What is Lestoil?
Lestoil is a product of the Clorox Company. It is a heavy duty solvent that is a mixture of light petroleum distillates and about 30% Stoddard solvent. It is a golden color and has a strong pine smell. It works wonders at removing grease, tar, ink, blood, grass stains, and those really hard to get out stains from cloths. It can be used on fabric furniture and carpeting just as well. Before you continue you should read the Lestoil Material Safety Data Sheet (Lestoil MSDS) to know more about Clorox Lestoil.
Lestoil is a great solvent. So great that if you keep a bottle around for more than 18 months, there is a good chance that it will eat through the plastic bottle and leak all over. To help protect againt this, I always write the date I purchased it on the bottle so I know when I need to get a new container for it. Knowing how caustic this stuff is, I also always wear rubber gloves and a respirator whenever I am using it.
Using Lestoil in the Laundry
Lestoil is very concentrated, so you only need to use a little bit to treat each stain. I just pour a little onto the stained area and rub it into the fabric. I let the Lestoil stand for about 30 minutes before laundering the clothing. For really thick stains, I will use the cap to try and scrape away the stain. Wash and dry as you normally would. Do not use this on dry clean only fabrics.
Lestoil works best on the following stains:
- Greasy
- Tar
- Ink
- Grass Stains
- Hydraulic Fluid
- Motor Oil
- Dry Erase Marker
- Perspiration Stains (paraffin wax from deodorant)
- Lip Stick
- Juice Spills
Lestoil can sometimes be fairly hard to find. Most grocery stores carry it in the laundry detergent isle. If you cannot find it at your local grocery store, the next place I would try would be at the drug store. If all else fails you can find it at amazon.com.
Enjoy the cleaning power of Lestoil, but also remember to stay safe.
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