Typically, cold water works great on blood, as well as food, beverages and water-based paint, while hot water works best on protein-based stains. Unfortunately, there's no golden rule to stain removal. For example, most food stains should be soaked in cold water, unless it's egg, mustard or a tomato-based product.
Protein stains such as dairy, blood, egg, glue, and white deodorant marks should always be washed in cold water. Hot water can actually cook the protein, causing it to absorb into the clothing fibres, and making it almost impossible to remove. Cold water helps lift the stain without setting it.
With an increased amount of solvents, hot water can dissolve more material than cold water. This is why hot water is the first choice for cleaning hard-to-wash stains such as dirt, grease, and oil. Besides that, hot water transfers heat when it comes in contact with anything.
Removing stains
Hot water may be best for disinfecting and removing bacteria, but cold water is actually more effective in removing certain kinds of stains. A cold water soak and cold wash cycle will help fight tough food, coffee, or sweat stains more effectively than hot water.
Wash the urine-stained clothes or bed sheets on the normal cycle, at the warmest wash temperature indicated on the fabric care label. Always check the instructions on the garment's care label before washing to avoid damaging items.
Wash on the usual cycle, on the hottest wash temperature indicated. Always check the instructions on the garment's care label. When the cycle is complete, unload the garments immediately. If the urine stain persists after washing, repeat the previous steps before tossing in the dryer, as drying will set the stain.
Dried stains should be cleaned professionally by a dry cleaner. Washable fabrics Rinse the stained area with cold water, then soak overnight in a solution of biological detergent. Machine-wash as normal. If the pong persists The smell can be particularly difficult to get rid of.
Start by using cold water to flush as much of the stain away as you can. After applying an enzyme detergent to the stain and letting it sit, wash the garment in hot water or the warmest setting recommended on the care tag to remove the stain.
Sponge the sweat stains with white vinegar before pretreating with an enzyme prewash stain remover like Carbona or liquid enzyme detergent like Tide. Then wash on the hottest cycle that's safe for the fabric, adding regular Clorox Bleach for especially stubborn marks.
Prepare a thick paste of salt and cold water.
Apply it onto the stain. Let it stay like about 10-20 minutes. Salt has strong dehydrating properties and will lift up the water and the blood. After the time is up use more cold water to rinse the stain.
Sponge the stained area with a dry-cleaning solvent; let it air-dry. Soak the stain in a solution of one cup of liquid laundry detergent and a few drops of ammonia (Caution: Never mix chlorine bleach and ammonia - the resulting fumes are hazardous) for at least 30 minutes. Launder using liquid laundry detergent.
Water is a non polar solvent and hence can not remove the stains.
OxiClean™ Versatile Stain Remover works in any temperature water, but best in warm to hot water. Do NOT use boiling water.
Hot water cycles, which typically run at 130°F or above, can sanitize the nasty things quite well — like vomit, feces, and urine. Hot water is also exceptional at loosening and rinsing away dirt, grass, oily stains and sweat stains.
Cold water is fine for most clothes and other items that you can safely put in the washing machine. It can remove many stains from clothing, including grass on your kid's jeans or makeup smudges on a sweater. Delicate fabrics (lace and silk) and dark, colorful fabrics actually do best in cold water.
If you've got sweat stains on colored clothes or shoes, one of your best options might be under your kitchen sink. Dawn dish soap—powerful enough to eradicate oil, but gentle enough for those baby ducks—is a highly effective stain remover. Especially for oily, grimey sweat stains.
To use hydrogen peroxide, mix a solution at a ratio of 2:1 of hydrogen peroxide and mild dish soap and use a soft brush or old toothbrush to rub it gently into the stain. Hydrogen peroxide will break up the proteins in the sweat stain and help to reduce or completely remove stains.
You'll want to use distilled white vinegar, which is affordable and easy to obtain. All you need is two tablespoons of white vinegar in one cup of water. Apply to the stain and allow it to sit for 30 minutes to an hour. Next, wash the item in cold water.
The longer a stain is left untreated, the less likely it is to be removed. When a spill first occurs, it sits on the surface of the fabric, but over time, that spill can start to react with the fabric causing the fabric to actually change colors.
It's best to allow the stain to set for at least 10 minutes before wiping it off. However, remember that the time you'll have to wait will vary. You may have to wait longer (at least 20 minutes) for a darker shade. A lighter shade may require you to wipe the stain instantly.
OxiClean has the best overall value for its ability to tackle tough, set-in stains on clothes and throughout other household areas. We think it's the best laundry stain cleaner on the market and can replace several products in the laundry room.
It's important to remember that the sooner you treat a urine stain after it occurs, especially if it's still wet, the better chance you have of eliminating the stain and odor dried and set urine can leave behind.
Products containing hydrogen peroxide can be effective on urine odors and stains. The hydrogen peroxide helps destroy the odor causing bacteria and can also help safely bleach out discolorations on hard and soft surfaces.
And Magic Erasers take off the pee stains in t-minus 30 seconds!