If you've ever been frustrated by trying to remove stains from cotton articles, we have a tip you'll like.

In a spray bottle, mix equal parts of three common household ingredients: whole milk, liquid laundry (chlorine) bleach and water. Use a spray bottle to apply the concoction, and scrub the affected area with a clean tooth brush. It works on most stains, but only on white cotton. It even removes strawberry stains. Again, don't try this formula on anything but white cotton colored cotton and other fabrics can be damaged.

A female acquaintance applied this formula to a T-shirt that was draped over her printed ironing board cover. The colored flowers suddenly disappeared the stain remover having filtered through the shirt. We suggested that next time she use a scrap of plastic sheeting for protection. Because cotton is damaged by bleach, it is important to launder the garment immediately after using our formula. Rubber gloves and eye protection also should be used. And, never mix bleach and ammonia together. The combination is lethal.

Removing stains can be a tricky task. In her book, "Clean Your House and Everything In It," Eugenia Chapman tells how to remove different types of stains:

ADHESIVE TAPE. Scrape off the excess tape with a dull knife and rub the remaining gummy residue with a white rag dipped in cleaning solvent. Always test the solvent on a hidden part of the garment first.

BLOOD. Soak in cold water for at least half an hour or until the stain turns light brown. Spray with a prewash stain remover, and rinse. If the stain persists, soak it in a solution of two tablespoons ammonia to one gallon of warm water.

CHEWING GUM. Rub the gum with an ice cube until it become hard. Scrape off as much as possible with a dull knife, then use a white rag dampened with cleaning solvent.

MUSTARD. Rinse off in cold water. Pretreat with a prewash stain remover, and then soak in hot detergent water for several hours. If the stain remains, sponge it with rubbing alcohol (test fabric for alcohol color fastness).

Sometimes we find ourselves with an unrecognizable stain. Eugenia has a "safe course of action" for that circumstance: 1) rinse the stained area in cold water, 2) pretreat with a prewash stain remover, 3) repeat step two, and rinse several times, 4) wash the fabric using chlorine bleach or all-fabric bleach in the highest water temperature that is safe for the fabric, 5) air dry. If the stain remains, soak the fabric in cold water for half an hour, then sponge with cleaning solvent, and rinse. Repeat steps two through five, if necessary.