Stain removers

Children's shirt with a purple fruit juice stain (above)

Stain removers (short: stain removers ) are used to remove localized soiling on textiles. These can be bleaching , dissolving, reducing or adsorbing . Such spots can be divided into different categories:

Fat and protein stains (e.g. a cocoa stain),
Color stains (e.g. from fruit juices),
Special stains (e.g. rust stains) and
Mold stains (e.g. from fungus).

Many stains are made up of several substances, which is why there is a wide range of stain removers available. Three categories often appear:

Bleach,
Universal means and
Special stain agent.

Bleach

Bleaches are used for oxidatively bleachable stains on textiles. The dyes are destroyed by oxidation. Either active oxygen (stain salts ) or active chlorine compounds ( hypochlorites ) are used to remove stains .

Stain removers

Stain removers consist of a bleaching system made from sodium percarbonate and other ingredients to improve storage stability. These ingredients and their functions are summarized in the following table:


ingredient	function
Sodium percarbonate	Bleach
TAED	Bleach activator
Anionic and non-anionic surfactants	Wetting
Builder	Water softening , cleaning effect
Organic complexing agents	Dissolve the dirt matrix
Enzymes	Stain solution

Hydrogen peroxide and carbonate are formed during use . The resulting hydrogen peroxide reacts with the reducing substances, which leads to cleaning. Stain removers are offered as granules or in tablet form and are used in laundry preparation or for the direct removal of individual stains.

Hypochlorites

Hypochlorites (e.g. sodium hypochlorite or potassium hypochlorite solutions such as Javel water ) have a significantly better effect on stain removal . Liquid stain removers of this type are mostly strongly alkaline solutions , as this stabilizes the active chlorine.

Universal means

Contrary to what the word suggests, there is no remedy that is helpful for all stains on a wide variety of textiles. So that solves grease solvent acetone for example, acetate rayon and alcohol can cause some fibers cause undesirable dulling. For this reason, certain types of materials are excluded from the packaging.

Special stain agent

Properties, application and ingredients of a special stain remover

Special stain agents are specifically developed for individual types of stain. With 120 different stains, the ingredients of the different products also differ. These range from different solvents to surfactants, soaps, acids and oxidative and reductive bleaching agents to complexing agents and enzymes.

Home remedies

Compared to chemical stain removers, there are also many home remedies. However, these are often complicated to use and do not bring the hoped-for success. For example, a stain of grass should disappear with lemon juice, but a residual stain usually remains.

Oil stains can be sprinkled with a fine powder. Gradually, the oil is drawn into the powder, which can then be tapped off. Kaolin , for example, is suitable .

Forms of trade

Stain removers are available as liquids, pastes, powders and sprays:

Stain remover

Stain remover is a clear, liquid, water-free mixture of organic solvents. They are particularly often used on grease-like stains. The use of stain remover is unsuitable for stains of similar color.

Stain milk

The stain milk is a milky-white emulsion made from organic solvents and an aqueous soap solution. The soap solution has both a cleaning and emulsion-stabilizing effect.

Stain pastes

Stain pastes are a combination of organic solvents and a finely powdered, absorbent carrier (e.g. Aerosil). The loosened dirt settles in these powder particles so that it can be brushed off after the solvent has evaporated.

Stain spray

Stain sprays have a similar structure to stain paste, they only contain additional propellant.

Stain soaps

Stain soaps are structured like normal soaps, but also contain fat solvents. Gallseifen contain cholates for greater fat solution.

Markers

Stain pencils are a mixture of stain soap and curd soap with bleaching agents incorporated into them.

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c Franz, Manfred .: Chemical products in everyday life: Food a. Drinking, health and Body care, cleaning, fertilization, etc. Pest Control . German Taschenbuch-Verl., Munich 1985, ISBN 3-423-03276-6 , pp. 271-273 .
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d Hauthal, Hermann G.,: Cleaning and care products in the household: chemistry, application, ecology and consumer safety . 2nd updated edition. Verl. Für Chemische Industrie Ziolkowsky, Augsburg 2007, ISBN 978-3-87846-265-1 , p. 217-219 .
↑ ^a ^b ^c Falbe, Jürgen, Amelingmeier, Eckard: Römpp-Lexikon Chemie / 2 Cm - G. 10., completely revised. Ed. Thieme, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-13-734710-6 , pp. 1358 .
↑ ^a ^b ^c Hauthal, Hermann G.,: Cleaning and care products in the household: chemistry, application, ecology and consumer safety . 2nd updated edition. Verl. Für Chemische Industrie Ziolkowsky, Augsburg 2007, ISBN 978-3-87846-265-1 , p. 278 .
↑ Entry on stain remover. In: Römpp Online . Georg Thieme Verlag, accessed on June 4, 2020.

[:2-1] Franz, Manfred .: Chemical products in everyday life: Food a. Drinking, health and Body care, cleaning, fertilization, etc. Pest Control . German Taschenbuch-Verl., Munich 1985, ISBN 3-423-03276-6 , pp. 271-273 .

[:0-2] Hauthal, Hermann G.,: Cleaning and care products in the household: chemistry, application, ecology and consumer safety . 2nd updated edition. Verl. Für Chemische Industrie Ziolkowsky, Augsburg 2007, ISBN 978-3-87846-265-1 , p. 217-219 .

[:1-3] Falbe, Jürgen, Amelingmeier, Eckard: Römpp-Lexikon Chemie / 2 Cm - G. 10., completely revised. Ed. Thieme, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-13-734710-6 , pp. 1358 .

[:3-4] Hauthal, Hermann G.,: Cleaning and care products in the household: chemistry, application, ecology and consumer safety . 2nd updated edition. Verl. Für Chemische Industrie Ziolkowsky, Augsburg 2007, ISBN 978-3-87846-265-1 , p. 278 .

[5] Entry on stain remover. In: Römpp Online . Georg Thieme Verlag, accessed on June 4, 2020.