A plant- and mineral-based laundry stain remover from ATTITUDE, scented with citrus zest — 800 ml, the large bottle.
Citrus is not only the scent — it is part of why it works. D-limonene, the dominant compound in citrus peel oil, is a genuinely effective solvent for oils, greases, waxes and resins, and it is used industrially as a degreaser for exactly that reason. It dissolves the sort of stains water and surfactants struggle with: cooking oil, make-up, crayon, adhesive residue, tar. When a citrus cleaner works noticeably better than a neutral one on a greasy mark, this is why — it is chemistry, not aromatherapy.
The rule that decides everything. Never tumble-dry or iron a garment with a stain still in it. Heat denatures protein and polymerises oil, bonding the stain permanently into the fibre — after that, nothing will remove it. Check clothes as they come out of the machine, and re-treat before anything hot goes near them. This habit rescues more clothes than any product does.
And the rule most people get backwards. Protein stains — blood, egg, milk, sweat, grass — must be treated in cold water; hot water cooks the protein into the fabric exactly as it sets an egg white in a pan. Grease and oil are the opposite and need warmth to lift. One instruction on a bottle cannot cover both, which is why so many stain treatments fail.
Act fast, and blot. Almost every stain is easy in the first ten minutes and hard after a week. Blotting lifts; rubbing pushes the stain deeper into the weave and can damage the fibres so that a permanent mark remains even after the colour has gone. Work from the outside of the mark inwards, so you shrink it rather than spreading its edge.
Note: citrus oils are effective but they are also solvents. Test on an inside seam first for anything delicate, dyed, printed or old — and if anyone in the house has eczema, choose the fragrance-free version instead.
Available at Só Verde, an organic concept store in Foz, Porto.
Attitude
Attitude
