9 Things You Could Do Before Throwing A Stained Shirt Away
Start writing a post
Student Life

9 Things You Could Do Before Throwing A Stained Shirt Away

Save your shirt from becoming tomorrow's garbage.

676
9 Things You Could Do Before Throwing A Stained Shirt Away
Pexels

We all ruin a shirt at some point. Ketchup falls on it, the colors just run in the wash, or someone leaves a pen in the dryer and you didn't notice it and now all of your clothes are streaked with black. Don't let your first thought be to throw it away. Instead, consider doing any of these before it reaches the trash.

1. Tie-Die it.

If you stained a white shirt like I did and can’t get the stain out, make the stain part of the design! I had a white muscle tee that stained while doing a wash and I thought about just dumping it out because the stain was too embedded into the shirt to save. Luckily though I kept it, and when I was tie-dying with my sister I ended up bringing it along. Now I can’t even tell where the stain is, and it looks really cool.

2. Make it a rag.

Sometimes, there is just no use. A stain could make your favorite shirt look like complete garbage and no bleach or cleaner could get it out. Instead of throwing it out, make it the piece of garbage it was meant to be. Use it to clean blackboards, mirrors, glasses, glass, hang it in your bathroom and dry your hands, use it to wash your car, or get the muck off your hands while working in the garage; it could be used to clean anything. What are a few more stains on a ruined shirt anyways?

3. Use it as a smock.

Maybe you’re a painter or just like to get crafty, or maybe you are in an art class that involves getting messy or runs the risk of it. Whatever it is, you can just use your stained shirt to protect your clean clothes. And if the stain is really embarrassing, just flip it inside out so no one will see.

4. Buy a print for it.

If you know a place that presses shirts, go get a design pressed onto it to cover up the stain. No reason you can’t give it a new style.

5. Give it to your dog.

My two dachshunds used my grandma’s old sweater as a cover for their bed pillow, and they love it. If your shirt isn’t wide enough to spread it over a dog bed you can just cut it so it is. Another idea is to use it in the Winter. Some dogs can get all wet and cold when going out in the snow, so to keep them mostly dry and warm, lend them your old shirt so they don’t have to go out bare.

6. Wear it at home.

Only you and maybe your family or spouse are going to see it, and it still probably is an amazing shirt, so why not just keep wearing it? You just don’t want people who don’t know you seeing you in a dirty shirt, so there should be no problem just keeping it on around the house. It is just a stain after all, not a hole or something that makes it unwearable.

7. Use it as a pillowcase.

Maybe you don’t have a pillowcase or just don’t care what is in your bed at this point. A shirt is just a pillowcase with sleeves and four holes.

8. Create something from it.

Some dress designers like to pick up old clothes with nice patterns or materials and cut it up to make something different out of it. If the stain is small, you can probably just use the rest of the shirt to make something. That way you’ll always have a piece of something you loved with you, if you're sentimental like that.

9. Just throw it out.

Sometimes there is just no hope. Sometimes the stain is too big, crusty, sticky, or just flat out smells. The best option sometimes is to just let it go. Shirts are cheap enough and sometimes not worth keeping around. So go to your garbage and toss it and buy something that you can actually wear outside without being seen as a slob.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

53602
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

34481
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

956970
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

181678
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments