Tricks of the Trade

Tricks aren't just for kids anymore. Through my days at iniam, I have come across a few handy tricks/tips that have really helped my wardrobe.

1. Static Cling: Uhhhh, I hate when this happens. Try putting a little lotion on the part of your body where you are experiencing the static cling and voila...it's gone.

2. Deodorant Stain: How many times have you been running late for an appointment, meeting or date trying to find the perfect thing to wear? Then when you finally do, you notice there are deodorant marks on your outfit. Simply take a Gal Pal & wipe it gently with the grain of the fabric, buffing off the deodorant marks.

3. Exposed Bra Straps: Let's face it, we all get a little obsessive-compulsive about the little things that affect our appearance. For example, you are waiting in line for a cappuccino and notice the woman with the buff arms sporting a sexy tank... AND the unsightly bra straps. Hollywood Hook-Up saves the day! All you do is attach the handy hook-up clip to the straps at the back of your bra and you've just customized a razorback bra without the additional expense! Incidentally, Hollywood has an array of handy products including Hollywood Tape. It's an easy to you use, double-stick "do everything" apparel and body tape. You simply peel the backing from one side of he tape, and press the tape firmly to your skin or fabric, remove the other backing, and apply it to the item to be secured.

4. Boob Coverage: We all have sexy dresses/tops that require boob coverage, and a strapless bra is not always the solution. That's where NuBra can help! This is not just another backless and strapless bra but rather a special reusable, adhesive bra. NuBra is so soft and natural it adheres to your body and feels like a part of you. You can create different degrees of cleavage by positioning the bra cups closer or farther away without the worry of bra straps or side extensions. To apply, simply position NuBra on the desired area, press on and go. Use a little soap and water and they are clean and ready for the next use!

5. Red Wine Stain: How many times have you been a little loosy goosy with your wine glass and then bam instead of wine in your glass, you have wine on your shirt. Fear not, that unsightly splash doesn’t have to mean the end of your garment. The key is to act as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to remove wine from clothing. Dab the stain with cold water, it will loosen the stain. If you rub the stain, it’ll just grind it in deeper and wear out the fibers. Blot as much of the stain as you can until you’re at a place where you’ll be able to employ stronger methods. If there’s still a bit of the stain left, you have several options. Vinegar is great for helping to remove wine from fabric. Just as you did with water, blot the stain until you remove as much wine as possible. “Rinse” by blotting with cold water once again. Another trick is to chase the red wine with white wine. White wine neutralizes red wine. Hydrogen peroxide will remove wine as well. Keep in mind however, that it’s a bleaching agent. If you’re using it on colored fabric, test it first in a hidden area. You might want to dilute it in two parts water to be on the safe side. Lastly, you can try one part dish detergent to three parts water. Blot until the stain is lifted and launder as usual.

6. Oil Stain: So I was giving my eldest a massage after his shower the other day and while getting the oil out of the dispenser...oops, a couple drops landed on my top -- yikes! Here is what I did: Apply an absorbent such as talcum powder or cornstarch to the affected area, then brush away access. The thought is that the powder will absorb the oil. If the stain is heavy or old try to place the stain face down on paper towels. Blot back of stain with a dry-cleaning solvent. Replace paper towels as they soak up the stain. If the stain is fresh, then spray with laundry pretreatment and then wash in the hottest water that's safe for the garment.

7. Flower Pollen Stain: Ever accidentally rubbed against an Asian Lilly/Star Gazer. It leaves this yellowy orange powder that seems like it has permanently damaged your top. First, do not wet it. Brush off the access, then lay it out in direct sunlight (make sure that the fabric is ok to be in the sunlight to avoid damage). I can't explain what happens but the discoloration goes away!

8. Candle Wax Spill: Once I accidentally spilled hot wax all over my jeans. At first I panicked. But it's an easy fix. All you have to do is lay a towel over the wax and then apply a warm iron on top the towel. The wax loosens and adheres to the towel.