Stains on your clothes happen, no matter how careful you are. But before you run to the sink to scrub your favorite shirt, read these helpful ZIPS tips on stain removal to avoid accidental damage of your garment:

  • Always blot the spot. Using a white napkin, paper towel, or cloth towel, gently blot out the stain to remove excess moisture. We do not recommend using brightly colored napkins or towels because they can cause additional staining.
  • Use water, but not soap! Soap can leave a ring around the area of the spot and then you’ll have to clean it again!
  • Do not (we repeat, DO NOT) use home stain removal agents on your dry clean clothes. These products are designed to be used with washable garments. If they are left in the fabric for extended periods, they can damage the color or material.
  • Avoid using hair spray to remove ink and lipstick stains; it’s an old wives’ tale. Hairspray may be perfect for styling your ‘do, but not for stain removal. It contains alcohol, which can cause additional staining and discoloration to your garments.

Don’t forget, you can always bring it to ZIPS, and we’ll take care of it for you! Just be sure to point the stain out to the counter team member at drop off. They will apply a piece of tape to the garment and add a note to your account that special attention to an area is needed.

We always try our best to remove stains from your garment. If we are unable to remove a stain (which doesn’t happen often, but it does happen!), we will place a ‘Sorry’ hang tag over the hanger. This means that we were not able to remove the stain without potentially damaging your garment.