Removing stains is important because accidents happen in the blink of an eye: red wine on a white shirt, coffee on a new blouse, or grass stains on the kids’ pants after a soccer game. You can’t always get rid of stains during the wash cycle, especially when washing at lower temperatures and using eco-friendly detergent—you need a stain remover, but does it have to be a chemical product? Or are conventional household remedies enough?
Not all stains are created equal—in this article, you'll learn how to successfully tackle the most common stains using simple household items and without any chemicals.
If you see a stain: act quickly!
As a general rule, here's what helps with all kinds of stains: If you act quickly and correctly, you’ll succeed! Because the sooner a stain is treated with the right products , the less time the dirt has to set in and dry. However, it’s just as important to use the right product right from the start.
This is because rubbing the stain without thinking or using water can cause it to penetrate even deeper into the fibers.
These common types of stains can be removed with standard household products:
- Coffee Stains
- Red wine stains
- Grease and Oil Stains
- Blood, egg, and urine stains
- Deodorant and sweat stains
- Chocolate Stains
- Baby's Bowel Movements and Vomit
As a general rule, of course, you should always follow the care instructions on the garments, as special care is required, especially with delicate materials and colored or dark fabrics. Stain treatment can also cause new stains due to fading and residue left in the fibers. Especially with silk garments, you should opt for professional dry cleaning to avoid permanent damage.
But how exactly do you remove each type of stain?
Dark coffee stains on clothing or fabrics
When it comes to coffee—as with most other stains— you should act as quickly as possible. First, remove the moisture from the coffee stain—it’s best to blot the stain with some paper towels. Then, wash out the coffee stain by hand with warm water. If the coffee contained milk, you should use an eco-friendly detergent, such as ¼ laundry strip from bluu.
If you're on the go and don't have any paper towels handy, or if you don't notice the stain until the next day, the best thing to do is sprinkle some baking soda on the spot and let it sit overnight, then rinse it out with cold water and wash it in the next load in the washing machine using your eco-friendly detergent.
Red wine stains on clothing or a tablecloth
Does anyone have a great tip for red wine stains ? Sprinkle salt on them! In fact, salt generally draws out the liquid, so the stain won’t spread any further, but there’s also a downside: on non-white fabric , this method can easily cause discoloration and leave new stains. Especially with dark or colorful fabrics, it’s therefore recommended to use carbonated mineral water (such as as strongly carbonated as possible as possible) onto the fresh red wine stain and let it sit for about 10 minutes before washing it in the washing machine.
If you're at home and have white wine vinegar on hand: soak a colorfast cloth in white wine vinegar and gently dab the stained area with it. Then wash the garment in the washing machine.
Grease and Oil Stains
Just as with red wine, the same applies to grease or oil stains .
Drizzle the mineral water Drizzle it onto the grease or oil stains and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Then wash it in the washing machine.
Older and dried-on stains are best treated with our stain-removing soap:Moisten the stainwith water, gently rub in the stain-removing soap, and let it sit for a few minutes. Wash in the washing machine or by hand using bluu laundry strips, following the fabric care instructions.
Blood, egg, and urine stains
The most important thing to look for in blood, egg, and urine stains: : only cold water—never use warm or hot water. This is because at temperatures of 40° C or higher, the protein in blood, eggs, or urine coagulates and penetrates even deeper into the fabric fibers.
With cold water, the stains can usually be washed out by hand relatively easily.
If that doesn't work, it's worth trying the miracle cure: baking soda : gently rub it into the stain, let it sit overnight, and rinse with cold water. Then wash the item in the washing machine.
Brown chocolate stains
Chocolate stains can be be removed . Just as with red wine or grease stains, carbonated mineral water works well on fresh chocolate stains. Drizzle mineral water onto the chocolate stain and let it soak for about 10 minutes, then wash as usual in the washing machine.
If the stain is older and more stubborn, you can pre-treat it with our stain-removing soap; let it soak for about 10 minutes, rinse it by hand, and then wash the garment in the washing machine.
Deodorant Stains and Sweat Stains on T-Shirts
Annoying deodorant stains and sweat stains on T-shirts—we’re all familiar with them. These can usually easily washed out with lukewarm water; for yellowish stains, we can also turn to common household remedies; depending on how stubborn the stain is, there are various options.
Citric acid works very well on white clothing. You can soak the clothes in a mixture of citric acid and water (3 tablespoons of citric acid is enough) for an extended period of time, preferably overnight. Then wash the clothes in the washing machine. Caution: Citric acid may cause colored or dark fabrics to fade.
For colored or dark laundry with deodorant or sweat stains, we recommend something else: Vinegar or vinegar essence. To do this, soak the garments in a vinegar-water mixture (in a 1:4 ratio) for an extended period of time, preferably overnight. Then rinse them out and wash them in the washing machine as usual.
Particularly stubborn sweat stains or deodorant stains can also be removed with baking soda, but special care is needed with colored and dark laundry. Here’s how it works: First, mix a packet of baking soda with water to form a paste. Apply this paste directly to the deodorant stains on the clothing and let it sit for about 15 minutes before washing the clothes in the washing machine on your usual cycle.
Baby's Stool or Vomit
For stains from baby stool or vomit, it helps to thoroughly with cold water, rub any remaining residue with curd soap (or, alternatively, a mixture of water and vinegar), then rinse and, if possible, let them dry in the sun. Afterward, wash the clothes in the washing machine.
Important: To prevent allergic reactions on a baby’s delicate skin, it’s best to use as few chemicals as possible and opt for mild, eco-friendly laundry detergents such as the “Unscented” laundry strips from bluu .
Stubborn wax stains and wax residue
Here's something else that everyone is familiar with and that isn't quite so easy to remove: wax stains or wax residue. For wax stains, , cold works best—just put the fabric in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, after which the frozen wax should peel off the surface. What usually remains is a visible stain. That’s when you’ll need an iron and some blotting paper. Simply place the blotting paper on the wax stain and iron over it with the iron set to a low to medium heat setting. This melts the wax in the fabric fibers, and the blotting paper absorbs the wax. Once no wax is visible, finish by washing the garment in the washing machine.
Our Conclusion
Stubborn stains can be quite annoying, but they don’t have to drive you to despair. In most cases, common household products are more than enough to effectively tackle and remove all kinds of stains. It’s important to act as quickly as possible and avoid making certain mistakes. Chemical stain removers should only be used in exceptional cases, as they are generally not biodegradable and place a heavy burden on wastewater treatment systems.
