Photo: rawpixel (Unsplash)As part of my flea-market mermaid costume, I wore an old silk nightgown, then spent a rainy evening treading all over the bottom hem. I have already given the nightie a wash with mild laundry soap in cold water, which took care of most of the dirt, but it’s pretty ground in along the seam. Think it can be removed?I do think it can be removed! The fact that the stain didn’t entirely come out the first go around doesn’t mean that all hope is lost (which is a good rule to remember, generally). When that happens — whether it’s on Halloween or on a regular day — take heart, because it means that the stain can and will come out, it may just require a second pass.AdvertisementHalloween is a good time to point out this law of stainage, because Halloween is great, but also it can be spectacularly messy, which is a big part of the holiday’s charm.Okay so let’s start with mud/dirt/party sludge, because that’s what our Letter Writer is asking about, and also because Halloween is the unofficial first day of party sludge season. Mud and dirt are protein stains, which is good to remember around Halloween, what with its wild parties, because blood and vomit are also protein stains. So! That means that stain removers that work on mud and dirt will also work on blood and barf. This is also true of sexual fluids — yup, those are proteins too! — so when you and your date have a little too much fun with, on and in your sexy Gritty costume, your plan of action will be the same.What you’ll do is this: The way to treat a protein stain is to use an enzyme-based stain treatment, like Zout or Krud Kutter Sports Stain Remover, or a laundry detergent that has enzymes, like Tide Original or Arm