But, you don’t have to tackle those stains in confusion.
Below is a general prescription for any mess-maker that might have stained your clothes.
Oil
It happensoil splatters from your frying pan and onto your white shirt.
The Spruce / Hilary Allison
Apply aheavy-duty laundry detergentto the stained area, and inspect the stain to see if it’s disappeared.
Launder the garment, andvoilano more oil.
Natalie Jeffcott / The Spruce
Red Wine
Don’t let a wine night ruin your favorite garment.
The Spruce / Ana Cadena
Begin by blotting the wine stain with aclean clothorpaper towel.
Soak clothing in OxiClean powder mixed with thewarmest water your fabric can handle.
Inspect the piece to see if the stain has lifted.
The Spruce / Ana-Maria Stanciu
If not, add a stain remover on top, let that sit, and launder the garment.
Lift and remove as much of the excess paint as possible carefully using a dull knife or spoon.
As quickly as possible, flush the paint from the fibers with a forceful stream of warm water.
Natalie Jeffcott / The Spruce
You may need to repeat this several times.
Then,wash the garmentas usual.
While many stains are treated the same way, others require special steps, or they can become permanent.
The Spruce / Michelle Becker
Treating stains on upholstery and carpet takes a bit more skill than just tossing a shirt in the washer.
To help you take care of stains, here’s a comprehensive list ofstain makersfrom A to Z.
To remove almost any stain, first begin by scraping solids with a dull butter knife.
The Spruce / Ana Cadena
Allow this to penetrate the stain for five to ten minutes.
Then, launder the garment as usual.
The longer a stain is left untreated, the most difficult it is to remove.
The Spruce
So yes, there may be set-in stains that will not totally be removed.
Saturate a stain with white vinegar and allow that to penetrate the stain.
Sprinkle the stain with baking soda and allow that to work its magic.
Rub this into the fabric gently and allow it to settle in for 20-30 minutes.
Some Things Just Don’t Mix: Poison Control Tips for Chemicals.Missouri Poison Center.
