Treating stains is an art. Magazine and website articles offer recipes for exactly how to treat each type of stain (I've written some myself) and whole books have been written on the subject of laundry. Meanwhile, a photo of Martha Stewart's laundry room reveals ten (!) supplementary stain-removing solutions — and that is not counting her main detergent. But all those careful instructions and specialty products are all for naught if you do not employ what I believe is the most important thing: patience.
Most people give up on stains too quickly! Patience and persistence are the true secrets to laundry success. In our fast-paced lives, it's easy to think that to treat a stain is you just spritz some stain treater on the spot and then toss the garment in the wash. But the enzymes and other active ingredients in stain treatments and detergents need time to do their work. In fact, if you read the labels, most will tell you they need at least 15 minutes to sit on the stain before laundering to be effective. However, that recommended time on the label is a fraction of the time it may actually take to properly tackle a tough stain.
