How to Remove 12 Common Stains From Clothes

A dropped forkful of curry or a splash of red wine does not have to mean the end of a favourite shirt. Most stains lift cleanly if you treat them quickly and use the right method. Here is how to tackle 12 of the most common ones, plus the golden rules that apply to nearly all of them.

Five golden rules

• Act fast. A fresh stain is far easier to shift than a set one.
• Blot, never rub. Rubbing pushes the stain deeper into the fibres.
• Use cold water for protein stains such as blood, egg and sweat. Heat cooks them into the fabric.
• Test first. Dab any product on a hidden seam to check for colour loss.
• Never tumble dry a stain you can still see. The heat sets it permanently.

Food and drink

Red wine

Blot up the excess, then cover the area in salt to draw out the liquid. Rinse with cold water and dab with a little washing-up liquid before washing.

Coffee and tea

Rinse from the back of the fabric under a cold tap. Work in a drop of detergent, leave for five minutes, then wash as normal.

Tomato and curry

Scrape off the excess and rinse in cold water. Turmeric leaves a yellow tint, so dry the item in daylight, as sunlight fades it naturally.

Chocolate

Scrape off the solids, rinse the back with cold water, then rub in detergent before a normal wash.

Protein and body stains

Blood

Rinse under cold running water straight away. For dried blood, soak in cold salt water, then dab with hydrogen peroxide on white fabrics only.

Sweat and deodorant marks

Make a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water, or spray with white vinegar. Leave for 30 minutes, then wash.

Grease and oil

Cooking oil and butter

Cover with cornflour or talc to absorb the oil, brush it off, then work washing-up liquid into the mark. It cuts grease better than laundry detergent.

Make-up and lipstick

Dab with surgical spirit on a cotton pad, working from the outside in. Micellar water also lifts most foundation.

Ink, grass and mud

Ballpoint ink

Place kitchen roll under the stain and dab with surgical spirit until the ink transfers away from the fabric.

Grass

Pre-treat with a little white vinegar or biological detergent, leave for 15 minutes, then wash warm.

Mud

Let it dry fully, then brush off the loose dirt. Only then rinse and wash, as wet mud just smears.

When a stain will not budge

Some marks, especially old grease or set-in dye, need a soak in an oxygen-based stain remover overnight. If a whole wardrobe of laundry is piling up, you can book a GlowSpark cleaner to handle washing and ironing while you get on with your day.

Whatever the spill, treat it early and match the method to the stain. Ready to hand the laundry over? Book a GlowSpark cleaner from £19 an hour, or from £16 for members.