Sweet stain removing strategies for post-Halloween messes

HANOVER, Mass. - Nov. 2, 2013 - PRLog -- HANOVER, MA…

For the person in the household who does the laundry, those memories can be permanent in the form of candy stains on costumes and other clothing. That can make salvaging a costume for the next kid to wear an extreme challenge.

“You can spend a significant amount of money on a Halloween costume with the thought that another family member can use it next year. A candy stain can change all that,” said Kevin Dubois, CEO of Lapels Dry Cleaning. “Fortunately, most candy stains you can get out without paying a dry cleaner to salvage the costume or the piece of clothing, furniture or a rug.”

To remove candy stains from such materials as acetate, burlap, rayon, rope, silk, triacetate, wool, synthetic or wool carpet, Dubois recommends the following steps:

Scrape to remove as much of the excess as possible

Using light strokes with a dampened pad and working outward from the center of the stain, sponge the stained area with warm water.

Apply a wet spotter with a few drops of white vinegar added.

Let it stand as long as any stain is being removed. Press down on the stain with a clean absorbent pad every 5 minutes. Keep the stain moist with the wet spotter and vinegar.

When you observe that no more of the stain is being removed, flush with water.

If any stain remains, repeat the process, using rubbing alcohol instead of the wet spotter and vinegar. (Do not use the alcohol treatment on acetate or triacetate.)

When the stain is removed, rinse well with water to remove all sugar.

On carpeting, blot the excess liquid with an absorbent pad. Then apply a carpet stain remover and allow to dry.

For removing candy stains from materials like acrylic fabric, cotton, linen, modacrylic, nylon,
olefin, polyester or spandex, you want to take a different approach using the following steps:

First, soaking or launder the item in warm sudsy water.

If the stain persists, resoak the fabric, adding a few drops of ammonia to the soaking solution. Let the fabric soak for 30 minutes and rinse thoroughly with water.

Next, soak in a solution of 1 quart warm water and 1 tablespoon white vinegar for 1 hour (30 minutes for cotton and linen).

Rinse well and dry. If stain persists, apply rubbing alcohol (do not use on acrylic or modacrylic) to the stain and brush gently with a soft brush.

Keep the stain moist with alcohol and blot occasionally. Continue as long as any stain is being removed. Rinse well with water. Dry clean as soon as possible if the stain remains.

“Halloween can be a lot of fun but you want to remember it for the great time you had and not the clothes, carpeting or furniture that got ruined,” said Dubois. “These simple steps can help preserve the wonderful Halloween memories and the item that might have otherwise been a casualty of your Halloween fun.”

Lapels has pioneered its eco-friendly dry cleaning experience over the past 10-plus years. Using the latest technology in equipment and cleaning solution, Lapels is one of the few dry cleaners around to be able to boast that there is no hazardous waste in their process. Lapels environmentally-friendly cleaning process has no odor and is gentler on clothes, thus lengthening the life of clothes. At Lapels you can see, feel and smell the difference.

Lapels customers are greeted to a warm and inviting reception area, with friendly customer service representatives, and a full service on-site tailor.

Lapels offers its customers Automatic Rewards earning them credit towards free dry cleaning for every dollar they spend, Loyalty Programs, a VIP Program which eliminates the need to wait in line and the use of a 24 Hour Drop Off Service. Same day service is also available with pick-up after 5 pm.

For complete information on the Lapels Dry Cleaning, please visit www.mylapels.com.

Lapels Dry Cleaning – Environmentally Friendly Cleaners
Each Lapels Dry Cleaning store offers a full slate of services, including: same-day dry cleaning; shirt service; tailoring; shoe repair; wedding gown preservation; suede and leather processing; box storage and fur storage. Lapels Dry Cleaning has stores in Arizona (Gilbert, Chandler), California (Poway), Colorado (Littleton), Connecticut (Cromwell), Louisiana (Monroe, West Monroe, Delhi, Rayville, Winnsboro), Massachusetts (Abington, Bedford, Boston, Brighton, Cambridge, Cohasset, Dedham, Easton, Framingham, Franklin, Hanover, Marshfield, Natick, Newtonville, Norton, Quincy, Walpole, Westford, Westwood and Wilmington), Missouri (Wildwood), New Jersey (Brick, Freehold and Verona), Ohio (Liberty Township), Oklahoma ) Oklahoma City), Pennsylvania (Bloomsburg), Rhode Island (Lincoln); South Carolina (Myrtle Beach, Pawleys Island, Forest Village); Texas (Brownsville). Additional locations are coming soon to Austin, TX, Cedar Park, TX, and Needham, MA.

Lapels Dry Cleaning has been ranked in Entrepreneur’s 26th Annual “Franchise 500” as well as Entrepreneur’s “Top 50 New Franchises,” identifying Lapels Dry Cleaning as one of today’s top franchise opportunities. Entrepreneur's “Franchise 500” is the best and most comprehensive rating of franchises in the world and is based on objective, quantifiable measures of a franchise operation.

Lapels Dry Cleaning corporate offices are located at 962 Washington Street, Hanover, MA 02339.

To learn more about franchise opportunities with Lapels Dry Cleaning, call toll free (866) 695-2735 or email sales@lapelsdrycleaning.com. Additional information and up-to-date company news can also be found on the company’s Web site, www.lapelsdrycleaning.com.