There are several materials used to make hats some actually require you to take them to a professional cleaner, where others can be done at home. Several styles of hats can actually be cleaned in your dish washer on the top shelf. Many people find this to be silly but it is quite effective.

1) Place the cap on the top rack of the dish washer.

2) Use a small amount of powdered detergent. Approximately 1 teaspoon of detergent. This will keep the bubbles from forming to greatly in your unit.

3) Using the normal washing cycle is the best to use on hat. Make sure that you air dry the hats, this will protect the material from being broken down or quite possibly from melting. This is due to the high use of special plastics that are used in the creation of many pieces of clothing.

If you are worried about using a clothing detergent in your machine, there are other cleaners that work great. Oxgenated cleaners, vinegar and also color safe bleaches work best. Many find that using standard bleach on white hats can actually turn them yellow.

If you have a stain on a white hat a good way to get rid of it is to simply place a small amount of lemon juice on the stain and place the hat in the sun. Depending on the depth of the stain, it could take several hours. After leaving the hat in the sun, simply wash the hat as instructed above. If the stain is on a ball cap or other cloth materialed hat, you can actually use some of the stain removers on the market before placing in the dish washer, this can be a good effective way to remove the stains as well.

The dishwasher works great on ball caps, straw/plastic hats, bonnet style hats as well. If you own a fedora, it is best to have the hat professional cleaned at a dry cleaning establishment or check for a specialized shop in your area that may take care of the hat for you.

If you are unsure how the material will react, simply do a small test on the underside of the hat. By placing a small amount of hot water and cleaners on a small interior area this will help you to determine the best way to properly clean your white hat.

Generally, it is a bad idea to use water on your silk tie. You should however carefully wipe as much of the staining material from the tie as possible. Below is a sample of known ways to clean your tie.

Food stains that may be greasy should be blotted off carefully. Place your tie on a flat surface and cover the stain with talcum powder or cornstarch. Leave it sit for 24 hours then carefully brush off the powder. You may need to repeat this process multiple times in order to fully remove the stain.

Liquid based stains or stains that may leave a ring on the fabric can be treated by first gently dabbing as much of the stain away as possible with a tissue. Using a dry towel cover the stain with plain rubbing alcohol and quickly blow dry the tie. Repeat as needed being sure to fully dry the tie between applications of alcohol otherwise you may get rings from the liquid.

Another option for removing stains from your silk ties would be to use a commercial fabric cleaner such as Woolite. Carefully apply the cleaner to the tie, gently applying it to the stained area. Following the directions on the cleaner remove the cleaner and rinse through with a cleaning solution. If water is needed, use as little as possible and dry the fabric quickly between cleaning sessions.

Placing a stained tie upon a soft towel and laying both on top of a radiator can also help remove a stain, if you carefully spritz water on the stain and dab it off with some tissue. You can repeat this process as needed until the stain is removed. Be sure to keep water application to a minimum and blot it off thoroughly.

Regardless of the type of stain or the cleaning method tried, it is essential to avoid water as it softens and deteriorates the silk fabric and can ruin a tie. If however, your tie has become stained and the only other choice is to throw it out, then what do you have to lose?

Cleaning a silk tie can be relatively simple. It can save you hundreds in dry cleaning or replacing of your silk tie collection.

First, remove those laces. Laces are easy to replace. Pumas usually even give you a couple pair. You can try to throw them in the machine but nine times out of ten it won’t work. Check your shoes; what kind of material are they? If it is leather (just synthetic or real-NOT suede), canvas or nylon, use a softer-type cloth and mild detergent. Dreft detergent seems to work wonders on these shoes! Scrub the shoe ever so gently with cool water and the detergent. If you have a stubborn stain, try a soft-bristled toothbrush. Remember to never submerge leather into water.

Another option I have found is vinegar. Rubbing a bit on the stain, letting it soak in and then following the steps above is a great option to getting out a stain. Vinegar, of course, does not have a pleasant smell so the soap and water technique is still highly recommended. Unless you like your feet to smell like vinegar, that is. If you are al out of at home techniques, there is a shoe cleaner from Footlocker called Nubuck cleaner. It is guaranteed, so you have nothing to lose with that one.
We talked about canvas, synthetic and nylon above, but what about those awesome suede Pumas that everyone is wearing these days? Those can be cleaned too, but with absolutely different techniques. The best is one my mother always swore by, baby wipes. Why they work so well on suede, we may never know, but that is the cheapest and fastest option for getting those shoes clean. If that doesn’t work, check just about any store that sells shoes for a suede leather cleaner.

These all have that great “new shoe” smell and seem to work wonders on leather without making them worn and hard like water can.

With a bit of upkeep your Pumas will last as long as you do. Take the time to make them look their best because we all know a great shoe like Pumas will never go out of style.

Alcohol

If you have a small bleach stain and on a colored item sometimes you can cover it by using rubbing Alcohol. To do this, poor a small amount of alcohol on a white cloth and rub it around the stained area. The idea here is to use the alcohol to smear the die in the colored part of the clothing over the stained part. This only works for very small stains on colored clothing. This method works especially well on darker colored items but not as well on lighter colors.

Markers

Sometimes you can cover a stain using markers. This only works however if you can match the color of the clothing to the marker. If you can, then it is a good fix for reasonably small stains. However, it is only temporary and has to be reapplied. If you use this method to cover a stain make sure that you do not wash or dry the item with any of your other clothing because if you do the dye from the markers may stain your other clothes.

Dye and Dye Remover

Sometimes you can find dye that is the same color as your clothing and apply it to the stained area. This is sometimes a good choice for larger stains. However, it is often difficult to find dye that is the exact same color as the piece of clothing that you have stained. Therefore, the best way to go about it is to by dye remover, apply it to the entire item and then you can re-dye the entire item whatever color you choose.

Bleach

If all else fails you can turn you stained item into a tie die by washing it in the washer with a very small amount of bleach. If you do this however, make sure that you do not wash it with any other clothing items.

If you spill bleach on your favorite outfit, don’t stress. You can use these three helpful tips to remove bleach stains from most items. It is best however, to keep bleach as far away from your clothing as possible. Although bleach stains can be removed most of the time, its best prevent them rather than fix them.

Soap and Water

Good old soap and water. They got the dirt off your hands when you were a kid, and today, they will rejuvenate your purse. All you need to do is grab 2 clean cloths, a mild soap, and water. First, apply your mild soap and water concoction in a small test area, generally somewhere on the purse less noticeable. If there is no harm done, then move onto the stain. Dab the first cloth covered in your mixture on the stain, and rub it in gently. Use the second cloth with plain water to finish the job. Then let the purse air dry.

Vinegar and Water

If the soap and water didn’t have the power to remove the stain, move onto vinegar and water. The same rules apply to this process as the last. It’s always important to remember to try a test area with this mixture as well. You don’t want to start rubbing the vinegar all over your purse right away. This might do some damage, and that is far worse than a little stain.

Hairspray

Yes, hairspray. Grab 2 cotton swabs and can of hairspray. Cover the fist swab with hairspray and rub the stain gently. The second swab is for water to remove any excess hairspray from the fabric. Once again, try a test patch first.

Rubbing Alcohol

If your bag is made of leather, and you have cleaners especially made for leather laying around, then please, use them first. If not then try a little, and i mean a little, rubbing alcohol instead. If you don’t feel comfortable with this process then once again try a small test area. If the area appears to be fine, then move onto the stain.

If your stain is severe, unfortunately, you may have to take your bag to a professional for a proper cleaning. If not, and any of these tips worked out, then grab your purse, check your makeup and hair, and head out the door!

The easiest way to tell when your iron needs to be cleaned is if you begin to feel resistance while you are ironing. The iron should move smoothly over your fabrics, if this is not the case then it is time for a cleaning.

Cleaning the Sole-plate

After repeated ironing’s, time, etc. the sole-plate on your iron will inevitably develop a build-up on it. This is the cause of the resistance you are feeling while ironing and at times the culprit of unwanted stains on your clothes.

For a basic cleaning

In a bowl mix a small amount of laundry soap with water until you have a foamy mixture. While the sole-plate is cold and iron is unplugged, use a clean cloth rag or sponge and rub the solution on the sole plate of your iron. Wipe the solution off using a clean damp cloth. Q-tips are a helpful tool for getting the eyes of the sole-plate open during this process. This should remove all normal build-up on the sole-plate of your iron.

For starch build-up or corrosion

To remove this build-up dip a clean cloth rag in white vinegar and rub it on the sole-plate. Once again remove solution by wiping a clean damp cloth over the plate.

Note: Do not use abrasive cleaners or scouring pads on the sole-plate of your iron. Do not immerse your iron in water.

Cleaning the Reservoir

If you use tap water in your iron you will notice mineral deposits appear in the eyes of your sole-plate. This is an indicator that your reservoir needs to be cleaned. Empty all of the water out of your iron and refill it 1/4 of the way with vinegar. Turn your iron on steam and iron a clean cloth until all the vinegar is gone. Once you have done this turn the iron off and refill the reservoir with water. Steam the cloth once more until the water is gone. Repeat the entire process until all of the deposits are gone. Rinse the reservoir with clean water once you have complete the cleaning.

To prevent mineral deposits in your iron try using distilled or purified water.

Cleaning the Exterior

The exterior of your iron can be cleaned with a mild soap solution. You can use the same solution that you used for cleaning the sole-plate or plain dish soap. Make a small amount of the mixture and apply it to the exterior of your iron with a clean cloth. Then remove it with a damp cloth. Practicing this step will prevent build-up from accumulating and transferring onto your garments.

Remembering these simple tips should help extended the life of your iron and possibly make ironing a pleasurable experience. Ironing should be a quick, fluid, flowing experience without resistance, which is what happens when you work with clean equipment. So with a clean iron your work should go much quicker as it will perform better all the way around.

Boil the Gum Off

One way you can remove gum from clothing is by boiling the gum off. Boil water in a pot on the stove, carefully put the part of your garment with gum on it into the boiling water. With a knife, start to scrape the gum off of the material. You can scrape the gum with a knife or any other object that will work for you while it’s in the water or you can take it out, scrape it, dip it back in the water to melt the gum more and repeat this method until it’s gone. Just be careful not to burn yourself with the hot water, stove or steam.

Freeze and Break

Another method of removing gum from clothing is by freezing the gum and then breaking it off. Put your garment into a plastic bag and place it in the freezer for a number of hours until the gum is completely frozen. Depending on the material it is stuck to, it should relatively easily chip off of your clothes.

Iron Out the Gum

Finally another great method to removing gum from your clothing is by ironing it. Take a piece of cardboard, newspaper or thick paper and lay your garment down with the gum directly on the cardboard or paper. Start to iron over the spot where the gum is stuck. It should start to melt into the cardboard. Move the spot with the gum around on the piece of cardboard and continue to iron over it until the gum is stuck onto the cardboard and no longer stuck to your piece of clothing.
All of these methods can be very efficient and easy ways to remove gum from your clothing. They are the three cleanest methods as well. Try them out and see which one works best for you.