# stained up chef coats



## mellr22 (Jun 22, 2011)

So I have 2 chef coats that are some what new and I have worn them to work and I am short so I have a hard time not getting dirty. I wash them after every time I work. I want to look professional and clean, but because I get messy my coats get stained and I have tried everything to get the stains out. I don't have the money to keep buying new, clean coats. Any suggestions from any one will be helpful. Thank you.


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## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

I had a prep cook tell me that he used oven cleaner on his chef coats.  I've never tried it myself but it might be worth looking into.  (or trying out on an old coat first..lol)


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

The more stain resistant they make those coats the worse off everyone is.

Ok....so here's some experience talking.

Basically you have 2 kinds of Chef's coats.

One is cotton or a blend of cotton and polyester.

The other is "man-made" materials.

It seems like the man-made stuff takes the day to day stains out better than the cotton or cotton blend does when washed.

Cotton can have bleach added to the water, but after a time can stain the coats a yellowish ting.

If the stains are treated as soon as possible with a pre-treat product, most stains come out. 

For me, cotton breathes and polyester does not so I tend to wear cotton coats and wash them daily myself.


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

Polyester coats MELT /img/vbsmilies/smilies/laser.gifwith hot pans!


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

PeteMcCracken said:


> Polyester coats MELT /img/vbsmilies/smilies/laser.gifwith hot pans!


Yes they do Pete....AND they take your skin right along with them when they burn.....OUCH!!!


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

Here is another thread on this subject, maybe it might help a bit.

http://www.cheftalk.com/forum/thread/40511/how-do-you-clean-your-chef-jacket

Now for myself I'm not so much concerned about unremovable stains after a while. I think it kinda shows character. After a while enough stains all together sorta look like a patina on your coat. Anyone with no stains at all might get tagged as someone that doesn't do any work. I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.


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## sugarhoney1 (Sep 14, 2012)

Let any stains dry out first and then chip it off.  Otherwise, soak them and scrub them out as best you can before washing them.  Use hydrogen peroxide on really tough stains.  Also, whenever you dry your hands in the kitchen, dry them on your cloth, not your apron or the bottom of your jacket.  Also, if you spray starch your whites after ironing, the stains will lift easier.  Maybe not right away, but they do eventually go.


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## foodnfoto (Jan 1, 2001)

This works really well on any kind of food stains-

Spray with stain remover (I like Zout) and use a toothbrush or nail brush to scrub-scrub-scrub it in.

Then put a teakettle of water on to boil. Meanwhile, stretch the stained section over a bowl in your kitchen sink and secure the excess fabric with heavy cans or some other weight.

When the water is boiling, pour a hard stream directly onto the stain.

Repeat if necessary-the more boiling water you use, the better.

Then spray again with stain remover and launder on the hottest, longest, pre-soak and stain remover cycle on your washing machine. 

Works really well on coffee, grass and chocolate stains. 

Whatever you do, DO NOT LET THE STAIN DRY ON THE FABRIC. 

A dry stain is set in forever.


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## emmbai90 (Sep 13, 2012)

I know it's "health and saftey" but i think it's just a beyond a joke how over the top they are with it lol, there's no helping getting stains in your jackets because Once you get 1 stain out once again you've got blood and tomatoe or sauce all over it again so what's the point in getting the stains out when it's just going to be replaced with another? lol just impossible, the easiest way is just rubbing the area with a bit of bleach not bleaching the whole thing but generally i feel it's way over the top with germs and stuff lol, i mean we have loads and loads of tiny germs all over our skin because we are warm, once we wash our hands they cool down a bit again from the hot water you washed your hands with and they spread back from your body and your arms again lmao, there's just no stopping it, even if you think you have wiped surfaces before cooking again the sufaces cool down again and germs attach themselves back there from the floor and from your hands lmao, don't worry too much about stains because it just can't be helped, if you can do so then try your best to not get anything on your jacket so you don't have to keep washing stains off.


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## just jim (Oct 18, 2007)

emmbai90 said:


> I know it's "health and saftey" but i think it's just a beyond a joke how over the top they are with it lol, there's no helping getting stains in your jackets because Once you get 1 stain out once again you've got blood and tomatoe or sauce all over it again so what's the point in getting the stains out when it's just going to be replaced with another? lol just impossible, the easiest way is just rubbing the area with a bit of bleach not bleaching the whole thing but generally i feel it's way over the top with germs and stuff lol, i mean we have loads and loads of tiny germs all over our skin because we are warm, once we wash our hands they cool down a bit again from the hot water you washed your hands with and they spread back from your body and your arms again lmao, there's just no stopping it, even if you think you have wiped surfaces before cooking again the sufaces cool down again and germs attach themselves back there from the floor and from your hands lmao, don't worry too much about stains because it just can't be helped, if you can do so then try your best to not get anything on your jacket so you don't have to keep washing stains off.


So, because germs will just reappear we shouldn't bother with removing them?


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## emmbai90 (Sep 13, 2012)

No but i think the excessive hand washing is always a bit much, for sure though don't bleach the whole thing or if you get some splatters of food as soon as you do it grab some paper towel and put some warm water on it and just rub it off so it doesn't stain as much as it does if you leave it to soak into the material, all stains can't come out though especially grease stains, those probably take a few washes before they come out, you could try buying some of that spray that takes stains off clothes too as see how it goes .


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## duckfat (Aug 7, 2008)

The best two methods I've found for keeping coats clean or bringing stained coats back to life is to soak in Oxyclean at least over night and some times longer for heavy stains. I had very good luck with that. The only other stain removers I found that really worked were made by Amway and pretty darn expensive but they last quite a while and they work.

Dave


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## chefboppy (Dec 26, 2012)

Next time you buy a coat, soak it in 50/50 solution of scotch guard and water. (You can buy scotchguard by the gallon at wal-mart for like $5.) You can dump red wine down your coat after that and it won't stain. You just have to keep redoing it about every 3-6 months, but its a hell of a lot cheaper than buying new coats. I do it for everything I wear in the kitchen. Some of my coats I've had for 3 years and they look brand new.


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## ed buchanan (May 29, 2006)

STEAM works great as some commercial laundies use . Also stay cleaner and wear an apron.


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## coriecostantino (Feb 15, 2013)

While I was in culinary school, I soaked my whites in Oxyclean and hot water overnight every weekend. For really super bad spot stains, I did a heavy duty spot scrub with a toothbrush and Shout and let that sit for a few hours. THEN I washed the coat/apron in hot water with bleach, oxyclean, and detergent. I was one of the only people with chalk white uniforms at the end of school so... worked for me!


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## paul alfred (Nov 18, 2011)

I'm a huge fan of Oxy-Clean.  I've used it a lot, letting my chef whites soak over night and then washing them.  I've not (yet) had any stains that haven't come out that way.


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## fishingchef (Feb 27, 2013)

I use AWESOME CLEANER and it works great on my white chef jackets. I just spray on spots before I wash them. The complete name of the cleaner is LA'S TOTALLY AWESOME

it is only  $1.00 a spray bottle. I buy it at the Dollar General and sometimes at WAL MART. At Dollar General I buy it in the large size for refilling the spray bottle It is $3.00 for 64 fl. oz.

I am sure you will get those jackets clean with this .   Chef Milan


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## subrosa (Oct 29, 2011)

Awesome really does work. The earlier tip of pouring boiling water from a height through the fabric (which has been stretched over a bowl) works for berry stains - like magic. Can't speak for other stains; I would be afraid of setting a blood stain with boiling water.


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## lowcarbhomechef (Feb 12, 2013)

Immediately apply hydrogen peroxide to a blood stain and it disappears like magic.


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## robbie rensel (Feb 21, 2013)

The secret culinary school stain remover concoction.

1 full lid of laundry detergent

1 full cap of color safe bleach

1/2 cap of softner

3 scoops of oxy clean

Stir the mixture in a plastic garbage can or other container to hold the jackets.

Spray stains with shout and rub into fabric. 

Fill the concoction with hot water just enough to cover the jackets and it stays concentrated.  Put your jackets in and mix to circulate water and jackets.  Let the jackets soak for two days.  Pour the whole mixture in a washing machine and wash.

They will come out sparkly white, it will even get pincage stain out.


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

I use Zout, from the Dial Corporation (http://www.zout.com/ ) as I feel it does a better job than Shout


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## chef kim (Apr 3, 2013)

My coats stay white as snow. I use Tide and Clorox. Sometimes I put a cap full of each directly on spots. Good luck,


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## chef kim (Apr 3, 2013)

this is the best idea I have ever heard


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## chefgiraldo (Mar 20, 2013)

soak them in oxyclean all night and they will be white again


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## princeed1988 (Jan 26, 2012)

Robbie Rensel said:


> The secret culinary school stain remover concoction.
> 
> 1 full lid of laundry detergent
> 
> ...


Maybe i'll try this secret culinary school stain remover concoction, but im wondering if some products here in philippines are available like oxy clean?


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## emmbai90 (Sep 13, 2012)

I will note this too but these days here in the UK we can only afford the cheapest washing powders and softener and it has to last us all week, could probably afford  that while living with my parents though.


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## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

You cannot talk for the whole of the UK...


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## emmbai90 (Sep 13, 2012)

Rofl well most people can't as they don't really bother trying to get better work they just have normal jobs and a lot in IT work but i know there is a small percentage that have good paying jobs


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## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

Hardly a small percentage. Someone has to fund the benefits system.


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## dsplayname (Feb 22, 2014)

I find that black fabric dye works best.  Sometimes, it takes 2 runs of dyeing, but your coat will be one color again.


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## raoulduke (Aug 15, 2013)

I have never dyed my own but I support this technique. Unless I am forced to wear a white chef coat, I am going to wear a black one. Makes the entire process so much easier just cuts that issue right out of the equation. I did checks and whites in culinary school, and the checks have still seen plenty of hard use when I am lazy and don't do laundry, but the whites have been retired with a vengeance.


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## GingerbreadGirlNC (4 mo ago)

mellr22 said:


> So I have 2 chef coats that are some what new and I have worn them to work and I am short so I have a hard time not getting dirty. I wash them after every time I work. I want to look professional and clean, but because I get messy my coats get stained and I have tried everything to get the stains out. I don't have the money to keep buying new, clean coats. Any suggestions from any one will be helpful. Thank you.


Soak strait oxyclean and water. Keep them as submerged and stir often. In 24-48 hours they will look brand new. I am a pastry chef who is constantly getting chocolate everywhere. This takes all the stains out!


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## JohnDB (10 mo ago)

Automatic Dishwasher liquid.....
Not the powdered stuff. 

It will take the color out of anything. 
I use it to pretreatment stains before I wash them.


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