OUT, OUT, DAMNED SPOT!

It’s inevitable. Stains happen. No matter how careful you are, the mustard on that hotdog, mud in that puddle, wine in that glass, and ink from that pen are going to splish, splash, drip or drop onto the fabrics in which you live.

Figuring out how to rid garments and linens of the resulting soiled spots has prompted clean-questing Americans to embark on all kinds of stain-removal experimentation, applying soda, soap, shaving cream, and even saliva.

After decades as a laundry and dry cleaning professional, Victor Seyedin owner of Lake City Cleaners in Lake Forest and Evanston, has seen it all. “The biggest problem when they spill something on a garment—especially if it is an expensive garment, is that people panic,” says Seyedin, “And when they panic, the first thing they do is to try to rub out the stain, which in many cases is the worst thing you can do. It’s better to just do nothing to it than to rub it. Just bring it to us.”

“I’ll never forget the woman who came in with a silk Dolce & Gabbana gown upon which she had spilled a little food,” Seyedin recalls. “Silk is a very delicate fabric, and when trying to rub out the stain, the woman actually rubbed the dye out of the fabric, which ruined the dress.”

In fact, depending upon the materials from which they are made, and the dying process that was used by the fabric manufacturer, colored garments and linens may or may not have stable dyes.

To avoid mishaps that happen when a garment’s dye is unstable, “We always spot check a small area by applying the cleaning agent we plan to use on it. We do this to ensure that the dye is stable before applying solvents or chemicals to the entire garment,” Seyedin explains. “You can’t always trust the garment care label.”

Because each fabric—from silk to cotton to wool to bamboo, clings to stains in a different way, and reacts to cleaning solvents and chemicals differently, each must also be treated differently.

“We use a different solvent or chemical for each type of stain,” says Seyedin. “And the composition of the fabric will also determine how we treat the stain.” When ranking tough stains, it’s no surprise that oil, chocolate, tomato sauce, blood, and wine are among the top ten. But people are often surprised to learn that armpit stains are worse than all of these. While invisible at first, armpit stains—which are compounded because of their interaction with antiperspirants and deodorants—become very difficult to treat if left over a long period of time.

“This is especially true with a white garment,” says Seyedin. “So, our advice is: If you’ve worn it a few times, do have it cleaned before hanging it in your closet over time. Or bring it in for our heirloom service, in which we clean the garment and package it in an air-free container so that it can be safely stored without discoloration.”

Often, Lake City will begin treating a stain by drycleaning first because the process cleans without stressing the fabric. “Once it’s been drycleaned, the garment is then inspected,” he continues.

If a stain has not fully lifted after i tomer permission and their understanding that the spot may not come out,” Seyedin concludes, “we do all that we can.”

While stains on white cotton may seem worse than those on colored fabric, “A stain on white cotton can actually be easier to clean than a stain on a colored fabric that has been fixed with an unstable dye,” says Seyedin.

When cotton has been stained with something like tomato sauce, blood, or coffee, it’s okay to give it a quick rinse in cold water before bringing the garment to Lake City Cleaners.

“But in most cases I tell people: ‘Don’t do anything to the stain,’” sums Seyedin. “’Just bring it in.’ After so many years of tackling tough stains, we know the proper treatment for almost anything, and we will do our utmost to restore each item and make it stain free.”

For more information on Lake City Cleaner’s services, please visit lakecitycleaners.com.