How to Remove Almost Any Stain (Yes, Really!)
No one wants to toss a perfectly good shirt because of a stain that won’t come out! Next time, try these tried & true techniques to remove almost any stain. From blueberries to wine, these simple steps will keep your laundry looking good as new. There’s even a cute printable cheat sheet to hang in your laundry room!
Ugh, STAINS. They’re the worst, right?
And it’s happened to all of us at one point or another. You dribble coffee on your favorite shirt. Your 2-year-old decides to color herself—and her Sunday dress—with a rainbow assortment of felt-tip markers. Your husband gets a little overly enthusiastic with his barbecue sauce. Your romantic candlelit dinner leaves you with candle wax all over the tablecloth. Your little aspiring soccer player ends up with grass stains all over his brand new jeans.
In any of these cases, and certainly a whole lot more, it is easy to just want to throw up your hands and declare a total loss. Yes, it’s unfortunate, you think, but what can you do? After all, these things happen.
But while stains may just be an inevitable part of life, giving up on them doesn’t have to be. With a few simple tricks and some good-old-fashioned elbow grease, you may just be able to salvage that favorite item and save yourself both money and heartache along the way.
How to Remove Almost Any Stain (Yes, Really!)
General guidelines:
- Act quickly! The sooner you treat a stain, the more likely it is to come out. Even so, not all stains can be removed.
- Be sure to blot any excess liquid immediately.
- Be sure to check for colorfastness before treating the stain.
- A stain remover should always be applied to the underside of the stain. Place stain down on a clean paper towel, then treat from the opposite side to push stain off the fabric and onto the paper towel.
- For carpet & upholstery, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Treat both with a stain resister before stains occur.
- For solid stains, such as wax, remove as much of the solid as possible with a table knife before treating.
- Avoid rubbing delicate fabrics.
- Take dry-clean-only fabrics to the dry-cleaner as soon as possible, and be sure to give the cleaner as many details as possible.
- Be patient! Some stains take a while to remove. If you follow the steps below but the stain is still visible after washing, just repeat the process again before drying. (Heat drying will set stains, so avoid drying until the stain is gone!)
Stain fighters to keep on hand:
- Ammonia
- Aqua Net Hair Spray
- All Fabric Bleach (such as Clorox 2)
- Bleach
- Dish Soap
- Liquid Laundry Detergent
- Oxy-Clean Powder (or similar alternative)
- Paper Towels
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Stain Remover
- Table Knife
- Vinegar
Specific stain removal:
Baby Food
Scrape off any dried food with a kitchen knife. Soak item for 15 minutes in a mixture of 1-quart lukewarm water, 1 tablespoon ammonia, and a squirt of liquid dish soap. Gently rub stain from the back, then soak for an additional 15 minutes. Rinse the item, then soak in Oxy-Clean solution for at least 30 minutes, or until the stain is gone. Launder normally.
Blood
Soak the item in ice-cold water for 15 minutes. Rub stain from behind. Soak an additional 15 minutes in cold water. Check stain. If still visible, soak the item in Oxy-clean solution for 30 minutes. Launder normally, using bleach for whites.
Berries
Place stain face down on a clean paper towel. Pre-treat underside of stain with liquid laundry detergent or stain remover, rubbing the stain gently. Rinse. Soak for 30 minutes in a solution of lukewarm water mixed with all-fabric bleach. Rinse. If an item is white or colorfast, soak in the bleach solution for 15 minutes. Rinse and launder normally.
Candle Wax
Scrape off any excess wax with a table knife. Place the stain face down on a clean paper towel. Press an iron over the backside of the stain to release the wax onto a paper towel. Repeat with clean paper towels until no more wax transfers to the paper towel. Treat the remaining color stain with stain remover. Soak in Oxy-Clean solution for 30 minutes. Launder normally, using bleach for whites.
Dinginess
For whites or colorfast fabrics, fill sink or bucket with lukewarm water and 1-2 cups bleach. Soak items for 30 minutes; launder normally with bleach. For non-colorfast fabrics, fill sink or bucket with warm water, 2 squirts dish soap, and 2 tablespoons of ammonia. Soak for 30 minutes. Drain water & rinse items. Refill sink and add ¼ cup vinegar. Soak items for 30 minutes. Rinse and launder normally with the hottest water possible and add Oxy-Clean to detergent.
Coffee
Place the item face down on a clean towel. Gently rub from the back with a sponge soaked in rubbing alcohol. Soak item for 15 minutes in a mixture of 1-quart lukewarm water, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and a squirt of liquid dish soap. Rinse the item. Soak in Oxy-Clean solution for 30 minutes. Launder normally, using bleach for whites.
Grass Stains
Soak the item in cool water & Oxy-Clean solution for several hours or overnight. Launder normally, using bleach for whites. If stain remains, soak in Oxy-Clean solution again, then re-wash.
Grape Juice or Wine
Mix 1 tablespoon vinegar with 2/3 cup rubbing alcohol. Use a clean cloth or rag to blot the stain with rubbing alcohol solution. Continue blotting until liquid is absorbed and stain disappears. Launder normally.
Ink Pens
Place stain face down on a clean paper towel. Blot with sponge or cloth soaked in rubbing alcohol. If stain remains, spray with Aqua-Net hairspray and gently rub stain from the back. Rinse fabric. Launder normally.
Ketchup
Place stain face down on a clean paper towel. Pre-treat underside of stain with liquid laundry detergent or stain remover, rubbing stain gently. Rinse. Soak for 30 minutes in a solution of lukewarm water mixed with all-fabric bleach. Rinse. If an item is white or colorfast, soak in bleach solution for 15 minutes. Rinse and launder normally.
Mascara
Place stain face down on a clean paper towel. Pre-treat underside of stain with liquid laundry detergent or stain remover, rubbing stain gently. Rinse. Soak for 30 minutes in a solution of lukewarm water mixed with all-fabric bleach. Rinse. If an item is white or colorfast, soak in bleach solution for 15 minutes. Rinse and launder normally.
Makeup
Place item facedown on a clean towel. Gently rub from the back with a sponge soaked in rubbing alcohol. Soak item for 15 minutes in a mixture of 1-quart lukewarm water, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and a squirt of liquid dish soap. Rinse item. Soak in Oxy-Clean solution for 30 minutes. Launder normally, using bleach for whites.
Mustard
Place stain face down on a clean paper towel. Pre-treat underside of stain with liquid laundry detergent or stain remover, rubbing stain gently. Rinse. Soak for 30 minutes in a solution of lukewarm water mixed with all-fabric bleach. Rinse. If an item is white or colorfast, soak in bleach solution for 15 minutes. Rinse and launder normally.
Nail Polish
Place stain face-down on a clean paper towel. Gently rub from the underside with cloth or sponge soaked in nail polish remover. Repeat with clean paper towels until the stain is gone. Launder normally.
Oil or Grease
Place stain face-down on a clean paper towel. Pre-treat underside of stain with a generous amount of liquid laundry detergent or stain remover, rubbing stain gently. Rinse with hot water. Launder normally in the hottest water possible.
Permanent Marker
Place stain face down on a clean paper towel. Pre-treat underside of the stain with liquid laundry detergent or stain remover, rubbing stain gently. Rinse. Soak for 30 minutes in a solution of lukewarm water mixed with all-fabric powdered bleach. Rinse. If the item is white or colorfast, soak in bleach solution for 15 minutes. Rinse and launder normally.
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This is great! Printing my cheat sheet right now to hang in my laundry room. Thanks so much!
Great list, I would add super washing soda. When I have found several days old ground in grass stains or mustard stains the children did not tell me about right away I have found if I soak them overnight in super washing soda the stains come right out.
I seriously NEVER knew you treated the stain from the opposite side – this is a game-changer!
After years of trying many stain removing products (both non-toxic/natural and conventional), I now only have TWO items in my arsenal: Branch Basics (review above), and OxiClean. One of those removes every stain I encounter in my household and keeps things simple.
Great tips. Thanks for sharing them all in one place for easy reference. I have recently stumbled upon the Netepur Bar made by H2O at home and it has actually replaced all my stain fighting products in my cupboard. It seems to get out the majority of stains, even on my husband’s chef coats. The only draw back is that you have to order it from a consultant and have to pay shipping, so no chance of running to the store last minute to buy it. (And no I don’t sell the netepur bar, I am just obsessed with it because it works on everything so I tell everyone I know about it!)
Where do you buy the netepur bar!?
Ellen Hunt
From an H2O at Home Consultant. You can google H2O at Home and find a consultant in your area.
For blood stains, hydrogen peroxide will also take it out of anything…clothing, carpet, hair. I’m a nurse, so I have used this quite a bit 😉
I love the wax tip, we learned that freezing the stain will allow the buildup to pop off most of it. The iron also sounds like a great plan.
Also wanted to point out that the less you rub any fabric the better. Practically any stain is removable until it gets into the fibers (not between yarns or threads, but the actual fibers). Rubbing can push the stain into the fibers, that’s also why working from the back is better it allows the stain to go out the same path it came in on.
Knowing the chemistry of a stain is also very helpful. If it’s a protein based stain (anything that comes out of a human, blood, milk, that baby’s diaper) it needs to be worked with cold water. Proteins cook in heat, just like a steak on the grill, thus setting a stain in. Chocolate is almost always made with milk so it also needs the cold water treatment.
Last random tip: if a small blood stain is fresh-spit on it. The enzymes in your spit break down the structures in blood. So if the hubby nicks himself while shaving and gets his shirt, or you’re sewing and stab your finger with the needle-just get a little spit on there and it’ll magically start to disappear.
hi read ur tips.. seem helpful but i dont know how to stains of dark colour clothes from light colour clothes ..plz guide .. also i live in india were half of the things u have mentioned above are not available
thanks
What stain removers do you recommend please? You just say stain remover on the list. This is amazing! Thank you so so much!
Somehow some furniture stain ended up on a shirt that I really like-any tips for getting that out?
I read in our local newspaper a couple of years ago about using Windex to get out blood stains. It works great. It’s the only thing I use to get out a blood stain now.
Great tips. And I 2nd the Fels Neptha!
The only thing I don’t see listed that my laundry struggles with, is oil and grease from automotive work. My husband is a mechanic and his clothes get completely ruined from transmission fluid and oil and various other smelly liquids that are used. I have yet to fine a way to remove those stains!
Try the cleaner Simple Green!
I used Lestoil for this … even works on tar type stains like driveway sealer or roof patch
Another great way to remove blood from clothing is Hydrogen peroxide 🙂
I have to remember to print this out so I can leave this in my laundry room. My poor hubby just threw out a shir t with rust stains on it. Any suggestions?
Lemon juice on stain and hang in sun
I use my Cascade with bleach to get red dirt out of white baseball pants. Works fast without long soaking, and I rinse it out in the sink and can launder the pants with colored clothing. We don’t have enough whites for a separate load.
For difficult stains, such as blood, I use a bar of castile soap. I also like to keep a bottle of the liquid castile soap for soaking stained items overnight. It’s really amazing and all natural and I’ve used the liquid for washing everything from my dishes to clothes to my pets.
Also, for rust stains, I use Magica Rust Remover. It comes in a tube and I used to be able to buy it at Restoration Hardware. It’s amazing. Removes rust stains from clothing and carpet.
I’ve always been curious about Fels Naptha. I’ll give it a try on my next stubborn stain.
I must have missed one for underpants soiled from a bowel movement. What will take the stain out?
Peroxide is the absolute best thing for getting blood out. Rinse a little, put peroxide on the stain, let it sit a couple minutes, then throw it in the wash…works every time.
Hey Ruth, I am using Tide detergent to dry clean the garments of my family. The washing liquid and the products are playing a more effective role into removing the stains. However, in a natural way, Lemon’s juice used to discard the rust, dirt and stains from the clothes. Thanks for the valuable post.
My recently rescued puppy is in heat right now. She loves to jump on my bed and lay on my white sheets. She has limited access to my bedroom but she will sneak in from time to time. When she does get some blood on the covers I take a Q-Tip, dip it in some Hydrogen Peroxide (the one you can buy at any pharmacy) and gently rub on the blood stain. After a few seconds it is all gone.
I used to use a product called CLR for underarm stains ot tablecloth stains. It works miracles. Just spray stain, let sit for 20 min. or so and wash. This product is supposed to be used to clean hard water and calcium buildup in showers, however, it works GREAT especially on underarm stains.
The link for your printable is broken
Hi Darci,
I just fixed the link. I also sent you an email. 🙂
Many stains that have a more complex structure such as pasta and wine take a lot more effort. These remedies will also be ineffective for pet stains as the odor needs to be removed. For stronger stains, a cleaner like Genesis 950 should be used. Genesis 950 is a green cleaner that works with water to break the bonds of stains and lift them from the surface. See the reviews by various Moms and Bloggers to see why Genesis 950 is the best stain remover available. http://www.genesis950.com/page/genesis_950_reviews
I have four-year-old son who loves drawing. The thing is that every time when he draw he also draw on hie clothes. I just don’t know what to do with his clothes. There are stains every where. I will try your suggestion for homemade stain remover. Thanks a lot for this idea!
ok
My 13 year old daughter finially made her First holy communion last sunday and we had her party outdoors in our back yard.her communion dress was poofy and knee length and she was sitting on the grass and got grass stains on her white plastic pants and i want to know how to get the stains out.I am going to put the rubberpants and her under shirt away with her dress,veil,lace socks and shoes and i want the grass stains of of the rubberpants.can anyone tell me how to get the stains off?
To Linda M.-We have a new adopted 14 year old daughter whom we have had for 4 months now and she is in cloth diapers and rubberpants 24/7 due to her daytime wetting and bedwetting.Last month,we baptized and christened her at sunday mass.We did her in a white,short sleeve,top of the knees baptism gown with a half crinoline under it and a matching bonnet with white rhumba tights and the white ‘mary jane’ shoes.I put extra cloth diapers with a new pair of white rubberpants over them,under her rhumba tights.We had pizza for her party,and she sat on a chair that some one had spilled pizza sauce on it,and it left an orange stain on the back of the tights and soaked thru and stained the rubberpants as well.I got the stain completely out of the rhumba tights using a pre-soak and oxy clean,but the stain on the rubberpants was more difficult.I finially wound up using Goo Gone and after some scrubbing,the stain finially came out.
You can use a bar of castile soap for difficult stains.
I removed it stains by mixing baking powder, hydrogen peroxide and cold water. I scrubbed it in and let it sit over night. The next day it still looked stained but once I started rinsing it under cold tap all the yellow color went away. I also had a white scarf that got red wine spilled on it. I didn’t feel like dealing with it for months so it just sat on my floor. I put it in the sink with a little hydrogen peroxide I had left (which wasn’t very much, maybe 2 T) and some cold water and let it soak overnight. The next day it was completely white again, no residue.
It should say “Pit Stains”
WOW I need desperately list like yours. I have several things with stains which I don`t know how to remove. Including my dad`s sofa. I spilled some mascara on it. Thank you so much for sharing your article. I am going to use your tips immediately. Best regards!
thank you for this. its really helpful, i don’t need anymore to throw those cloths etc..which have stains. 🙂
Weigh down a half-inch of white paper towel with heavy object on top of the affected area of your carpet. Change the paper towel as needed until the area is dry. If you need the stain to dry faster, a dry compound can be used, although the paper towels typically work well over time.
Permanent marker stains can be removed much faster using alcohol. Rubbing alcohol or hair spray or even aftershave lotion should do the trick.
I prefer to use Vademecum mouthwash to remove ink stains. It does not harm clothing or color. Wash in clean water afterwards.
Thank you for this post, I have learned some of your tips the hard way and have actually used them on my blog – crediting your site. (I hope this is okay) I am new to blogging and am in the process of reading your book “How to blog for profit: without selling your soul” I am only on page 56, but it has been very insightful so far. And no, I have not skipped past anything. 🙂 I would love if you could give me your advise on my blog if you have time. I am prepared for honesty! Oh and yes I know, I’m still on blogger….
Thank you very much for sharing these tips. Saturate the stain in vinegar, then rub it with a paste made from equal parts vinegar and baking soda. You can add a couple tablespoons each of vinegar and laundry detergent to a bucket of water and soak the garment overnight if the stain persists.
Can any one help with transmission fluid . Got 3 small penny sized dots on a ralph lauren hooded sweat shirt. I’ve been soaking it for 3 hours with oxy clean.
Hello when certain things calls for vinegar to use for stains.. which do you use white or apple cider vinegar? Thanks & God Bless.
I usually use white vinegar.
Awesome! It’s actually called Awesome and cheap, but removed sharpie from our camper. Safe on the paint job. Removed felt tip marker from white-ish shirt. Removes all kinds of dirt and grime from cloth, vinyl, plastics, shoes. It is truly Awesome!!!!! Dollar tree or grocery store. Seriously give it a shot.
Thanks for the tips! I love your stain removal guide… It’s soooo colourful!
Thank you for all the wonderful tips. Also, work on a small area before putting it on the stain completely, especially when dealing with carpets. I also like to work my way into the stain. You are right, an ounce of prevention will save you tons of headaches and money when dealing with your floors!
I didn’t notice if anyone else mentioned it but Boiling Water takes out Berry stains. It’s amazing.
I worked in an ink factory for 18 years and whenever I got ink on my clothes, I would pretreat the stain with Pinesol. Soak the spot with the Pinsol and then rub it in, before washing the clothes, put another soaking of Pinsol on the spot. If it doesn’t come completely out, use either hairspray or rubbing alcohol before drying.
Almost every stain is a serious headache. I really hate it when my white shirt get stained with the foods or anything else. Plus when you have to treat them with commercial cleaners and colors fade away mostly. Thank you for the great post. Now I am going to follow your stain removal procedure.
Treat
Rub
Lift
Soak
Wash
All Clean.
Great Post for removing stains.
Hi I had a coat given for my son we didn’t realize that the underside of sleeves and cuffs and bottom of coat had a blue stain iv soaked it in oxi stain remover over night then washed it with some stain remover in but hasn’t done a thing. I’ve seen stains like it before like new jeans n it’s transferred to other cloths and if just used oxi stain remover an it’s come out but not this time. Please can you help as its a really good coat n a shame not to be warn. Thanks
Thanks for the good article! The same methods I use for cleaning carpets in the car.
Help. I left a paper cup with some Dr. pepper in it on an old dry sink stand.That morning ended up in hospital for three weeks .Mean time the cup leaked onto stand and now have a hard and dry crystal stuff on top of wood stand. How can I get this stuff off without ruining the old top. I’m 80 yrs old and know better but didn’t know the cup would leak. Shame on me. I’ll try anything
When dealing with a carpet stain, always blot! Scrubbing stains only spreads the stain around and will work it into the carpet.
Have you tried hydrogen peroxide and soap on blood stains? Works great. Just keep adding more hydrogen peroxide until the stain is gone. And a product called Good off works well on paint, asphalt and tar.
I cannot take pills by mouth and recently have been put on doxycycline for Lyme, which I open the capsule & put in water and drink. Well, the powder is yellow, and my cup was knocked out of my hand & onto my brand new blue jean shorts. Tried detergent, no luck. Then tried dawn dish soap. Still no luck. Any suggestions???
Hi Lisa,
This was a great information about the resolving of issue permanently in a car during driving easily by using the service of Victoria car removal in Melbourne with in a short period of time a start your journey safe and fast without any trouble shoot ,If your car is still running before you sell it to the junkyard due to any kind of issue then you must use the service of car removal in Melbourne , you might want to use up the gasoline in the tank before you have it towed away. Depending on the size of the tank in your car or truck, the value of the gasoline in the tank can represent a substantial portion of the total value of the price you’re getting from the junkyard. If your car isn’t running, be careful if you attempt to siphon gasoline from the tank. Use only approved containers to carry the gasoline, and never start a siphon using your mouth. Don’t worry about the value of the gas to the junkyard. They’ll have to drain all the fluids out of your car before recycling or scrapping the parts, and gasoline in the tank is a nuisance for them.
Thanks .
While marketing can be tricky, it is the content that makes the site important. If you provide informative content that serves the needs of your visitors, word will spread.
Whoever thought white shirts would be a great idea for school uniform has clearly never had kids of their own! every day my son comes home wearing a new type of stain. This is PERFECT! Thanks so much for sharing.
Thank you very much for the information provided! I was looking for this data for a long time, but I was not able to find the trusted source.
So i sell boks online and found these hints usefull. However i felt that i also needed to take this opportunity to share my own secret weapon. Which takes care of anything that is glue or sharpie.
Believe it or not i could not run my business without lighter fluid. I have a spray bottle of it on my desk at all times. The lighter fluid bonds to the glue or any sticky substance. Spray it on and it begins to break it down and eventually with a couple of applications it completely liquids the glue and allows for all sharpie ink to be removed (Depending on the surface absorption with the ink) to be rubbed off of smooth or ruff surfaces like suit cases. Best part is that the lighter fluid evaporates within 60 seconds of application when not in a sealed envelope with bubble wrap.
Wow James! Thanks for the tip.
I have got lipstick stain on my new dress in my birthday party last night. I am so upset and looking for some tips to remove the stain anyhow. While searching tips I found one product that removes stain instantly, also named as on the go stain remover. Well, I will purchase it to avoid future stains. Now thanks to you for helping in removing the stain.
HELP!! I have somehow managed to get mop and glo on my 160$ black jacket and it dried on it and now is stained with this white hard glue/waxy substance that will not come off! I’ve tried everything!
What about soot very hard to come off tried lots of products
What about a white shirt with black lettering on sleeves was accidently washed with red shirt which made it pinkest?How can I get the white back white ?
Thank you
Well to remove each stain you need to act quickly means as much as you can try to remove your stain you should try it as stain is one of the most unremoved thing which not easily stays away it needs more and more effort to remove.
Wow, I can’t love this post enough! I’m in the 0.0001% of people who love doing laundry haha, but I love that I just learned that a stain must be treated from the opposite side. Thanks for the tip, Ruth!
My kitchen towel is stained from the bottom of a pot. Seems like the carbon build up from the flame. I soaked it over night in Oxiclean and it will not come out. Any recommendations
HI my son works using chemicals and his work shirts get stains and look dingy looking what can I use to clean his work shirts?
So I accidentally washed my daughters light pink puffy winter coat with a pair of new black lounge pants. The dye from the pants had stained the coat, its splotchy. I not sure if the stain is on the outside or if it had seeped into the puffy interior. Is there any hope of getting it out? Advise needed!
Any idea how to get permanent dark brown hair dye out of a cream fabric sofa please?
oh my God. I have bought a white blouse recently. I saw there is a yellow stain as a line on it. Seller told me it had got dirty. I do not want to return my blouse because it is really beautiful and I love that. I tried baker soda, vinegar, soup, white alcohol, to clean it, but no mentioned methods have not been suitable. does some body have any suggetion? Thank you.
Have you tried soaking the shirt in Oxi-clean? And continue that process until the stain is faded or gone? And don’t dry the shirt in the dryer that will for sure set the stain.
Hi Ruth! I have a upholstered fabric sleigh bed in Belgian linen from restoration hardware. I had a spot on the end of the bed and dabbed with vinegar warm water and dawn. I also tried peroxide and baking soda. What once was a small spot is now have a huge yellow stain across the end of the sleigh bed. Not sure what else I should try at this point! Hope you can help me out.
Hi Elle, do you know what the stain was from? That is usually the key to how to treat it. They do have a 24hr chat line. I think you should reach out to them for their suggestions-https://www.restorationhardware.com/customer-service/contact-us.jsp
Colored T-Shirts never seem to want to let go of stains. You spill one drop of food on them and it’s never coming out. Oxyclean, dawn dish soap, commercial stain removers, nothing seems to work. Help!
Keep treating the stain and just be sure not to dry the T-shirt in the dryer that for sure will cause the stain to set.
I have an old counted cross-stitch form my son’s birth 37 years ago. It has some old stains and now he wants to re- frame it and put it in his son’s room. – it looks like coffee or tea spots . I don’t want to actually wash it after treating because I am afraid it will be ruined . any suggestions ??
Good morning Norma,
You could try to spot treat it with some Oxi-clean laundry stain remover. It is like a spray gel. Spray the stains, let it sit and then try to wipe or dab clean with a cloth. Hope that helps. 🙂
Hi Ruth! My kids are always spilling juice on their clothing, so I’m going to try your method out to remove them from their clothing. One of my favorite stain removal tricks actually came from my local carpet cleaner. They told me vinegar and baking soda works really well for removing pet stains. I have 3 dogs, so I use this stain removal trick often and always tell pet owners about it!
A rubber hose at the car wash hit my husband in the back leaving black stains on his white tee shirt. I’ve tried everything from oxi clean, both spray and powdered, dry dish washer soap rubbed on wet stains and Clorox. It did dim the stains a little but still very noticeable. Any ideas?
Hi Sheryl, Some tips you might want to try is to use eucalyptus oil or tea tree oil. Apply eucalyptus oil or tea tree oil to a wash cloth and dab on rubber mark, the oil will break down the rubber trapped in the fabric. then rinse with cold water and wash but do not dry tee-shirt in dryer until stain is gone. Drying in dryer will set the stain. I hope that helps.
How can barbecue stains be removed from white table cloths. I now have them soaking in dawn dish washing liquid. If I add a little bleach to the water will that be a help?
I would suggest using a little bleach and then let them soak, then be sure to rinse in cool water and then wash, if the stain is still present repeat the process of treating the stain.
My son got some kind of a paint stain on a sports jersey any suggestion on what to use to remove it? I have used oxi powder, oxi spray and shout spray.
Thanks,
Dina
I would maybe suggest soaking the jersey in some oxi powder and then wash. Be sure not to dry the jersey in the dryer because it will set the stain.
i have a dual color hoodie and i got eyeliner on it, before i searched how to clean it i rubbed it with soap and water and it didnt work. i left it in water overnight and now its like dried into the fabric. my mom just bought the hoodie for me and i dont want it to be messed up and have to tell her, because im not supposed to wear makeup anyways. please help me figure this out. its half yellow half white, but the eyeliner got on the white part. right now the sleeve that got stained is soaking in bleach but if it doesnt work what do i do? its my favorite hoodie and its brand new so i dont want the stain to stay there
I would suggest you use an Oxi-clean stain remover spray. Spray on the stain, let it sit for about 10 minutes, then hand wash and repeat process until stain disappears. Do NOT dry hoodie in the dryer or the stain will set.
Hello Ruth, I got permanent marker on my soft material crewneck. I though t would cone off in the wash, but the black marks are still there, and are now embedded into the fabric im pretty sure. I don’t want to bleach it as it is a yellow crewneck. I have no idea what to do. What do you suggest I do?
I would suggest you soak it in Oxy-clean, just be sure not to dry it, that will for sure set the stain.
Hi Eleni. Permanent marker is alcohol based so fight fire with fire. Put an old folded towel under the stain and dab with a cotton pad soaked in rubbing alcohol followed by dabbing with paper towel to soak up the stain (DO NOT RUB STAIN) Continue this method using new cotton pad/paper towel until stain is gone. Hand wash in cold water with your regular washing detergent to remove the rest of the stain. Do not dry your crew unless the stain is completely removed. If you still see it, continue with the alcohol. It worked like a charm for me 😉
my white shirt came out with soap stains on the front of it but I use powdered soap, and I didn’t notice it till after the drier, just got it for Christmas.. how can I fix it?
You might want to try and soak it in warm water with out soap. Then do not add to dryer until the stain has diminished.
Hi my husband got a grease mark on his sweater. I tried using vanish spray then washed it as usual. It’s now got a white tidal mark aswel as the grease mark. The grease mark is fading but now I’m stuck with this other mark. Any ideas on how to get it out please as it was an expensive sweater.
I would suggest soaking the whole sweater in an oxy-clean solution, the wash and see if stain disappears. Do not dry in dryer, that will set the stain.
hello! I simply put a yellow candle wax on the fibreglass sink and a yellow ring appeared underneath shortly after. Noticed this interesting article and I thought maybe you have a solution. By the way baking soda not working. thks.
you might want to try adding some lemon juice to your baking soda and making a paste, then put it on the stain and let it sit for a couple of minutes then try to scrub clean.
I have a white couch that’s denim material (don’t know what I was thinking with an 8 year old and a small male dog that’s not fixed) please help there’s urine stains food stains and just looks dingy and what can i use if by some miracle I get every stain out and it looks bright? What can I use to prevent it from happening again? HELP
Oxi-clean has a max force product that you could try on your furniture stains, just be sure to follow the directions and you might also want to invest in a slip cover for your couch.Something that can be laundered a bit easier.
These are some great tips! I ruined a bunch of shirts with butter when I worked in the restaurant industry.
Hi Ruth. I put Cascade dishwasher liquid all over my car and left it over night and now when i try to wash it off it comes back thru and now my black mustang has white swirls all over it. How can i get this off
You might want to contact a professional car detailing shop in your area and ask them about the specifics. Since a car’s paint can be very delicate.
Hi !thanx for your great tips it would be really helpful thanx for such a nice sharing
Thank you for these helpful tips. I have a white linen jacquard bed spread that has a yellow stain and can’t seem to get it off by laundering it, and I think it stored all season like that. And separately, I have a pair of white linen pants that has grass stains on them and I treated them with a stain stick (directly on and not the way you mentioned) and left it sit for a day until it dried and then laundered and now I have yellow stains that I can’t seem to get off by laundering with bleach. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Hi Ruth, I went for a PCR test and was sitting down on a red plastic chair. Each chair was being sprayed and wiped down by sanitizer as rack occupant vacated each chair. However, on return home was seating area of my jeans had turned reddish, even though I tried a lot of stain removers, nothing seems to work, please help!
You might want to try and soak them in an Oxy-clean solution. Continue to soak until stain lessens.
I have a problem!
I had a white baby jacket with acrylic fleece.inning that had discolored stain remains. I sprayed ocyclean. And after it dried, I did not rinse it out but put vinegar on it and set it in the sun! It turned light brown ! I used baking soda, dish soap and peroxide mixture and that lightened but more removed. Help! What can I do?
You could try soaking the jacket again in the oxy-clean mixture.
My outdoor patio cushions have bad stains.How can I possibly get them clean?
I would try to spot clean the cushions with an Oxy-clean solution and also leaving them in the sun. You might need to do this several times.
I had white latex paint on me, in large quantities, and Purell advanced hand sanitizer took the dried paint off in seconds. All that I did was rub it on the paint and it came off instantly. Then wiped it off with a cloth
A trick for me is to use soap.. Like, soap for showers but not the liquid one, the hard kind. It actually works like a charm
appreciate your suggestions here. 🙂 But is there any way to remove pastel oils from a load of laundry?? Everything has streaks of red through it! (email provided all in lower case).
That is a tough one Maureen!
Use ice cubes to chill the oil pastel making it easier to scrape away. Saturate a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol and blot the stained area. If stain persists, rub liquid dish soap into the stain and wash as normal. Repeat as needed.
I washed my comforter in the washing machine then dried it knowing I probably shouldn’t, it now has a brown stain on it? I’ve tried oxy stain remover and an oxy spot remover with no luck. Is there anything I can do?