Expert guide to laundry stain removers

Washing wonders

Life is messy: Oil stains, spilt coffee, beetroot falling from a burger – we've all been there. However, stains don’t have to stick around. With a few handy tips and the right household supplies and cleaning products, you’ll be able to deal with the most challenging food stains and stubborn marks.

Safety tip: Always wear the appropriate safety equipment (safety glasses, gloves, ear muffs and a mask, for example) and always follow the instructions for the product or equipment. Before using any stain removing product, always check your fabric’s instructions. If in doubt, test patch the stain remover on an inconspicuous spot (such as the seam allowance inside the garment) before using. If the item is labelled ‘dry clean only’, blot the stain, then take the garment straight to the professionals.

Jump on the stains immediately

The best general advice for shifting stains is to act fast – you want to start the process of stain removal straight away before it has time to set into the fabric. Keep a general purpose stain remover spray, stick or powder in the home. (There is a wide range of fabric cleaners and stain removal products to choose from.)

Another option is to use household ingredients. “You'll be surprised what equal parts dishwashing liquid, [cleaning] vinegar and warm water can do,” says Carmen Strong of Little Strong Home (@littlestronghome and @strongcleaningco).

Not all stains are created equal – some stubborn marks may require a repeat soaking and pretreatment to help lift the stain. Before you put the item in the dryer or on the line, check if the stain has been removed. If it’s still there, you’ll need to treat it again. Once the fabric is dry, it’s much harder to achieve a successful stain removal.

What’s best for stains: hot or cold water?

Some stains respond better to hot water, while others are better doused in cold water. First, get the stain soaking before it dries and sets. Use cold water for blood, grass and most food stains to help loosen the marks without ‘cooking’ it into the material. This also protects the fabric. Warm or hot water is better for grease, oil and sweat stains.

Remove grease marks and oil stains

“Anything greasy can usually be removed by rubbing in a grease-cutting dish soap with a toothbrush,” says Beth McGee, author of Get Your House Clean Now: The Home Cleaning Method Anyone Can Master (bethmcgeebooks.com). “Do the same on the underside of the stain where the grease settles. Let it sit for a bit to do its magic, then rinse with warm water and wash normally. Be sure to air dry rather than put in the dryer until you know the stain is gone. If it’s not, repeat the process until it is.”

If you’re looking for a specific product to target grease stains, try Mom’s Goop, which was originally released in the United States in 1949 as a hand cleaner for mechanics – so you know it’s effective at busting oily grime!

Blood stain removal

Look for a stain treatment with enzymes, which will help break down protein-based stains like blood. However, cleaning and organising expert Chantel Mila Ibbotson (@mama_mila_au) also recommends a commonly found household cleaning supply for effective blood stain removal. “For blood stains, cleaning vinegar is your best friend!” she says. “Just cover the stain in cleaning vinegar and then wash as usual.” The acetic acid in white vinegar helps break down blood stains, making them easier to wash out.

Clean sweat-stained yellow pillows

Yellow stains on pillows are far from attractive – or healthy. The yellow colour is caused by sweat and other moisture from saliva, face creams and hair oil. As sweat stains are protein-based, try treating them with oxygen bleach, the active ingredient in products like Vanish OxiAction (Napisan).

Remove tea and coffee stains

For tea and coffee stains, get straight onto it with cool water. This alone might do the trick; if not, pre-treat with a stain remover spray and wash as usual.

Get rid of red food stains

The day you wear that crisp white shirt to your next family barbecue is sure to be the day you spill on it – and there’s nothing worse than red food stains from culprits like tomato and beetroot. For both of these, pre-treat with white vinegar, which will help break down the stain. Leave for five minutes, then rinse well so the acid doesn’t damage the fabric. Wash as usual. Check before drying. If the stain is still visible, use an oxygen bleach product.

Red wine stain removal

For red wine stains, rinse in cold water, then cover with white vinegar and a dash of dishwashing soap. The vinegar will help neutralise the red and purple pigments in the wine stain. Keep blotting to help lift the stain, then rinse and wash.

Bonus uses for stain removers

Put your fail-safe laundry stain remover products to use outside the laundry with these cleaning tips.

• Use Vanish to clean grout. Mix a bucket of warm water with a scoop or two of Vanish (Napisan), spread it over the floor tiles and scrub with a grout brush. Rinse thoroughly – and be careful of the slippery floors.
• Use Mom’s Goop to clean hands. Greasy hands from a day in the workshop? Sap-coated fingers from gardening? Mom’s Goop cuts through the stickiest, most difficult-to-remove messes on skin as well as fabric. It’s non-toxic and safe to use on hands.
• Use Vanish on outdoor furniture. Vanish is great for reviving outdoor furniture that’s coated in dirt, mildew or bird poo. Add a little bit of water to Vanish to make a paste, scrub with a soft brush, then rinse thoroughly. For timber furniture, follow up with a coating of furniture oil.
• Use Mom’s Goop to get rid of gum. Not only can Mom’s Goop work gum out of fabric, you can also safely use it to remove gum from hair!
• Clean oven racks with Vanish. Put racks in the bath (with towels underneath so they don’t scratch the bath’s surface). Add a scoop or two of Vanish and warm water, then leave for an hour. Once you’re done with the soaking, remove them from the water and wipe clean with a microfibre cloth.

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Photo Credit: Getty Images, Alex Reinders