Dirtiest Jobs and the Stains they create

A sign of a hard day’s work, dirty hands and dirty clothes are most common in jobs that are either physically demanding or where a worker comes into contact with messy materials on a regular basis.

Often involving a lot of skill and knowledge, we’ll look at what we think are the top three messiest jobs and share our top tips for removing common clothes stains using Vanish.

Three of the Dirtiest Jobs

• Mechanic

Repairing cars as a mechanic can be a dirty job. Not only is it physically demanding, but handling old parts results in the hands and clothes coming in contact with grease, oil and grime. Even with a pair of overalls on, grease and oil stains can often soak through to the clothes underneath and leave permanent stains.

• Plumber

A varied job, plumbers are called out to fix everything from broken boilers and leaking taps, to blocked toilets and burst pipes. Rust, dirty water, chemical cleaners and even sewage are all part of the job. Many of these stains can be especially difficult to remove if they are not treated promptly and properly.

• Painter and Decorator

The person you call when you’d like to breathe a new lease of life into the interiors of your home, painters and decorators do everything from plastering and painting walls, right down to applying wallpaper and varnishing wood. This job can result in plenty of stains and none of them are easy to get out of the fabric.

Dirty jobs equal dirty clothes

In spite of covering up with overalls and taking precautions to not get dirty at work, in some situations certain stains are unavoidable.

• Dirt

Whatever the job, if it is hands-on, it is bound to involve dirt. Whether it’s caused by a plumber working under a sink or a mechanic working on the undercarriage of a car, dirt and grime have a way of clinging to fabric.

• Grease and oil

Grease and oil are as commonplace as they are essential for keeping mechanisms lubricated, not only in your car but many places around the home.

• Paint

When you’re surrounded by freshly painted walls and water resistant treatments, stains are to be expected. All it takes is for a painter and decorator to drop a brush or accidentally touch a wall to instantly transfer paint to clothes.

• Rust

Experienced by plumbers and mechanics alike, rust stains are notoriously difficult to remove from clothes. Rust occurs when either iron or steel come into contact with water and oxygen and can be easily transferred from old parts and tools onto clothes.

Tough stain removal

If your clothes have been stained as a result of doing some of the jobs mentioned above, don’t worry. Vanish has a range of products that get to work on some of the toughest clothes stains. Here are our top tips for effective stain removal:

• Dirt and water-based paint

Target water-based paint and dirt stains by scraping off any excess that’s left on the surface of your garment. Then mix ¾ scoop of warm water with ¼ scoop of Vanish Gold Oxi Action Powder. Rub the solution into both sides of the stain and watch it disappear in as little as 30 seconds. Add one scoop of powder to your washing machine and wash as usual.

• Oil, grease and oil-based paint

To remove grease and oil stains, turn your garment inside out and use warm water to wash the excess stain from the back of the fabric. You’ll then need to soak your garment in four litres of warm water combined with 60ml of Vanish Gold Oxi Action Powder. Leave for one hour, and pop into the washing machine as usual, with an additional 60ml of Vanish.

• Rust

Best tackled naturally in the first instance, try this home remedy to remove rust stains. Place your garment on an old towel and pour either white vinegar or lemon juice directly on top of the stain. Blot with a dry cloth to remove any orange colouring before placing your garment in direct sunlight. As the acidic liquid dries in the sun, your stain should begin to fade.

To maximize your stain removal results, put your garment in the washing machine with your usual detergent, after adding an extra 60ml of Vanish Gold Oxi Action Powder.

With the array of Vanish products available, you don’t have to worry about removing stains, just let Vanish do the work!