How to Get Old Stains Out of Embroidery

Scrape off any solid residue from the item using a dull knife. Stretch the item gently using your thumb and forefinger. Hold the knife in your other hand and gently slide the knife under the solid stain. Pull up the knife in tiny bits until the stain is released from the embroidered piece.

Place the embroidered piece back side up. Put a cloth on the vinegar bottle and turn it over. Rub the stain from the outside and work toward the middle. Add more vinegar to the cloth as necessary.

Notice if the stain is still present. Put vinegar, detergent and warm water into a bowl. Stir with a spoon until mixed. Dab a corner of a cloth into the mixture. Rub the stain from the outside first and work inward toward the middle. Add more mixture if necessary.

Lay two paper towels on a clean, flat surface. Place the embroidered item on the paper towels. Cut a lemon in half. Squeeze one half of the lemon onto the permanent stain, such as rust. Rub gently with a clean cloth. Leave the item in the sun to dry. Wash as instructed, either by hand or in a washing machine.

Place a cloth over a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. Tip the bottle so that a corner of the cloth is saturated. Turn the embroidered back side up. Rub gently on dried blood or ink, for example. Add more hydrogen peroxide if needed.

Place the item in the washing machine on a delicate or hand-wash cycle. Add a mild detergent. Take the embroidered item out of the machine when finished washing. Assess it to make sure the stain is gone. If not, repeat the steps above before drying the item. Once the item is dried again, it will be even more difficult to remove the stain.

Read the labels on commercial stain removers. Find one that says it's safe for delicate fabrics such as embroidery. Follow the manufacturer's instructions.