How to remove the toughest stains from clothes
Tricks that actually work for wine, grease, blood and coffee. What to do (and what not to) depending on the type of stain.
The golden rule with stains is to act fast: a fresh stain almost always comes out; a dry one rarely does. The second rule: cold water first. Hot water sets many stains, especially protein ones like blood.
Red wine
Cover it with salt or blot with paper, without rubbing. Rinse with cold water from the back. If a ring remains, hydrogen peroxide with a little soap for a few minutes, then wash.
Grease and oil
Sprinkle talc or baking soda to absorb it, remove it, and apply a few drops of dish soap onto the stain. Wash at the highest temperature the garment allows.
Blood
Cold water, never hot. Soak in cold water with salt; if it persists, hydrogen peroxide. Hot water sets it for good.
Coffee and sweat
Coffee: rinse cold and rub with soap. Sweat rings: a baking-soda-and-water paste, 30 minutes, then wash.
Period stains on sheets and clothes
Like any blood stain, it comes out with cold water and sets with heat. If it’s fresh: rinse from the back with plenty of cold water and rub with plain old soap (a bar of soap works wonders) until it disappears. If it has already dried: soak in cold water with salt for an hour, and if a shadow remains, a few drops of hydrogen peroxide straight onto the stain — you’ll see it fizz — then rinse cold. On light-coloured sheets you can repeat the process without worry; on coloured fabrics, test the hydrogen peroxide on a corner first. And remember: no tumble dryer until you’re sure it’s completely gone.
Before drying, check
The dryer’s heat sets whatever is left. Make sure the stain is gone before drying.
If you have a lot of stained laundry (the whole family’s clothes, tablecloths, large items), at Safareig (L’Escala) you wash it all in one load and at the temperature you need.
Quick recap
- Fast and cold.
- Each stain, its own trick.
- Check before drying.
Photo: MartinMerinsky · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons