It happens to almost everyone and you wonder where it came from.

Like an armchair detective, you will have to identify the stain and then treat it accordingly.

In most cases, high-quality, heavy-duty laundry detergent will solve the problem.

How to Remove Mystery Stains From Clothes

The Spruce / Ashley Nicole DeLeon

Always use the most gentlestain removal methodfirst on mystery stains.

This is especially important in shared laundry rooms and laundromats.

(Tideor Persil are rated as the best brands that contain enoughenzymes to break apart stains.)

smelling a stain to help identify it

The Spruce / Michele Lee

Work the stain remover or detergent into the stained area by rubbing with your fingers or a soft-bristled brush.

Allow the cleaner to work for at least 15 minutes.

Wash as Normal

Wash as recommended on the fabric’scare label.

allowing the garment to soak in water prior to treating

The Spruce / Michele Lee

verify the stain is gone before you toss it in the dryer.

Submerge the Garment

Place the entire garment in the solution so it is fully submerged.

Thiscomprehensive list of stain makerscould help you find the culprit.

pretreating the stain with a heavy duty detergent

The Spruce / Michele Lee

The absence of color means the dye has been bleached from the fabric.

This is most often due to splashed or spilledchlorine bleach.

In this case there is no way to remove the bleach stain.

garment in a laundry basket

The Spruce / Michele Lee

Take to a professional dry cleaning service as soon as possible.

Or, you’ve got the option to disguise the stain in a creative way.

Any stain that has set for a long time may be hard to remove.

submerging a garment into a basin of bleach solution

The Spruce / Michele Lee

The longer a stain has been left to dry, the more challenging removing it will be.

Some especially stubborn stains include red wine, oil or grease, chocolate, and yellowing from sweat.

Stains can be identified by color, shape, texture, and odor.

For example, if a stain is reddish-brown it may be dried blood.

If it’s shiny, it may be oil or grease.

The smell is always a big clue, especially for food stains.

You may notice mysterious stains after doing your laundry.

They can look like blue or white splotches or a transparent spot with a waxy consistency.

Luckily with the right technique, these can be removed as well.

The Ultimate Stain-Removal Guide.