Name one thing you are apt to find at a picnic besides hot dogs, sodas, potato chips and ants. How about stains? The kids playing softball are going to end up with some nasty grass stains on the knees of their blue jeans — they just are! Perhaps even a blood stain or two if the competition is fierce.

And then there’s the stain hazards around the picnic table. Little Steven squirted too much mustard on his hot dog. So now he’s wearing a yellow mustard splotch shaped like the state of Florida on his new white t-shirt. At the office picnic, Mr. Howard, head of purchasing, is so excited about all the free food choices, he’s managed to accumulate a multi-food-group stain down the front of his shirt that will require a PhD in chemistry to remove. Such is the story of summer events and the stains that accompany them.

The best advice we have is to simply avoid mishaps that leave stains. If you get one, blot as much of the stain from the garment as possible using a clean, white napkin or paper towel. Do not rub. Other than that, leave it alone, and remember to act quickly by taking the garment to us, where we’ll know the best techniques for removing stains of all types — even the big purple one Freddy got when the 2-liter bottle of grape soda he was spinning around decided to erupt. Happy picnicking!