Spot cleaning ties

For the third time in three weeks I managed to drip balsamic oil/vinegar onto my tie. The previous two times, I just took my tie to the dry cleaner. While the stain came out, the tie isn't quite the same, and the cost is high.

What are my options for spot cleaning my tie? Don't say Didi-7, as I've tried that, and it just ruins the tie.

Wouldn't Didi-7 have a bleaching effect? Nasty... On the rare occasion I wear a tie, and the even rarer occasion I get a greasy mark on it, I usually give the stain a gentle rub with a damp cloth, either by itself, or with a tiny bit of regular soap, or with a tiny bit of eucalyptus oil. (I maintain eucalyptus oil will get anything out - you just have to air out the garment in question for a few days to get rid of that, um, bracing fragrance. As for watermarks, I usually blot with a tissue, then blow-dry. I've never had a problem with this method, but apparently it's fraught with peril, and you risk setting the stain. Wait for a second opinion... You can also buy little sachets of silk-cleaner at a lot of department stores, usually chock-full of 'aliphatic hydrocarbons', which is kinda like a fancy way of saying 'fat-dissolving compounds'. I have an instinctive distrust of these, don't know why, so I'm yet to use them. (I will, though. I'll grease-stain a couple of old ties, try it, and get back to everyone.) Option three, Tiecrafters is generally well-regarded as far as tie-rejuvenation goes, but I haven't used them myself. There's a shipping address on their website, you just mail them your ties - there's a four-tie minimum - with instructions, and they do the rest.

What about those products that the infomercials are always trying to sell us? I'm thinking of Oxi-Clean, the one with that somewhat annoying spokesman who seems to be able to get stains out of anything. I think those things are guaranteed (probably because most of the people who buy them don't have enough common sense to return them if they don't work) so you might try buying a bottle just for kicks and seeing if that works.

Try a baby wipe. They are very gentle, for obvious reasons, but good at cleaning up the nastiest of messes, and as any parent knows, I do mean nasty

For stain prevention on ties I recommend Scotch Guard.  I've used it on ties for a number of years.  After applying it I've observed no change to the sheen, color, or texture of the ties.  I've had one can for longer than I can remember.  However, due to environmental concerns it may not be around much longer.  The manufacturer, 3M, announced it is discontinuing production of the product.