Every couple of weeks this topic is brought up through different groups of people I know. How do I wash my lolita? Should I dry clean everything? and the most frustrating response among anxiety and fearful of ruining their lolita is " Lolita shouldnt be washed or drycleaned because it will ruin it".
Your clothing should not be some sort of small ecosystem that houses weird body odors and stains and a micro-biological organism habitat.
I am here to tell you that I wash and dry clean all my lolita. Most all of the modern lolita can be washed in a washer or dry cleaned. Inside all of the lolita dresses there is a care tag. I have listed the most New 2017 popular symbols that you will find in this diagram below.
I have copied and pasted their list below for your convenience.
Stain | Treatment |
Adhesive tape, chewing gum, rubber cement |
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Baby formula |
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Baked Beans | Working from the back of the stain, flush it with cold water. Next, pretreat it with a liquid laundry detergent, using an up-and-down motion with a soft brush to break up the stain. Rinse well. Then sponge with white vinegar and rinse again. Repeat, treating the stain with liquid detergent, then with white vinegar until you’ve removed as much stain as possible. Pretreat with a prewash stain remover and launder with bleach that’s safe for the fabric. |
Barbeque Sauce | Treat the same as for baked beans. If the stain remains after laundering with bleach, rub in liquid laundry detergent and soak in warm water for up to 30 minutes. Launder again. |
Beverages (coffee, tea, soft drinks, wine, alcoholic beverages) |
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Blood | Fresh Stains Soak in cold water (do not use hot water as it will set blood stains). Launder. Dried Stains Pretreat or soak in warm water with a product containing enzymes. Launder. NOTE: If stain remains, rewash using a bleach safe for fabric. Lulu NOTE: Peroxide is also a good blood stain remover. |
Bodily fluids |
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Brown or yellow discoloration from iron, rust, manganese | Use a rust remover recommended for fabrics; launder. NOTE: Do not use a sodium hypochlorite bleach to remove rust stains because it may intensify discoloration |
Butter | Pretreat with a prewash stain remover and launder, using the hottest water that’s safe for the fabric. |
Candle wax |
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Chocolate | When the stain strikes, gently scrape off any excess chocolate. Once you get the item home, soak it in cool water. Then pretreat with a prewash stain remover and launder in the hottest water that’s safe for the fabric. NOTE: If stain remains, rewash using a bleach safe for fabric. |
Collar, cuff soil |
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Cosmetics |
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Crayon | For a Few Spots:
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Dairy products |
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Deodorants, antiperspirants | Light Stains:
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Dye transfer |
Printed fabrics white dress with red print:
1. Also you can use a Color catcher in the laundry
NOTE: This type of stain may be prevented if proper sorting and laundering procedures are followed. |
Egg |
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Fabric softener |
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Fruit, juices | Wash with bleach safe for fabric. |
Grass | Pretreat or soak in a product containing enzymes. NOTE: If stain persists, launder using sodium hypochlorite bleach, if safe for fabric, or oxygen bleach. |
Grease, oil | Light Stains:
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Ice Cream | Pretreat or soak stains using a product containing enzymes. Soak for at least 30 minutes – longer if the stains are old. Launder, using the warmest water that’s safe for the fabric. |
Ink | NOTE: Some inks in each of the following categories _ ballpoint, felt tip, liquid- may be impossible to remove, Laundering may set some types of ink. Try pretreating using one of the following methods: Prewash Stain Remover:
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Ketchup |
Note: Avoid dabbing at it as this can spread the stain.
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Maple Syrup |
Maple syrup or corn syrup stains should be removed as soon as possible.
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Mayonnaise | Pretreat with a prewash stain remover and then launder, using the hottest water that’s safe for the fabric. |
Mildew | NOTE: Badly mildewed fabrics may be damaged beyond repair. 1. Launder stained items using a bleach safe for fabric and hottest water recommended for fabric. |
Milk | See dairy products. |
Mud | 1. When dry, brush off as much mud as possible. Light Stains: 2. Pretreat with a paste of powder detergent and water, liquid laundry detergent or a liquid detergent booster. Launder. Heavy Stains: 1. Pretreat or presoak with a laundry detergent or a product containing enzymes. Launder. |
Mustard | Flush under cold water to loosen the stain, and then pretreat with a prewash stain remover. Launder, using the hottest water that’s safe for the fabric. Add bleach to the wash also – preferably chlorine bleach. (Check the care label to see if it is safe for the fabric.) |
Nail polish | NOTE: Nail polish may be impossible to remove. 1. Try nail polish remover but do not use on acetate or triacetate fabrics. 2. Place stain facedown on clean paper towels. Apply nail polish remover to back of stain. Replace paper towels frequently. 3. Repeat until stain disappears, if it does. 4. Rinse and launder. |
Paint | Water-based Paint: 1. Rinse fabric in warm water while stains are still wet. 2. Launder. NOTE: Once paint is dry, it cannot be removed. Oil-based Paint and Varnish: 1. Use the same solvent the label on the can advises for a thinner. 2. If not available, use turpentine. 3. Rinse. 4. Pretreat with prewash stain remover, bar soap or laundry detergent. 5. Rinse and launder. |
Perfume | 1. Pretreat with prewash stain remover or liquid laundry detergent. 2. Launder. |
Perspiration | 1.Use a prewash stain remover or rub with bar soap. NOTE: If perspiration has changed the color of the fabric, apply ammonia to fresh stains or white vinegar to old stains; rinse. 2. Launder using hottest water safe for fabric. NOTE: Stubborn stains may respond to washing in a product containing enzymes or oxygen bleach in hottest water safe for fabric. |
Pine resin | 1. Sponge the stained area with a dry-cleaning solvent; let it air-dry. 2. Soak the stain in a solution of one cup of liquid laundry detergent and a few drops of ammonia (Caution: Never mix chlorine bleach and ammonia - the resulting fumes are hazardous) for at least 30 minutes. 3. Launder using liquid laundry detergent. |
Scorch | NOTE: Badly scorched fabrics may be damaged beyond repair. 1. Launder using sodium hypochlorite bleach, if safe for fabric. Or, soak in oxygen bleach and hot water, then launder. |
Shoe polish | Liquid Shoe Polish: 1. Pretreat with a paste of powder detergent and water. 2. Launder. Paste Shoe Polish: 1. Scrape residue from fabric with a dull knife. 2. Pretreat with a prewash stain remover or cleaning fluid; rinse. 3. Rub detergent into dampened area. 4. Launder using a bleach safe for fabric. |
Soft Drinks | Sponge the stain with cool water or soak it in cool water for about 30 minutes. Pretreat with a prewash stain remover. Launder; if safe for the fabric, add chlorine bleach to the wash. |
Tar | 1. Scrape residue from fabric. 2. Place stain facedown on paper towels. Sponge with cleaning fluid. Replace paper towels frequently to absorb more tar and to avoid transferring stains. 3. Launder in hottest water safe for fabric. |
Tobacco | 1. Dampen stain and rub with bar soap; rinse. 2. Pretreat or soak in a product containing enzymes. 3. Launder. NOTE: If stain remains, launder again using a bleach safe for fabric. |
Typewriter correction fluid | 1. Let stain dry thoroughly, then gently brush excess off with a clothes brush. 2. Send to professional drycleaner and mention the type of stain. |
Watermellon | These stains fall into that mysterious category of "invisible stains." The drips dry up and the stain seems to disappear. But if left over time, the stains will oxidize into pale yellow or brown stains. To keep this from happening, launder the item in the hottest water that’s safe for the fabric. |
Wine | Sponge the stain with cool water or soak it in cool water for about 30 minutes. Pretreat with a prewash stain remover. Launder; if safe for the fabric, add chlorine bleach to the wash. (See video) |
Wood Stain |
Water-Based Wood Stain
1. Lay down a thick layer of white paper towels. Place the stained clothing on top of the paper towels, with the stain face down on the paper towels.
2. Pour a capful of acetone onto the stain. Dip a clean, white rag into the acetone. 3. Blot the stain with the acetone-soaked rag. Press the stain into the paper towels. Move the stained fabric around the surface of the paper towels to clean areas after each blotting. Rub the stain beginning at the outer edges and working your way toward the center. Continue to blot and rub the clothing until the stain disappears.
Oil-Based Wood Stain
1. Place a thick layer of white paper towels on a work surface. Lay the stained fabric facing down on the paper towels. 2. Dip a clean, white rag into mineral spirits. 3. Blot the stain, beginning at the outer edge of the stain. Push the stain into the paper towels to transfer the wood stain from the fabric onto the paper towels. Move the stained fabric from place to place on the paper towel surfaces. Continue to dip the rag into mineral spirits and blot the stain until it is removed.
Launder the garment
• Rinse the garment and launder as usual. Once the clothing is removed from the wash, inspect for any remaining stains. Repeat the stain removal process if necessary before placing the clothing in the dryer. |
I hope this blog post assists you in keeping your wardrobe bright and clean. It will allow your garments to last longer and make you less fearful of wearing your clothing more often.
Please dont hesitate to ask me questions on this post and happy laundry days that are more economical.