Table of Content

1. First Aid

2. Household Products to Help

3. Methods For Common Stains

There is a lot of knowledge to gain about different types of stains and the various products to treat them with, but the amount of information can be daunting at first. So before diving in deep, here are four general tips we want you to always remember.

Stay Calm

Do not panic. Instead, steadily administer the right treatment with a calm mind. Even if red tomato sauce is all over your favourite shirt, it can be saved! 

Act Quick

Try to treat stains straight after they occur. It’s in your best interest to face it head–on without delay. The less time a stain has to soak in or dry up, the easier it will be to remove it.

Pre-Treat

Pre-treating is everything! Don’t just put your garment in the machine, hoping the spot will magically disappear. You considerably increase your chances by pre-treating the stain correctly. A shallow stain, resulting from a minor blow, can be pre-treated simply by putting a stain remover product (or liquid detergent) on the affected spot, and letting the product soak in. After soaking you can launder as usual. If the stain is more serious, you might want to scroll down.

Careful With Heat

Regular stains should come out in cold water, 20 up to 30 degrees Celsius. Although some stains are benefited from treating it with hot water, heat can also set a stain in the fabric deeper, so be careful with the dryer, and the iron, until the stain is removed.

Commercial stain removers work well – the pink Vanish Oxi Action spray is the one we personally use for many stains and evangelize about to anyone who will listen – but if you don't have a stain remover on hand when an unexpected disaster strikes, common household products can often unexpectedly save the day too.

Water: The first line of defense in treating stains.

Salt: Gently dab table salt on a stain, let it soak in the stain, then take the salt away.

Dish soap: Surprisingly great for fighting oil-based stains, and mostly mild enough to use on fine fabrics. 

Laundry soap bar: Pure soap (like gal soap) works very well in cutting through body soil on collars and cuffs.

Maizena: Corn starch, more commonly known as Maizena, is a common food ingredient that is often used to thicken sauces or soups. It is a great stain remover for especially bad grease stains. (Read more.) 

White vinegar: A great laundry agent that can be used to remove many type of stains. 

Oxygen bleach: Hydrogen peroxide, commonly known as oxygen bleach, is a gentle bleaching agent that removes stains, whitens and brightens laundry, and is safe for use on almost all washable whites and coloured fabrics. It works more slowly than chlorine bleach, is less corrosive and damaging to fibers, and is more environmentally friendly. 

Chlorine bleach: Chlorine bleach is a harsh stain remover and should only be used as a last resort.

Alcohol: Rubbing alcohol removes ink from fabrics and leather.

The most common hard-to-remove stains on our laundry are sweat, blood, red wine, oil, and ink. While (pretreating with) a good laundry detergent will take care of most of the dirt and grime, some stains will require more specific treatment. Take a deep dive into the most common s(p)oilers, and how to tackle them like a pro.

Dingy Whites

With time, our collars, cuffs and armpits can become yellow from wear and age. It can be tempting to reach for chlorine bleach, but remember to always try the softer and gentler oxygen bleach first! Dilute a large scoop of oxygen bleach in hot water and soak yellowed whites or lights for an hour up to overnight; then launder as usual.

Blood

Oxygen bleach (or hydrogen peroxide) is a good option for getting a blood stain out of a garment. Just remember you should first test it on the garment, to ensure it won’t cause colour loss. Dilute a large scoop of oxygen bleach in hot water and soak yellowed whites or lights for an hour up to overnight; then launder as usual.

Red wine and red fruit

With red wine, It is important you act immediately, even when you are not at home, because the red wine should not dry. Even if your household products are limited in the place where a red wine stain occurs, chances are that you’ll be able to find salt. If not, keep the stain damp until you can treat it. If salt is around, pour it generously on the stained, damp fabric. Resist the urge to scrub. The salt will absorb the wine naturally. Brush off the salt crystals to see how much of the stain is left. If it’s still there, repeat. When in close proximity to a washing machine, put a stain remover product (or liquid detergent) on the affected spot, and let the product soak in. After soaking, you launder as usual. 

Tomato sauce

We generally run cold water through the back of the stain as quickly as possible, and gently rub a liquid laundry detergent (or dish soap) onto the stain, work it in gently, wash off, and repeat, until the stain is fully gone (hold the stain up to the light to check). After you washed the stain out manually, apply a stain remover product on the affected spot, allow it to sit, and launder the garment as usual. 

Oil and Grease

If you catch a grease stain right as it happens, massage a small amount of diluted dish soap into the spot using your fingers. Try to rinse the spot out as much as you can with the soap before laundering it as usual. For especially bad grease stains, or for those that happen on materials that can’t be laundered, reach for Maizena (cornstarch). Lay the garment flat on a surface where it can stay undisturbed, and pile Maizena on the stain. After for 12 to 48 hours, brush the cornstarch away and check out the stain. It’s probably not there anymore! But if it is, and it’s lightened significantly, simply repeat the process to allow the cornstarch more absorbing time.

Ink

Ink does not necessarily benefit from immediate treatment. The problem with a fresh ink stain is that if you introduce any sort of liquid to it, there’s a risk of flooding the stain and making it spread. Rubbing in Isopropyl alcohol is great for operating on ink stains.

Odor Retention

Sometimes you need something extra to eliminate smells like mildew or body odor. Before laundering, presoak your clothing for a half hour in a 1:4 solution of vinegar and water. Add a half-to-a-full cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle of the washing machine. Line-drying the clothes outdoors helps eliminate the odor as well.