanks Guys!

You Guys are the Best!!!!

:redbeatheBoston

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Specializes in Adult/Ped Emergency and Trauma.

P.S. I emailed a link of this to my bacholer (non-nursing friends), and one has already called me to tell how great the Dawn works on "Tar Stains" from the beach. Must be nice!:D

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Specializes in ICU.

I just pulled up "Hints from Heloise ketchup stains." She says use one part vinegar to 3 parts water. She has a whole list of stain removal stuff on her site; also Good Housekeeping does, too. (If I need to bleach a stain on whites, I use a bleach spray bottle, like Clorox clean-up, and just spray that one spot, it has worked for me, and that way I don't bleach the whole thing, since you mentioned your monogram.)

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My top stain removers:

1) rubbing alcohol (it's also in hairspray) - for ink. (I soak bad stains overnight and sometimes longer --adding more rubbing alcohol at intervals over the stain.)

2) Dawn - for greasy stains. (ditto)

(The above two items are miracle workers for me...I have been amazed by what they do...you usually can see the stain begin to lift immediately on application...if the stain is really bad it takes longer - like 12 hours - for the entire stain to be more difficult to see.)

3) OxyClean - for after soaking with one or two of the above items to remove the faint stain.

4) Hydrogen Peroxide - haven't used this in very long time - know it's good on blood and organic stains.

I have not been impressed by Spray N Wash or Tide stain remover packs. They don't do nearly the job that the above first two items do.

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Here is a website that I stumbled on while Google "ketchup stain removal." They have a newsletter that sends new cleaning tips once a week. It's free and looks like it's worth the effort.

http://cleaning.tips.net

I find it amazing the way we all gather bits and pieces of our "domestic training" along the way, sharing what we know and taking in the wisdom of others. It takes a village to keep us all clean. :D

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I have yet to have to remove stains from scrubs as I'm only just beginning school, but I have had to wrangle with stains on button up white work shirts and my lab coats for school. I often use shout or Oxi-clean, but I find when something is stubborn it does take bleach. In a pinch one day I grabbed the Clorox clean up spray bottle and sprayed it on a spot of blue dye I had used in a micro lab on my 55% cotton/45% polyester lab coat. I dropped the coat in the washer with regular detergent and I'm happy to report my coat is NOT yellow and the stain is gone. It sounds like alcohol might have also worked so I will be sure to keep that in mind, but in a pinch even a little Clorox clean up will work for spot treatment! Perhaps Clorox 2 might work for your 100% cotton lab coat your Gram gave you? try it, it can't hurt.

Don't feel bad about your wife knowing more about laundry. We have a "division of labor" as I call it in my house as well. My boyfriend can't stand dishes in the sink, so he always does them. I can't stand dishes at all, so I always do the laundry lol. I do the vacuuming/sweeping/mopping and he takes out the trash/recycling. We share the cooking, with him making most of the breakfast and me cooking more dinners. Kitty litter boxes, and other house hold stuff also gets shared. As long as you help and it works for your family I think you're doing just fine! :)

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