While it may seem counter-intuitive to the purpose of the product, it is in fact possible for a stain remover to potentially cause even more damage to your clothing than what you were dealing with before!
What Will Vanish Do If Left on Too Long?
Leaving stain removers like Vanish on your garments for too long can have potentially permanent consequences.
One possibility is that Vanish could cause the colour of the fabric to fade visibly in the area where the stain was. Another potential outcome is that it may leave a visible ring around where the stain was.
This unfortunate outcome is usually caused by not reading the guidelines for the stain remover correctly.
Vanish has directions for use printed on the side of their bottles and this usually includes the recommended amount of time to leave the product on the stain.
How to Remove Vanish Marks
Unfortunately, accidents do happen, and maybe you forgot about your item while the Vanish was working its magic and only remembered to rinse it out much too late!
If this happens to you, follow the steps below to try to lift the stain that has been left behind by the stain remover:
- Try to put the garment through your normal washing cycle, with your favourite detergent.
- When drying, don’t use a tumble dryer. It’s important to air dry any garments that may still have a mark or stain on them as adding heat to the stain may cause it to set permanently.
- Once the item has air dried, try checking to see if the stain is still visible. If you can still see the mark, then soak the item in a sink or bucket of cold water with a squirt of washing-up liquid in it for around 30 minutes.
- Next, add some bicarbonate of soda to the stain and leave it to settle for between 30-45 minutes.
- Finally, throw the garment back into the washing machine and run it on your favourite cycle again. If the stain is still there when the item has air dried for the second time, you may need to consider a dry cleaner or write the garment off as unsalvageable.
Conclusion
Relying on products like Vanish to help when we’re dealing with stubborn stains can have its drawbacks.
The product is overall highly reliable and super-efficient when it comes to stain removal, but it’s important to remember to follow the guidelines on the bottle and to never leave the product for too long on a stain.
An adventurous book lover with an animal obsession and a proclivity for travel and spontaneity. Used to passionately despise cleaning but has grown to enjoy it thanks to learning all the best tricks and shortcuts to guaranteeing a stress-free routine and a spotless home.
