The London Lounge

Having read so much about avoiding excessive dry-cleaning, I was wondering if anyone has a specific spot-cleaning product they would recommend (available in the UK)?

I assume you are talking about rather small spots on wool suits.
Sparkling water, a soft brush, and many, many rounds with lots of patience is what has worked best for me with most kinds of spots (not with ink, though, for which I have used a glycerin stick).
So far I have not found a commercial cleaning product with really satisfactory results.

Luca wrote:Having read so much about avoiding excessive dry-cleaning, I was wondering if anyone has a specific spot-cleaning product they would recommend (available in the UK)?

Dear Luca,

here is what I found on the website of a Savile Row tailor some time ago:

Maintenance advice for your clothes
If you are to take your clothes and their care seriously then you need to make up an Emergency Pack that you should keep out of reach of children. It may seem like a little hard work but when an emergency arises, like every boy scout, you will be well prepared. The box should contain:
Solvent

Hydrogen Peroxide

Bleach

Washing Up Liquid

White Vinegar

90° Alcohol

Talc

A White Cloth

BLOOD
Rinse in cold water. Do not rub the blood, just dab gently. Blood cannot be removed once a garment has been washed in warm water.

GRASS
Place the garment on a clean white cloth. Dab the stain with another white cloth soaked in 90° Alcohol.

MUD
Allow to dry, then brush. If traces remain, rinse in water mixed with a little vinegar (one spoonful per litre of water).

PERFUME
Perfume is very difficult to remove without leaving a ring. Rub with hydrogen peroxide but note that this may cause colours to fade so carry out a test on a less visible part of the garment first.

LIPSTICK
Apply ether or a dilute hydrogen peroxide.

INK
Soak the fabric in milk for several hours and rinse in cold water.

FELT PEN / BALLPOINT PEN
Place the garment on a clean white cloth. Dab the stain with another white cloth soaked in 90° Alcohol.

TEA
Dab with white vinegar.

COFFEE
Apply pure glycerin, then rinse with warm water.

SAUCES
Hot water or trichloroethylene can be used to dissolve grease.

CHEWING GUM
Rub with an ice cube to harden the gum, which can then be removed by breaking it, without damage to the garment.

CANDLE WAX
Scrape off any solid wax. Place the stained area between two pieces of blotting paper and press down with a warm iron on the piece of blotting paper in contact with the wax. The wax will stick to the blotting paper.

FRUIT
Rinse whites in soapy water mixed with a small amount of bleach. For wool and silk, apply lemon juice to the stain and rinse well.

BEER
For wool and silk, apply a mixture of warm water and 90° Alcohol, then rub with a clean cloth.

CHOCOLATE
Cotton: Dry-rub with soap and wash in cold water

Synthetic: Apply lemon juice
Wool: Apply benzine

Silk: Apply warm water

Care advice for natural fibre garments: dry clean sparingly. Even the finest fabrics will take on that telltale sheen eventually. 
To remove creases: hang your garment on a hanger, place it in the bathroom when you take a shower. The water vapour will remove any creases instantly without damaging it. 
Quality garments should never be worn on two consecutive days and should be placed carefully on a hangar for a day in a well ventilated room when not being worn.

davidhuh wrote: CANDLE WAX
Scrape off any solid wax. Place the stained area between two pieces of blotting paper and press down with a warm iron on the piece of blotting paper in contact with the wax. The wax will stick to the blotting paper.

David,
I wonder what the chances of getting a candle wax spot are.
But if someone is prone to this type of accident, I´m sure it would be the kind of person who would have some blotting paper handy.

I carry around a handy pack of these American-sourced wipes:



They're available now in the UK from Amazon.co.uk. Not as cheap as the emergency pack above but effective and very portable.

hectorm wrote:

davidhuh wrote: CANDLE WAX
Scrape off any solid wax. Place the stained area between two pieces of blotting paper and press down with a warm iron on the piece of blotting paper in contact with the wax. The wax will stick to the blotting paper.

David,
I wonder what the chances of getting a candle wax spot are.
But if someone is prone to this type of accident, I´m sure it would be the kind of person who would have some blotting paper handy.

Dear Hectorm,

just imagine a gentleman living in an old house where some rooms where not fitted with electricity. I'm sure his butler keeps some blotting paper in case

Without kidding - it happened to me a couple of times. Although I have electricity, I was happy having blotting paper handy

Cheers, David

Many thanks, gents.

hectorm wrote:I wonder what the chances of getting a candle wax spot are.

Romantic dinners with some wine consumption involved?

Soda water (or a paste mixed from bicarbonate of soda and a little water) is also a good stain remover.

Whatever product you use always rub gently and with the grain of the fabric or you risk a friction burn.

When airing out trousers air them out inside out. (It makes sense since that is the side that needs airing)

Dylon Fabric Care stain remover No 1 contains orange oil and is for oil- or grease-based stains (eg, tar, ink), and No 2 is for water-soluble stains (eg, milk, blood) and contains enzymes and detergents. They do a stain remover for dry-clean-only fabrics but I've always used vinegar/water/milk/soda on delicates so haven't tried.