Every office has that one person - the one who can somehow spill coffee on themselves without a mug in sight.
Or the person who discovers - halfway through a client meeting - that on their white shirt is the last dip of tomato sauce their Steers chips were looking for.
Or perhaps the unfortunate soul who gets a paper cut and suddenly finds themselves bleeding out next to the photocopying machine.
The good news? A simple stain-removal pen or travel-sized stain remover costing around R100-R300 could be one of the smartest things you keep in your desk drawer. That's it, recommendation done and blog over. Or is it… what else can it remove and what is the best way to use it?? And what should you avoid to make the problem worse.
We've supplied Corporate Clothing to businesses for over four decades (over 21 000 businesses to be more precise - yep, shameless plug again), and if there's one thing we've learnt, it's that little accidents happen and at the most inopportune times… and they are far more frequent than you realise. And most people are not prepared for them and… everyone panics when it happens. Not to induce any PTSD but think:
Coffee.
Tea.
Tomato sauce.
Ink.
Make-up.
Blood from minor cuts and scrapes.
'Life' happens.
The problem is that many stains become permanent because we wait too long before doing anything about them. Right let's jump to it:
The first few minutes are the most important. Don’t panic, just grab the little stain-removal pen from your drawer or pocket and make your way to the bathroom.
All that's needed is a cool head and a quick dab with the little problem solver and this will prevent many everyday spills from settling into the fabric until the garment can be washed properly later.
The trick is to act quickly and not rub aggressively.
And definitely don't attack the stain with hot water. While it feels like the logical thing to do, heat can actually help some stains settle deeper into the fabric. It's a chemical thing with heat affecting the tannins in coffee and heat 'cooking' proteins in blood (think egg white turning solid when heated). Cold water is usually the safer first response for fresh spills if no quick fix pen is close at hand.
Think of it this way: when disaster strikes, your shirt wants calm, cold water. Not a spa treatment.
Or instead and what's far more effective, is to gently blot the area and apply the stain remover according to the instructions.
Many modern stain-removal pens are designed specifically for most workplace disasters, making them ideal little companions for employees who regularly wear Corporate Wear.
They're small enough to fit inside a drawer, handbag, laptop bag or even a pocket. Which is useful because most stains have an uncanny ability to appear five minutes before an important meeting.
One thing worth mentioning is that stain removers are not retrospective miracle workers, if you've left coffee on a shirt for three weeks and washed it six times already, you're probably needing another shirt.
But for fresh spills and everyday mishaps, they can make a surprisingly big difference.
In summary and what we've noticed is that businesses that get the most life from their Uniforms often pay attention to the small things. Not expensive things. Just practical things.
Like having a spare button. A lint roller. A stain-removal pen.
Because while we can't stop coffee being spilled, we can stop it becoming today's embarrassment and tomorrow's expensive problem.
And for less than the actual price of the most prolific repeat offender (the takeaway coffee), that's probably a worthwhile investment.
Disclaimer: Always follow the garment care instructions and test stain-removal products on an inconspicuous area where appropriate
