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Water removes stains of substances that are soluble in water (hot or cold).
If a stain is caused be a water insoluble substance (for example some oily
substance) water will not remove the stain.
Vince Calder
Many stains are not yet set, and can be removed by
rinsing in water. If you use hot water, the heat may
set the stain as if it were a dye, rendering it
difficult to impossible to remove. Using cold water
allows you to remove whatever stain can be removed
with plain water without setting the stain. If the
stain is not removed with cold water, then you need to
use other techniques, based on what caused the stain
and what type of material is stained.
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