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If a chef sticks with tradition, then it will be the norm for a chefs coat to be white - the color chosen to signify cleanliness. But how does a chef keep their whites clean and sparkly? Keeping chef whites looking white and stain free can be a challenge whether the coat is 100 percent cotton or a polycotton. Yet, the advantage of white is that no matter how badly stained a coat gets, the color is just a wash away. Removing stains from chef whites On a daily basis, a chef will be at risk from many stains, such as tomato sauce, wine, coffee, chocolate, oil splatters and even blood from meat. During a busy shift there won't always be time to deal with every stain, so by the end of the day a coat could have a number of different stains on it no matter how hard you try to prevent it. One measure that can be taken to protect your chef whites is to wear an apron over your coat to protect from stains. Aprons come in a variety of styles, including waist and bib aprons. Cleaning chef whites When removing stains from chef whites, don't use hot water as it will bake the stain into the fibers; always use warm or cold water. When you have soaked the stain and are ready to rub the mark out, don't scrub too hard as you will be rubbing the stain further into the fabric of the coat. When cleaning the stain, don't use bleach except as a last resort. Bleach will weaken fibers, and it will eventually turn fabric yellow or gray. It will also fade any embroidery that is on a coat. A further tip is to never put a stained coat in the dryer as this will only set the stain further. If after washing the stain is still present, hang the coat out to dry. Handy tips for removing stains If you can't stand to leave a stain to soak in on a coat, there are measures that you can take to help protect your chef whites when you are on the go. One tip would be to carry a detergent pen or stain remover wipes with you. If you find that you've splattered or stained your chef coat, taking fast action can minimize the damage. Water-based marks such as sauces and liquids can be cleaned with a damp cloth and some salt, which will help keep the pigment from setting on the fabric. Fat splashes need a small amount of soapy water to break down the fat molecules and wash them out. Other tips include using vinegar or club soda as these are also great stain removers. White vinegar is good for tomato, coffee, grease, and wine stains, while club soda is also good for wine stains. The best method is to saturate the stain as much as possible, and dab the stain with a clean cloth - do not rub. Washing stains at home When you get the coat home, soak it in warm water for an hour or so with an oxygen-based detergent. Once you've soaked your chef coat, take a look and see what stains remain. If there are grease stains, try using a dishwashing detergent. If you have coffee, red wine, or tomato stains, try soaking them in white vinegar. Even if you already tried dabbing them with vinegar, soaking them could make a difference. Saturate the stain completely and leave it for ten minutes. Once you've done what you can to deal with the stains by hand, wash the chef supplies coat in warm or cold water using a bleach-free detergent. You can also add oxygen-based detergent to the wash, following the instructions on the label. You could add a cup of white vinegar to the final rinse to get the chef coat sparkling white.
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Cleaning, Chef, Whites,
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