No matter how gently you care for your sweater, a stain will find its way onto it sooner or later. Getting to a professional cleaner isn't always possible, so it helps to have a few trusted home remedies on hand, ones that lift the stain without leaving the sweater looking any worse for wear. There's more than one way to treat a stain on a wool sweater, and we've gathered the methods that work best.
A salt solution for sweat stains
Plain table salt is wonderful for lifting sweat stains around the underarms. Dissolve it in water to make as strong a solution as you can, apply it to the stain, and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Then wash and rinse the sweater as usual to clear away the salt.
This method also helps take the smell of sweat with it.
Salt for berry stains
Berry or wine stains, especially red ones, can be stubborn. But if they're still fresh, there's a simple, reliable fix. Just dampen the stain and cover it with dry salt, coarse salt works best. After 20 to 30 minutes, rinse the salt away under the tap and wash the sweater as normal.
This trick won't do much for older, set-in stains, but if you catch chocolate, tea, or coffee spills early, the same salt method works beautifully on those too.
Removing lipstick marks
Lipstick can be tricky to wash out, but plain rubbing alcohol does the job. Apply it with a cotton pad using gentle dabbing motions, never rubbing. You'll see results within about 15 minutes, then just wash the sweater as you normally would.
Removing grease marks
Grease dissolves with solvents like petrol, acetone, or turpentine. Apply a little to the stain, cover it with a paper towel, and press with a warm iron. Afterward, wash the sweater and let it air out well. Solvents like these have a strong smell at first, but it clears completely once the sweater is washed and dried outdoors.
Ammonia for stains
Grass, blood, or ice cream stains lift quickly with plain household ammonia, something you likely already have at home. It works best on stains while they're still fresh. Mixed in equal parts with regular white vinegar, it can even handle older stains, including the mystery ones you can't quite place.
To treat a stain this way:
Soak a cotton pad in ammonia and dab it onto the stain. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Wash the sweater with soap in warm water, around 30 degrees. Rinse it well in lukewarm water. Lay the sweater flat on an even surface to dry.
Always work from the outer edges of the stain toward the center, never the other way, so it doesn't spread further. And don't rub, just gentle dabbing motions are enough. A lanolin wool rinse afterward will help take care of the ammonia smell.