1. Chlorine Bleach and Color-Safe Bleach. Diluted household bleach is one of the most effective stain removers for clothes and linens. Always check clothing labels for directions on the use of bleach.
Detergent/Stain Remover - Use these to scrub out stains before you launder clothes normally. Stain removers have special enzymes to help release stubborn stains. Rubbing Alcohol - Effective for removing inks, dyes and chemical-based stains.
OxiClean Max Force Laundry Stain Remover
OxiClean's laundry products are incredibly popular with consumers — and for good reason. This particular laundry stain remover spray from the brand effectively lightened some of our toughest stains in cold and warm water.
Apply isopropyl alcohol to the stain and blot with a clean napkin or cloth, according to Good Housekeeping. You might want to place a paper towel under the fabric to prevent the alcohol from soaking through. You should see the stain start to dissolve almost immediately.
Mix a solution of oxygen bleach and cool water (or use a product with those ingredients) and soak the entire garment for at least one hour. “Four hours are better, overnight is best,” she says. Check the stains and wash as usual.
Hydrogen Peroxide & Cream of Tartar
Ordinary hydrogen peroxide works wonders on stubborn soap scum and water stain combinations that accumulate on bathtubs and metal fixtures. For added cleaning power, make a paste using cream of tartar, a type of baking powder, and apply it to the stained area.
Use the hottest water recommended, the heavy duty cycle, a good detergent and 1/3 cup Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach. If cold water is recommended, consider increasing the temperature to at least warm or even hot.
Richardson recommends The Laundress' All-Purpose Bleach Alternative, which you can use as a pre-soak or as a laundry boost in a normal load (just follow product instructions). Other options include Nellie's Oxygen Brightener Powder or Branch Basics' Oxygen Boost, which you can find in the brand's laundry starter kit.
Mixing 1 part dish soap to 2 parts peroxide and water. Applying the mixture to the dried stains. Putting on a glove and rubbing the mixture gently onto the stain. Letting it sit overnight.
A mixture of dishwashing liquid and hydrogen peroxide is an effective homemade laundry stain remover. The dishwashing liquid contains ingredients to tackle greasy stains and the hydrogen peroxide helps remove discoloration.
Douse the stain with white vinegar, then apply a paste made of equal parts baking soda and vinegar. If this doesn't work, immerse the item overnight in a bucket of water containing a few tablespoons of detergent and vinegar. Rinse and wash the following morning.
1. Act quickly – scrape off solids with a blunt knife and blot liquids with absorbent paper. Never spot-clean any stain with hot or warm water as it can set the stain.
Unfortunately for everyone, some stains are permanent. They simply become part of the fabric. Continued attempts to remove them will cause dye loss or fabric damage, known as chafing or fraying. Many stains are removed by the dry cleaning machine and require no additional effort from the cleaner.
There are two basic approaches to removing spots and stains. You can use a stain-removal agent that interacts with the stain chemically, or you can physically loosen or remove the stain from the surface. Many stubborn stains require both chemical and physical treatment.
According to BISM, the ingredients that make up Oxiclean can cause serious injury if breathed in, swallowed, or gets in your eyes.
Hydrogen peroxide works differently than vinegar and is better at removing different types of stains. Hydrogen peroxide doesn't actually remove stains—it just makes them invisible! It breaks up strong chemical bonds in stains including ink, and in doing so it makes the stains colorless—but they're still there!
Don't use OxiClean on wool, silk, or other off-limits fabrics. OxiClean's manufacturer suggests that it should not be used on the following fabrics: wool, wool blends, silk, silk blends, leather, or on fabrics labeled dry clean only.
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.
Unfortunately you can't treat every stain immediately so sometimes they set. But OxiClean™ Max Force™ and its 5 Powerful Stain Fighters, can help you get out old stains.
Yes! Vanish is capable of removing old stains as well as new stains.
One of my favorite homemade stain removers that I've written about before (more than once!) is a simple mix of Dawn laundry soap and peroxide. I've used it several times with good success.
Use Dawn and some hot water and a cloth or sponge to get into those nooks and crannies where grime and scale tend to build up. You can also combine Dawn with vinegar for stronger cleaning power, especially when tackling hard water stains.
Try one of our alternative stain removers for dried-on, tricky marks that don't come out in a regular wash: Baking soda: make into a paste with water and scrub into stains. Leave for a few minutes then rinse. White vinegar: soak clothes in water then scrub with a solution of a equal parts baking soda and white vinegar.