Eco-living tips

Removing stains from clothes

Dry cleaners use harsh chemicals, and other detergents aren't very environment friendly. Here are some tips using natural products for cleaning clothes. These were discovered by an expert cleaner Hyun-hui Kim (Chungcheongbuk-do Chung-ju-si).

Dirt stains

1. Put couple scoops of soil into a large tub of water and filter out all of the large dirt or sand particles using a stringer. Wash cloth in this water.
2. Grind onion and mix with baking soda. Bury the cloth in this for couple hours.
3. Steam the cloth covered in apple peel.

Coffee stains

1. Prepare clear rice liquor (Sake or chung-ju) and beer (1:1).
2. Mix the secret powder (sorry, this wasn't revealed) in this solution.
3. Brush the solution on cloth.
4. Use chalk powder and cover the stain with a thick layer of chalk powder.
5. Roll the cloth and put it in a pressurized rice cooker (w/ water).

Spice stains (e.g. kimchi)

1. Cook kernels of corn and make it into a paste (not too watery)
2. Mix lemon extract
3. Paste the solution on the stain and fold the cloth.
4. Add in a plastic bag and turn it in microwave.
5. Wash in water to remove the remaining stain.

Mildew stain

1. Immerse in a secret solution (taken out of refrigerator -- light brown in color -- sorry, will try to find out later)
2. Cover cloth in salt.
3. Wrap in dry paper and contain it a plastic bag.
4. Freeze it.