The tendency of ties getting a stain when you least expect is far too common. To make matters worse it is always the favorite neck tie that gets a nasty stain. You might be having a neck tie that perfectly matches a particular trendy outfit but then the tie gets a stain and you have to postpone wearing the outfit until you get a new tie. It might not be expensive to buy a new tie but the time spent in shopping for the right tie cannot be salvaged. Again, the possibility of saving a dollar or two especially in these harsh economic times makes it necessary to know how to deal with stain on tie. Well, this article will educate you on all you need to know about removing tie stain.
There are four most common tie fabrics in the market today namely silk, polyester, cotton and a mixture of cotton and polyester. These materials are different and they must be cared for in different ways. For instance, when washing a silk tie, you can never dip it in water the way you do a cotton necktie. The same applies when you want to remove a stain on a necktie. You must be very conscious of the material the necktie is made from.
To begin with, some designer neckties are pre-treated with an innovative stain-blocking finish which makes it easier to remove the tie stain. Just rub the tie together and the stain will come out easy and fast. If however the stain persists it is time to get manual. Get a clean white napkin or piece of cloth and some club soda. Dip a finger into the club soda and gently rub some of it on the tie stain. Ensure that you dab it away slowly.
silk tie stain
If you are removing silk tie stain, ensure that you don’t press hard or overly rub the necktie. Doing so will just rub the stain deeper into the silk fabric. The most notorious tie stains are the greasy ones and they will persist despite applying club soda. If especially you are removing tie stain from a cotton fabric and the stain is greasy you need to use a loose white powder such as baking soda, talcum, cornstarch or foot powder.
The powder helps to absorb excess oil from the neck tie. Ideally, removing tie stain using such a powder needs adequate time so that all the oil can be absorbed. It is advisable that you leave the powder on the neck tie overnight before rubbing it away. Repeat the process severally until all the oil has been absorbed and the tie is clean.
As we have already said, different tie fabrics require different methods of cleaning and or stain removing. Polyester ties are easy to deal with when the stain is greasy. Rubbing a polyester tie together will get even the most severe stain cleaned. To remove silk tie stain however, it is advisable that you dry clean them preferably before trying any other method. Silk is sensitive to care and chemical treatment and you might spoil it permanently. Dry-cleaning a silk tie preserves its glossy and smooth finish.
Cotton and polyester materials allow you to remove stains by a careful hand wash. However, before you go this far try out a dry cleaning kit and then use a good stain pre-treater before you hand wash. Never ever iron a tie when it has a stain on it since this will dry off the stain permanently on the fabric.
Stain on tie
At this point it is worth saying that the type of stain will determine the method you use to remove tie stain. If your silk tie has some ink on it please throw it a way and do not put it back into the wardrobe since the best you can do to remove the stain will definitely spoil the tie. However, if you just spilled some spaghetti sauce or wine on the tie some effort will see the stain removed permanently without destroying your necktie.
Before it gets this complicated, removing tie stain can be made easier if you take pre-emptive steps immediately after the stain is made or noted and before it is completely dry. For the three tie fabrics mentioned above besides the silk, the best way to salvage a necktie when you have spilled something on it is to hold it under the flow of tap water immediately. This makes removing tie stain easier when you get around to it later on. At this point however, when the necktie is still wet, do not rub it together.
After running water on it add some baking soda or table salt on the stain and allow for drying. This allows the stain to be absorbed out maximally before the stain dries. Later efforts will surely be easy and effective in removing the stain. Once dry, get a soft brush and sweep the baking soda or salt away from the fabric. Remember that this pre-emptive procedure is not applicable to silk ties as we have already pointed out. Once this is done you can then move on to the normal procedure of removing any remaining traces of the stain. If you have been successful and the stain is out iron the tie diligently to give it the lustrous and crispy look it had prior to the cleaning.
