Stain removal basics: what works on coffee, wine, grease, blood and ink

TUREFF• •0

Most stains come out if you act quickly and use the right approach for the type of mess. The wrong one, usually hot water or hard scrubbing, can set a stain permanently. This guide covers the five stains people ask about most, plus the safety rules that matter more than any trick.

The rules that apply to every stain

Act fast. A fresh stain sits on the surface of the fibres. A dried one has soaked in and bonded.
Blot, do not rub. Press a clean white cloth or kitchen paper onto the stain to lift liquid out. Rubbing pushes it deeper and spreads it.
Work from the outside in so the stain does not grow into a bigger ring.
Read the care label first. Dry clean only, silk, wool and leather need gentler handling or a professional.
Test on a hidden spot, such as an inside seam, before using anything stronger than water.
Check before you dry. Tumble drying or ironing a garment that still has a faint stain will usually fix it for good. Air dry until you are sure it has gone.

Coffee and tea

Blot up as much as you can, then rinse from the back of the fabric with cool water.
Work a little washing-up liquid or laundry liquid into the mark and leave it for a few minutes.
If a brown shadow remains, a solution of one part white vinegar to two parts water, dabbed on and rinsed, often lifts it.
Then wash as normal at the temperature the label allows.

Red wine

Blot immediately. Do not pour white wine on it, as it just adds more liquid.
Cover a fresh spill on carpet or upholstery with salt or bicarbonate of soda to draw the liquid out, then vacuum once dry.
On washable fabric, rinse with cold water from the back, then work in diluted washing-up liquid.
For a persistent mark on white cotton, a little hydrogen peroxide can help, but it can bleach colours, so test first.

Grease and oil

Grease does not dissolve in water, so it needs something to absorb it and something to break it down.

Absorb first. Sprinkle cornflour, talc or bicarbonate of soda on the mark, leave it for 15 to 30 minutes, then brush it off.
Then degrease. Washing-up liquid is designed to cut grease. Work a drop in with your fingers, leave it for 10 to 15 minutes, then wash at the warmest temperature the label allows.
Butter, salad dressing and cooking oil all respond to this method.

Blood

Blood is a protein stain, and heat cooks protein into the fibres.

Always use cold water. Never hot.
Rinse from the back under the cold tap, then soak in cold water for 30 minutes or so.
Rub a little washing-up liquid or a biological laundry detergent into what remains. Biological detergents contain enzymes that break down protein.
For dried blood, a longer cold soak helps loosen it before treating.

Ink

Ballpoint ink usually responds to rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) or a hand sanitiser that contains it.
Put a folded cloth under the stain, then dab alcohol on with a cotton bud or pad. Keep moving to a clean part of the pad as the ink transfers.
Rinse and wash as normal.
Felt-tip and gel inks vary. Some are water based and rinse out with cold water and soap. Permanent marker is much harder and may need a specialist product.
Alcohol can damage some synthetic fabrics and finishes, so test first.

Safety: never mix cleaning products

This is the most important part of the guide.

Never mix bleach with ammonia. Some glass cleaners and multi-surface sprays contain ammonia. Together they release chloramine gas, which damages the lungs.
Never mix bleach with acids. Vinegar, lemon juice, limescale removers and many toilet cleaners are acidic. Mixed with bleach they release chlorine gas.
Do not use one product straight after another on the same spot. Rinse thoroughly in between.
Keep the room ventilated and wear gloves with anything stronger than washing-up liquid.
Keep products in their original containers, with the label, out of reach of children.
If you feel unwell after breathing fumes, get into fresh air straight away and seek medical advice.

When to stop

If a stain survives two careful attempts, or the item is valuable, take it to a dry cleaner and tell them what the stain is and what you have already tried. What is the stubbornest stain you have beaten, and how? Share your tips in the comments.