10 Laundry Stain Removal Tips

Stains on clothes are just a fact of life.  Some laundry stains are easy to remove with just a simple washing in the right temperature water with regular laundry detergent.  But some laundry stains require a little ingenuity in order to get rid of them.  By following some of these laundry stain removal tips, you can preserve the life of your clothes, without tearing your hair out!

Below are 10 laundry stain removal tips to keep your clothes looking their best.  Always spot test fabric before using chemicals to make sure that fabric is not damaged or color is not ruined.  Also be sure to check washing instructions on label.  Only try these suggestions on washable fabrics.  These laundry stain removal tips are not guaranteed to remove all stains, but should be a helpful step in the right direction.

• Grease stains – Sprinkle baby powder or corn starch over grease stain and let sit.  The powder or corn starch should absorb most of the grease.  Then launder as usual.
• Ink stains – Put rubbing alcohol on ink stain and blot before laundering.
• Blood stains – Pour hydrogen peroxide on blood stain, blot and then wash in cold water.
• Lipstick stains – Use petroleum jelly to help remove lipstick stains on clothes.
• Deodorant stains – Soak in white vinegar for about 30 minutes and then wash in hottest water possible for fabric.  Use color safe bleach, if okay for fabric.
• Perspiration stains – Soak fabric in equal parts of ammonia and water, mixed with a few drops of dishwashing soap, and let sit overnight.  Then launder as usual.
• Ring around the collar stains – Use shampoo and rub gently to remove ring around the collar stains, then launder as usual.
• Coffee stains – Soak in cold water and then dab with liquid detergent.
• Grass stains – Grass stains can be removed with white vinegar or rubbing alcohol.  Another method is to use a few drops of ammonia mixed with approx. 1 teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide.  Then launder as usual.
• Red wine stains – Pour club soda or white wine over stain and then wash in cold water.  Sprinkling salt on stain first also helps to soak up some of the wine.

One of the most important laundry stain removal tips is to remember not to dry any garment that still has a stain on it!  Once you put a stained article of clothing in the dryer, it is extremely hard to remove the stain, because the stain sets in the fabric.  In some cases, these laundry stain removal tips need to be repeated multiple times in order to successfully remove the stain and in some cases another method may need to be tried.  Please use common sense in treating certain types of fabrics and follow washing instructions on labels.