How to get stains out of clothes
Most stains come out if you act before the dryer: blot, never rub, and treat by type, because blood, grease, wine and sweat each need something different. Cold water for blood, a drop of dish soap worked in for grease from a pizza slice, cold water and detergent for wine, and an enzyme detergent soak for yellow sweat marks. Check the stain is gone before any heat, because the dryer sets it for good.
About 20 minutes to learnEveryday skill
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How to do it
- Dab a fresh spill with a clean cloth, working from the edge toward the middle, and never scrub.
- Check the care label, then try any treatment on a hidden seam before the stain itself.
- Run cold water through a blood stain from the wrong side of the fabric; hot water sets it.
- For grease or oil, work a drop of dish soap into the spot with your fingers, leave it ten minutes, then wash in the warmest water the label allows.
- Hold a wine, coffee or juice stain under cold running water from the wrong side, work in liquid detergent, then launder.
- For yellow underarm marks, soak the shirt in cool water with an enzyme detergent for an hour before washing.
- Let the garment air dry and look at it in daylight; treat it again if any mark is left.
Common mistakes
- Rubbing a stain hard, which spreads it and scuffs the fabric.
- Using hot water on blood, which cooks it into the fibers.
- Putting a stained garment in the dryer before the stain is gone.
- Mixing bleach with ammonia or other cleaners, which gives off toxic fumes.
Quick self-check
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Teach this to someone
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Teach: How to get stains out of clothes
What to say
Most stains come out if you act before the dryer: blot, never rub, and treat by type, because blood, grease, wine and sweat each need something different. Cold water for blood, a drop of dish soap worked in for grease from a pizza slice, cold water and detergent for wine, and an enzyme detergent soak for yellow sweat marks. Check the stain is gone before any heat, because the dryer sets it for good.
What to show, in order
- Dab a fresh spill with a clean cloth, working from the edge toward the middle, and never scrub.
- Check the care label, then try any treatment on a hidden seam before the stain itself.
- Run cold water through a blood stain from the wrong side of the fabric; hot water sets it.
- For grease or oil, work a drop of dish soap into the spot with your fingers, leave it ten minutes, then wash in the warmest water the label allows.
- Hold a wine, coffee or juice stain under cold running water from the wrong side, work in liquid detergent, then launder.
- For yellow underarm marks, soak the shirt in cool water with an enzyme detergent for an hour before washing.
- Let the garment air dry and look at it in daylight; treat it again if any mark is left.
The check question
Ask: Which water temperature for a blood stain?
Related skills
- How to do laundry (sorting, temps, labels)
- How to iron a dress shirt
- How to sew a button on a shirt
- Every skill in Clothes, Fit and Grooming
Sources
- The garment's care label, per garment. Checked September 28, 2026.
Last reviewed . First published .