Key takeaways
Treat it early, and keep it out of the dryer: Fresh stains come out more easily. The American Cleaning Institute warns that a stain that goes through the dryer is often permanent.
Cold water for protein stains: Blood, milk, mud, and other protein stains go into cold water first, because hot water can set them.
Read the care label before you bleach: Under the FTC's Care Labeling Rule, a garment that chlorine bleach would harm has to say so on its label.
Test on a hidden seam: New Mexico State University Extension advises trying any removal method on an inside seam or hem first.
Never mix removers: Rinse between products, and don't combine ammonia with chlorine bleach.
Getting stains out of clothes with what's already in the laundry room
Most everyday stains on washable clothes come out with a short list of supplies: cold water, liquid laundry detergent, a prewash stain remover, an enzyme product, and the bleach your care label allows. Speed and water temperature do most of the work. A fresh stain that never sees hot water or the dryer has the best odds.
The steps below come from the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) stain removal guide and from university extension services. Start with the general rules, since they apply to every stain, then find yours in the list.
Seven rules that apply to every stain
Act quickly. Set-in stains are harder to remove. For an older stain, Mississippi State University Extension suggests trying an enzyme product before washing.
Blot or scrape off the excess first. Lift off whatever is sitting on the surface before you add water or any product.
Check the care label. The FTC's Care Labeling Rule requires clothing labels to give regular care instructions and to warn against procedures that would cause harm, such as "No bleach" or "Only non-chlorine bleach, when needed." On a "dry clean only" garment, New Mexico State University (NMSU) Extension says to use only dry-cleaning agents.
Test on a hidden spot. NMSU Extension's stain guide says to test any removal method on an inside seam or hem before treating the visible stain.
Use cold water on protein stains. Iowa State University Extension's AnswerLine lists blood, milk, mud, baby formula, vomit, and feces as protein stains and warns that hot water first can set them.
Don't dry it until the stain is gone. Heat from the dryer or an iron can set a stain. Check the spot after washing, and if any trace is left, treat it again and let it air-dry.
Rinse between products, and never mix them. NMSU Extension singles out ammonia and chlorine bleach as a combination to avoid. Start with the gentlest method and work up.
Coffee and tea stains
Sponge the stain or soak the garment in cool water. Pretreat with a prewash stain remover, liquid laundry detergent, or a paste of powdered laundry detergent and water. Then wash it with chlorine bleach if the care label allows, or with oxygen bleach if it doesn't. For an older coffee or tea stain, the ACI suggests an enzyme product.
Grease and oil stains
Grease is a stain where hot water helps. For a light stain, pretreat with a prewash stain remover or liquid laundry detergent, then wash in the hottest water the fabric can take.
For a heavy stain, lay the garment stain-side down on clean paper towels and apply cleaning fluid to the back of the stain, swapping in fresh towels often so the grease has somewhere to go. Let it dry, rinse, and wash in the hottest water that's safe for the fabric.
Grass stains
Pretreat or soak the stain with an enzyme product. If some green is left, wash with chlorine bleach where the label allows it, or with oxygen bleach. Mississippi State University Extension adds one more option for stubborn grass stains: sponge it with rubbing alcohol diluted with two parts water, then wash in the hottest water safe for the fabric. Test the alcohol on a seam first.
Blood stains
For fresh blood, soak the item in cold water. Mississippi State University Extension suggests 30 minutes, then rubbing detergent into what's left, rinsing, and washing. Keep hot water away, since heat sets blood.
Dried blood takes more work. The ACI's method is to pretreat or soak in warm water with an enzyme product, then launder. If the stain is still there, wash it again with a bleach that's safe for the fabric.
Red wine stains
Sponge the stain with cool water, or soak the garment in cool water for about 30 minutes. Pretreat with a prewash stain remover, then wash, adding chlorine bleach if the fabric allows it. On colors or fabrics marked "No bleach," skip that step and repeat the pretreatment instead.
Sweat and yellow underarm stains
For everyday sweat stains, use a prewash stain remover or rub the spot with bar soap, then wash in the hottest water the fabric allows. If sweat has changed the fabric's color, the ACI suggests ammonia on fresh stains or white vinegar on old ones, followed by a rinse. Stubborn stains may respond to an enzyme product or oxygen bleach. Rinse out any ammonia completely before chlorine bleach goes anywhere near the garment.
Deodorant buildup is a separate problem. Pretreat light stains with liquid laundry detergent and wash. For heavy buildup, apply a prewash stain remover, let it stand five to 10 minutes, then wash with oxygen bleach.
Ink stains
For ballpoint ink, sponge the area around the stain with rubbing alcohol or cleaning fluid, then work on the stain itself. Next, lay the stain face down on clean paper towels and apply more alcohol or cleaning fluid to the back, changing the towels often as the ink transfers. Rinse well and wash.
Test the alcohol on a hidden seam first. Not every ink comes out: the ACI notes that some inks, ballpoint included, may be impossible to remove.
Makeup stains
For lipstick, foundation, and other cosmetics, pretreat with a prewash stain remover, liquid laundry detergent, or a paste of powdered detergent and water. Rubbing the spot with bar soap is another option. Then wash as usual.
For lipstick that won't budge, the ACI describes a blotting method for cloth napkins: place the stain on a couple of layers of paper towel, dampen another towel with 70% or 90% rubbing alcohol, and dab until the color transfers to the towels underneath. Long-wear formulas may need several rounds. Test the alcohol on a seam before trying this on clothing.
Frequently asked questions
Does hot water set stains?
It can set protein stains such as blood, milk, and mud, which is why Iowa State University Extension says to start those in cold water. Grease and everyday sweat stains are different: for those, the ACI recommends the hottest water that's safe for the fabric.
Can I put a stained shirt in the dryer?
Not until the stain is completely gone. The ACI warns that a stain dried in the dryer is often permanent. Check the spot after washing, and air-dry the item if you need another round.
Is chlorine bleach safe on colored clothes?
Only if the care label allows it and the fabric passes a colorfastness test. Under the FTC's Care Labeling Rule, a label must say "No bleach" or "Only non-chlorine bleach, when needed" if chlorine bleach would cause harm. Where chlorine bleach is ruled out, the ACI's stain steps usually offer oxygen bleach instead.
What should I do with a stain on a dry-clean-only garment?
Use only dry-cleaning agents on it, as NMSU Extension advises, or take it to a dry cleaner and point out the stain. More laundry how-tos are in our Laundry guides.
