Every stain has a weakness. The key is knowing what type of stain you're dealing with and treating it before it sets. Here's how to handle the 10 most common laundry stains.
1. Coffee and Tea
Flush with cold water from the back of the stain immediately. Apply white vinegar or a mix of dish soap and hydrogen peroxide. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then wash normally. Never use hot water first — it sets the tannins permanently.
2. Red Wine
Blot (don't rub) with a clean cloth. Cover the stain with salt to absorb the liquid, then apply club soda or a paste of baking soda and water. Wash in cold water. Speed is everything with red wine.
3. Grease and Oil
Sprinkle cornstarch or baking soda on the stain and let it sit 15–30 minutes to absorb the oil. Brush it off, then apply dish soap directly. Work it in with your fingers and let it sit 10 minutes before washing in the hottest water safe for the fabric.
4. Blood
Always use cold water — hot water cooks the proteins and sets the stain permanently. Soak in cold water with salt, then apply hydrogen peroxide directly to the stain. For dried blood, soak in cold water with enzyme-based detergent for several hours before washing.
5. Grass
Apply rubbing alcohol or white vinegar directly to the stain. Let it sit 15 minutes, then scrub gently with an old toothbrush. Wash normally. Pre-treating with enzyme-based detergent also works well.
6. Ink
Place the stained area face-down on a paper towel. Apply rubbing alcohol to the back of the stain so it pushes through onto the paper towel. Replace the paper towel as it absorbs ink. Repeat until the stain is gone, then wash.
7. Sweat and Deodorant Yellowing
Mix equal parts baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and water into a paste. Apply to the yellowed area, let sit 30 minutes, then wash. For white shirts, a 30-minute soak in OxiClean before washing works well.
8. Chocolate
Scrape off any excess. Flush with cold water from the back of the fabric. Apply dish soap or laundry pre-treatment, let sit 5 minutes, then wash in warm water. Don't use hot water until the stain is fully out.
9. Tomato Sauce
Remove excess sauce without spreading it. Run cold water through the back of the stain. Apply white vinegar, then dish soap. Let it sit 10 minutes and wash in cold water. For white fabrics, sunlight acts as a natural bleaching agent on tomato stains.
10. Mud
This one is counterintuitive: let it dry completely first. Once dry, brush off the dried mud, then pre-treat with liquid detergent. Wash normally. Trying to clean wet mud just spreads it deeper into the fabric.
General Stain Rules
- Treat stains as soon as possible — the longer you wait, the harder they are to remove
- Always blot, never rub — rubbing pushes the stain deeper into the fibers
- Test any treatment on a hidden area of the fabric first
- When in doubt, cold water is safer than hot
- Don't put stained items in the dryer — heat sets most stains permanently
If you've got a stain you can't handle, bring it in to our wash and fold service. Our team deals with tough stains every day and knows the right treatment for each fabric. Drop off anytime — we're open 24/7 at 88 Bridge St in East Windsor.
