Tackle Stubborn Laundry Stains With A Powerful Non-Toxic Solution

Some household tasks feel downright Sisyphean. There's always another countertop to clean, another dish to be washed, and another load of laundry to throw a washing machine hack at. Tackling the dirty clothes becomes a bigger workload if you or your family has collected stains from day-to-day meal prep or time outside playing at the park.

It's no wonder people often turn to heavy-duty, modern cleaning solutions that can have a major impact on your skin and the environment; for example, the nonylphenol ethoxylates in certain detergents can damage the development of aquatic ecosystems. If you want to know how to remove stains from your clothes in a nontoxic way, natural cleaners like glycerin may be just what your laundry needs. Stains result from the molecules of water- or oil-based substances becoming trapped inside the fibers of clothing material. It's often best to tackle a stain as soon as you can by blotting the area with cold water, avoiding any sources of heat like a dryer that may cause it to set. 

Glycerin is a sugar alcohol compound that helps metabolize carbohydrates, and it being water-soluble means glycerin can lubricate stains to break up those dried, baked-in blemishes. This is especially useful for water-based stains like coffee, cola, milk, or ink, and best of all, Simple Nature vegetable-based glycerin is a natural option that you can purchase online. If you need any more convincing, this substance recommended is for stain removal by the Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute. Be sure to use naturally derived glycerin from plants or animals, rather than petroleum.

The way you use glycerin might differ based on the kind of stains you're hoping to remove from your laundry. For instance, for cola or wine stains, apply the glycerin and then can be rinse it out with water. Follow up with white vinegar (a common laundry stain remover) and diluted shampoo. You can also use this method for ink stains , so long as you give a first pass with a solvent like acetone or ethanol. 

If you need a general laundry stain-removal spray for your clothes, mix ¼ a cup of phosphate-free detergent and a ¼ cup of glycerin with 1 ½ cups of water for a three-ingredient laundry hack. However, don't use this (or warm or hot water) on sugar-heavy stains.

One of the nice things about glycerin is that it doesn't just have to be used for clothing stain removers. Mix one part glycerin, one part dishwashing detergent, and eight parts water for a solution that can be lightly applied to carpets — be they made from natural fibers, synthetic fibers, blended fibers, or wool. Use it with an absorbent pad that you rest on the stain, occasionally apply pressure, and then clean off the spot with a sponge of cold water. This same combination can also clean the fabrics on upholstered furniture, including fiberglass. Unlike detergents, washing with glycerin can bolster your skin barrier to protect from diseases, so it's worth giving this natural substance a shot for your clothes and any other fabrics around the house.