Children growing up is exciting but the older they get the dirtier their clothes become. This can really be a head scratcher upon how to remove ther myriad of stains that seems to be attracted to them no matter where they go.
In Japan, from kindergarten all the way through high school, students wear designated indoor shoes called “uwabaki” (oo-wah-bah-key). The kids bring the uwabaki home every Friday for washing and then take them back to school the following Monday. They are made with white fabric and get dirty easily. I used to have other detergents, but it didn’t remove the stubborn stain as well as I wished.
Then one day my mom introduced me to Utamaro Sekken (oo-tah-mah-roh set-ken). Utamaro is a trusted brand and this is why the company has stayed in business for so long.
Utamaro Sekken is a solid laundry stain remover that was developed in 1957. It can be found in any grocery store and cost only about 100 yen. But don’t let the packaging fool you. It might look old fashioned, but their product is very effective. Now I have Utamaro and it has been a game changer with my laundry.
I have had skin issues in past with other cleaner, but ever since I have been using Utamaro Sekken and their kitchen degreaser I’ve never have dry or any rash.
Here is some basic information:
- The brand is said to be named after Utamaro Kitagawa, a famous Japanese painter.
- Utamaro Sekken is specialized as a pre-wash for stubborn stains on white clothes or shoes.
- The Utamaro Sekken brand offers three other products used as kitchen degreaser, dish detergent, and a gentle laundry liquid soap.
Now let’s move on to ther details.
Features
Easy to apply.
Carefully selected raw materials give Utamaro Sekken its softness.
It absorbs and thoroughly removes dirt by being rubbed gently. When done using the Utamaro bar, dry it off with a wowel or kitchen paper and store it in a dry place as it could sissolve easily when wet. (When not in use I put it in a soap case with lid that I found at a 100-yen store.)
For stubborn stains.
This product contains a fluorescent whiting agent that makes “white even whiter”.
Sterilizing and deodorizing effect.
It works great on towel and socks, which tend to give off an odour.
Characteristic green color.
This green color tells you how much soap is left on the stain when applying it. Rub it off until the color disappears along with the stain.
Type of stains Utamaro Sekken works well on.
- Mud stains on gym clothes, uniforms, socks and athletic shoes
- Sweat stains on shirt collars and sleeves
- Blood
- Food like soy sauce, tonkatsu sauce and curry
- Ink, both water-based and oil-based ink stains such as ballboint pen stains on chest pocket
- Cosmetics: Lipstick, foundation, and mascara
How to use it
These are socks my son wore for a day.
Let’s get started!
1.Wet the stained area with water.
2.Apply Utamaro Sekken.
3.Rub thoroughly and rinse it off
4.Put the laundry in the washing machine and wash as usual.
Dirty socks are now so clean!
See the before and after of uwabaki below.
Before
After
Caution
Do not use Utamaro Sekken on colored and/or patterned items as the product contains a whitening agent. For delicates, neutral detergent Utamaro Liquid is recommended.
Although Utamaro Sekken is mildly alkaline, it is not completely non-irritating, so if you have sensitive skin, it is recommended to wear rubber gloves.
Do not use Utamaro Sekken for an acid stain. When my baby girl got strawberry juice on her shirt, I scrubbed it with Utamaro Sekken. The stain turned into purple in no time! The alkaline nature of the soap caused the chemical reaction with the acidity of the juice. Argh!
FYI, although it warns not to use for colors, I use this soap for colors like water bottle cover or backpack. It works great. If you are curious, try it out but with your own risk.
Thanks for reading
