Remedies to Remove Stains

From a coffee or wine spill, a spot of paint, mud or grass, markers or more, stains can be annoying and difficult to get out. Don’t panic, we have a solution, here are some guidelines to help you remove those difficult stains.

Act fast, don’t sleep on it, the quicker you deal with a stain, the better your chances of success. Spills and stains can happen anywhere, you might not be home or near a laundry facility but try and deal with your stain as quickly as possible.

Always apply stain remover to the back of the garment, this will help to push the stain away from the fabric instead of deeper into the fibres. Place the stained side on a paper towel or clean cloth while you treat the fabric from the back. Avoid rubbing and don’t use harsh stain removal products on delicate fabrics. Garments labelled dry clean only, should be taken to a professional as soon as possible.

Don’t place the items into the tumble dryer until the stain is gone as this will set stains in. Be patient and try your best, sometimes stubborn stains just won’t come out.

Grass

To remove those stubborn grass stains simply apply some pre-wash stain remover and let it sit for 15 minutes. You can also try the more natural route and mix up a solution consisting of one part vinegar with two parts water. Take an old, used toothbrush and work it in then wash as usual.

Blood

Who better to ask than an ER nurse, according to them the first step to take is to rinse the spot with cold water. Then blot the stain with a paper towel or cloth until you have gotten as much of the blood up as possible. Dab a bit of hydrogen peroxide directly onto the stain and watch it magically rinse away.

If you spill your blood onto upholstery or carpets, you can use the same cold-water-and-blotting method, but here you can add a tablespoon of dish detergent to two cups of cold water. Carpet cleaners used to remove pet stains may also work well.

Tomato Sauce

Biting into your juicy burger might leave you with some sauce running down your shirt, don’t panic, we can help. As soon as possible, rinse the spot with water, don’t forget to start with the back side of your shirt. Pour some pre-treat laundry detergent on the spot and let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse well. For stubborn stains, repeat this step until most of it has been removed. Then treat with a pre-wash stain remover and wash as usual.

Toothpaste

Spilling some toothpaste on your favourite blouse or shirt while doing the morning rush does not mean a change of clothes, just act quickly. Remove the excess blob first, then wet a cloth with warm water and blot the area. After this, add a few drops of laundry detergent to the warm water and continue blotting. Repeat blotting with clean, warm water to rinse and allow the spot to air dry.

Red Wine

This solution might feel like a science experiment but no need to pull out the white lab coat yet. Take the affected area and stretch the fabric over a bowl and secure it in place with a rubber band. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt on top of the fabric, then pour hot water through the fabric into the bowl. The stain should disappear immediately. Once you have done this, just toss it in the washer as normal.

Grease

Grease stains can be extremely annoying and stubborn. But don’t fear the solution is probably sitting right next to your kitchen sink. Any petroleum-based dish detergent, like Sunlight, has been designed to cut grease. It is great for cleaning grease off your pots and pans and will have a similar effect on clothes. Saturate the grease spot with the dish detergent and let it soak in for a few minutes, then chuck it into the washing machine.

Coffee

If it’s a fresh coffee stain you can run the stain under cold water from the back of the fabric, this might just do the trick. If it is a stubborn stain just rub some liquid laundry detergent on it, and soak for 3 to 5 minutes. For old coffee stains, soak the garment in cold water with detergent for about 30 minutes. Rub the fabric every 5 minutes to loosen up the stain. Stubborn stains can be soaked in warm water for another 5-15 minutes, then rinse thoroughly and wash.

Makeup

If you mess concealer, eyeliner, blush, eyeshadow, or mascara, you can just use a little prewash stain treatment. Place the stain face-down on a clean paper towel and gently rub the back of the stained area, rinse, and wash as normal.

Baby Formula and Food

Use a dull knife to scrape off any solid food before soaking it in a pre-treating product with enzymes for formula stains, and oxygen-based cleaner for baby food. Soak the garment for at least 30 minutes, then wash as normal.

Mud

They say you should work on a stain while it is still fresh, but not in this case, you will only spread the mud around and make the stain bigger. Let it dry, once it’s dry you can shake off the dirt or vacuum it up. Now you can rub some liquid detergent onto the stain and let it soak for about 15 minutes. Rubbing the stained area with your fingers every few minutes will help loosen the dirt, thereafter wash as usual.

Paint

Use a paper towel to remove as much of the wet paint as possible, dry paint can be scraped off with a dull knife or spoon. Water-based paint stains can be rinsed under warm water until the colour has run out, then wash as normal. Oil-based paint stains are a little more difficult, you need to treat the mark with turpentine first, then rinse and wash.

Ink

The how of removing ink will depend on the type of fabric you’ve marked with ink, but in most cases, rubbing alcohol or a solution of vinegar and dishwashing detergent will take care of it. Better Homes and Gardens has a comprehensive list of fabrics, from cotton to velvet with detailed instructions for each.

Permanent Marker

Just because it says permanent doesn’t mean it’s a permanent problem. Damp the stain first, then spritz it with a non-oily hairspray. Blot at the stain with a paper towel until the colour transfers from the fabric to the paper towel. You can also try using the same method with rubbing alcohol.

Fruit Juice

Never grab the liquid detergent first to remove a juice stain as it will only set it, rather use white vinegar to blot the stain first, then rinse and wash as normal.