Guide to Remove and Clean Up Stains

None of us wakes up in the morning and say to ourselves “I think I need to practice our stain removal skills today”. At least for me, I know that at some point in the day those skills will be put to the test.

As soon as I got married, I was introduced to the art of cleaning up my spouse’s trail of messes. Apparently, our children inherited his “Oops. I spilled it” gene.

Stain Removal Tips

Below are some basic guidelines to follow when dealing with stains.

1. The sooner you treat a stain, the better your chances of success. Try to act quickly to prevent stains from setting into the fabric.
2. When treating a stain, always blot or dab with a clean cloth or paper towel. Rubbing can spread the stain and push it deeper into the fabric.
3. Typically, when rinsing or pre-treating a stain, you will use cold water instead of hot water. Hot water can set some stains and make them more difficult to remove. But, there are exceptions to the rule that will require the use of hot water and you should only do this when specifically instructed. Just as hot water can set a stain so can heat, it’s best to avoid high temperatures, such as putting the item in the dryer, until the stain is completely removed.
4. If the garment label is intact, follow the instructions on the tag.
5. If stains happen on non-washable, dry clean only clothing and you don’t want to attempt removing the stain yourself, take these items to a local professional.
6. Using a butter knife or any other tool with a dull edge can be helpful for lifting and removing blobs of food from clothing prior to cleaning.
7. When treating colored garments, always test new stain removal methods on an inside seam for colorfastness.
8. Place a paper towel or clean towel under the stained area when working on it so it does not transfer to a clean piece of fabric.
9. Work from the outer edge of a stain in towards the middle.
10. Some stains may require multiple treatments. Be patient and repeat the stain removal process if necessary.

Removing Stains from a Variety of Fabrics

As with all stains, the quicker you can get to them, the more success you will have with removing the stain. Always blot, never rub, use absorbent materials to remove as much excess liquids as possible. Food stains may require a dull edged item (like a butter knife) to lift any blobs of food prior to stain treatment. Some items can be put in the freezer to harden, dry and be easier to scrape off.

After removing as much excess liquid or foodstuffs as possible, rinse from backside of fabric, use a clean cloth or lint-free cloth to work on the stain and absorbent materials to soak up cleaning mixtures. Rinse as needed. Move to a clean section of cloth as needed. Repeat as needed. Tough stains may require a cleaning fluid or stain remover to soak for 10 minutes or longer.

You may also want to place a clean cloth under the stain so the stain does not spread to a clean section of fabric. Some stains might not be removed completely with initial stain removal treatment and a second method may need to be used.

When finished with a stain removal treatment, launder or hand wash as usual or as manufacturer recommends on label. Do not put item in dryer until you know the stain is gone or you risk it permanently setting in.

Absorbents, Cleaning Fluids, Solvents O My

Have you ever wondered what an absorbent is or a cleaning fluid or cleaning solvent when mentioned in stain removal? We’ve listed some below to help with your stain removal needs.

Absorbent = Cornstarch or Talcum Powder

Acid = White Vinegar or Lemon Juice

Cleaning Fluid = Dish Soap (Dawn) or Liquid Laundry Detergent (OxiClean/Tide/Persil), Woolite

Commercial Stain Removers = Zout, OxiClean, Tide Ultra or Stain Pen, Persil, Shout, etc.

Cleaning Solvent = Hairspray, Rubbing Alcohol, Alcohol Based Hand Sanitizer, Nail Polish Remover with Acetone, Dry Clean Solvent, etc.

Stain Removal Guide

Below is a list of stains and the methods in which you can use to get some help cleaning them for different fabric types. Refer to the list above. Note: Lift is a nice way of saying removing blobs of food prior to cleaning.

Washable Wool

Alcohol Beverages and Soft Drink Stains – Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cool Water

Candy and Syrup Stains – Lift / Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid

Fruit / Berry Stains – Lift / Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cold Water / Stain Remover

Glue – Let Dry / Lift / Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid

Gravy – Lift / Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid

Ink Stain – Cleaning Solvent / Cleaning Fluid

Iodine – Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid / Stain Remover

Milk / Ice Cream – Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cool Water

Oil and Grease – Lift / Absorbent / Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid / White Vinegar

Salad Dressing – Lift / Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid

Sap / Pitch – Freeze / Lift / Cleaning Solvent (Rubbing Alcohol or Nail Polish Remover)

Tea / Coffee Stain – Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cool Water / Water and White Vinegar (50/50) / Cool Water

Tomato Juice / Ketchup – Lift / Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cool Water / Stain Remover

Fruit Juice / Wine Stains – Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cool Water

Non Washable Wool

Alcohol Beverages and Soft Drink Stains – Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cool Water

Candy and Syrup Stains – Lift / Cool Water

Fruit / Berry Stains – Lift / Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cool Water / Stain Remover

Glue – Let Dry / Lift / Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid

Gravy – Lift / Cool Water / Dry Cleaning Solvent

Ink Stain – Cleaning Solvent / Cleaning Fluid

Iodine – Cool Water / Cleaning Solvent and Water

Milk / Ice Cream – Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cool Water

Oil and Grease – Cleaning Fluid

Salad Dressing – Lift / Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid

Sap / Pitch – Dry Clean

Tea / Coffee Stain – Cool Water / Water and White Vinegar (50/50) / Cool Water

Tomato Juice / Ketchup – Lift / Cool Water / Dry Clean

Fruit Juice / Wine Stains – Dry Clean

Washable Silk

Alcohol Beverages and Soft Drink Stains – Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cool Water

Candy and Syrup Stains – Lift / Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid

Fruit / Berry Stains – Lift / Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cool Water / Stain Remover

Glue – Let Dry / Lift / Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid

Gravy – Lift / Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid

Ink Stain – Cleaning Solvent / Cleaning Fluid

Iodine – Cool Water / Cleaning Solvent and Water

Milk / Ice Cream – Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cool Water

Oil and Grease – Absorbent / Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid / White Vinegar

Salad Dressing – Lift / Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid

Sap / Pitch – Dry Clean

Tea / Coffee Stain – Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cool Water / Water and White Vinegar (50/50) / Cool Water

Tomato Juice / Ketchup – Lift / Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cool Water / Stain Remover

Fruit Juice / Wine Stains – Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cool Water

Non Washable Silk

Alcohol Beverages and Soft Drink Stains – Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cool Water

Candy and Syrup Stains – Lift / Cool Water

Fruit / Berry Stains – Lift / Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cool Water / Stain Remover

Glue – Let Dry / Lift / Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid

Gravy – Lift / Cool Water / Dry Cleaning Solvent

Ink Stain – Cleaning Solvent / Cleaning Fluid

Iodine – Cool Water / Cleaning Solvent and Water

Milk / Ice Cream – Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cool Water

Oil and Grease – Cleaning Fluid

Salad Dressing – Lift / Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid

Sap / Pitch – Dry Clean

Tea / Coffee Stain – Cool Water / Water and White Vinegar (50/50) / Cool Water

Tomato Juice / Ketchup – Lift / Cool Water / Dry Clean

Fruit Juice / Wine Stains – Dry Clean

Washable Synthetics

Alcohol Beverages and Soft Drink Stains – Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cool Water

Candy and Syrup Stains – Lift / Lukewarm Water / Cleaning Fluid

Fruit / Berry Stains – Lift / Cold Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cold Water / Stain Remover

Glue – Let Dry / Lift / Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid

Gravy – Lift / Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid

Ink Stain – Cleaning Solvent / Cleaning Fluid

Iodine – Cold Water / Cleaning Solvent and Water

Milk / Ice Cream – Cold Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cold Water

Oil and Grease – Absorbent / Lukewarm Water / Cleaning Fluid / White Vinegar

Salad Dressing – Lift / Warm Water / Cleaning Fluid

Sap / Pitch – Freeze / Lift / Cleaning Solvent (Rubbing Alcohol or Nail Polish Remover)

Tea / Coffee Stain – Cold Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cold Water / Water and White Vinegar (50/50) / Cold Water

Tomato Juice / Ketchup – Lift / Cold Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cold Water / Stain Remover

Fruit Juice / Wine Stains – Rubbing Alcohol and Cool Water (3/1 mix)

Non Washable Synthetics

Alcohol Beverages and Soft Drink Stains – Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cool Water

Candy and Syrup Stains – Lift / Warm Water

Fruit / Berry Stains – Lift / Cold Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cold Water / Stain Remover

Glue – Let Dry / Lift / Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid

Gravy – Lift / Cool Water / Dry Cleaning Solvent

Ink Stain – Cleaning Solvent / Cleaning Fluid

Iodine – Cold Water / Cleaning Solvent and Water

Milk / Ice Cream – Cold Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cold Water

Oil and Grease – Cleaning Fluid

Salad Dressing – Lift / Warm Water / Cleaning Fluid

Sap / Pitch – Dry Clean

Tea / Coffee Stain – Cold Water / Water and White Vinegar (50/50) / Cold Water

Tomato Juice / Ketchup – Lift / Cold Water / Dry Clean

Fruit Juice / Wine Stains – Dry Clean

Cotton and Linens

Alcohol Beverages and Soft Drink Stains – Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cool Water

Candy and Syrup Stains – Lift / Lukewarm Water / Cleaning Fluid / Launder

Fruit / Berry Stains – Lift / Cold Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cold Water / Stain Remover

Glue – Let Dry / Lift / Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid

Super Glue – Let Dry / Lift / Cool Water / Acetone

Gravy – Lift / Cool Water / Cleaning Fluid

Ink Stain – Cleaning Solvent / Cleaning Fluid

Iodine – Cold Water / Cleaning Fluid / Stain Remover

Milk / Ice Cream – Cold Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cold Water

Oil and Grease – Absorbent / Lukewarm Water / Cleaning Fluid / White Vinegar

Latex Paint – Lift / Warm Water / Cleaning Fluid / Warm Water

Acrylic and Oil Paint – Lift / Paint Thinner or Turpentine / Cleaning Fluid

Salad Dressing – Lift / Warm Water / Cleaning Fluid

Sap / Pitch – Freeze / Lift / Cleaning Solvent (Rubbing Alcohol or Nail Polish Remover)

Tea / Coffee Stain – Cold Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cold Water / Water and White Vinegar (50/50) / Cold Water

Tomato Juice / Ketchup – Lift / Cold Water / Cleaning Fluid / Cold Water / Stain Remover

Fruit Juice / Wine Stains – Boiling Water / Stain Remover

Kids and Kool-Aid Stains

As a child, my mother always had a cold pitcher of Kool-Aid in the refrigerator. I loved Kool-Aid, however I was not the most coordinated kid in the world and always wound up with it on my school clothes. My favorite cherry flavored drink always got splattered on my white blouse, sorry Mom. Nevertheless, my mother always found a way to get rid of the stain.

Here’s what you can do if you have kids that spill Kool-Aid on their clothes:

1. Fill a teakettle with water and boil. Carefully pour the boiling water over the backside of the stain. To keep your hands safely away from the hot water, you can place a strainer over a pot, place the stained item over the strainer then pour the water. You can also wear a pair of kitchen gloves to protect your hands and keeps kids and pets away.
2. If any stain remains, make a thin paste of OxiClean and water and apply to stain. Allow this to sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Run this through a regular wash cycle. Let air dry, if any stain remains, try hydrogen peroxide. Cover and let sit about 15 minutes, rinse, launder and only put in the dryer when you know the stain is gone.

Removing a Chocolate Stain from Clothing

Every parent (at some time or another) has experienced walking into a room only to discover your little one’s face covered in chocolate. You think to yourself this would be a great picture to send the grandparents, that is until you look down and see the chocolate stains.

Let’s begin this stain training technique as chocolate will always be on your kid’s clothes. At least until they get older.

1. Using a butter knife or something with a dull edge, scrape what chocolate you can from the garment.
2. Sprinkle the area with cornstarch or talcum powder (these are both absorbents) and work it around with your fingernail to absorb the grease from the chocolate. (Yes, chocolate has grease.)
3. Keep doing this until you are satisfied that all of the grease has been absorbed. Dump the excess powder in the trash.
4. Rinse with lukewarm water from the backside of stain.
5. Using either Dawn dish soap or a liquid laundry detergent, gently clean the area and work in with a clean toothbrush or fingertip until you’ve removed as much of the stain as possible.
6. There may still be a small stain remaining at this point. Apply rubbing alcohol to the spot and work it into the stained area with your fingernail, let sit about 10 minutes. Rinse and repeat as needed.
7. At this point, the stain should be gone. If slight discoloration remains, you can try using hydrogen peroxide, let sit about 10 minutes.
8. Make sure to check the stain is gone prior to putting the item in the dryer.

Cleaning a Mustard Stain

Oops, it was a quick lunch and we opted for the quick and easy hot dog – and what’s a hot dog without yellow mustard? I know mustard has slipped out of my hot dog a time or two and I’m sure it’s bound to happen again.

Yellow mustard contains turmeric, which, among other things, is a dye. Mustard will instantly leave a stain. As soon as you can, treat the stain.

1. Use a spatula or butter knife to lift up any solids that remain on the item. Be careful not to spread the mustard creating a larger area to clean.
2. Flush the remaining mustard from the backside of the fabric as completely as you can with cold water.
3. Mix together 1 tablespoon Dawn dish soap (that’s what I have on hand) and 2 tablespoons Hydrogen Peroxide (3%). Use the spoon to put this mixture on the stained area and work it into the stain with your fingers or a clean toothbrush. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Run the item under cold water. You should see definite signs of the stain lightening. Repeat Step 3 and 4 if necessary.
5. If you still see a slight stain after using the dish soap and hydrogen peroxide, rinse completely with cold water, pour just the hydrogen peroxide or you can try white vinegar over the stain, cover, let sit another 10 to 15 minutes then check.
6. Launder in as hot of water as the item can tolerate.

If you cannot get to the stain immediately, at the very least, remove as much as you can by blotting it with cold water. Fully clean the mustard stain when you get home.