Stain Removal Tips & Tricks

Protect your investment in washable clothing and linens by promptly and correctly treating stains. If a fabric is marked dry clean only, blot off the excess stain and take the garment to the cleaners as soon as possible. Always point out stains and spots so they can be marked for special professional cleaning. Otherwise, use our helpful tips to tackle the stain yourself.

Before doing laundry, check for stains. If you detect stains, pretreat them before washing. It's a good idea to blot rather than rub to treat a stain. Blotting draws the stain away from the fabric; rubbing pushes the stain into the fabric and damages the fiber finish and the color of the fabric.

Use a gentle rubbing motion under running water to help remove dried food, protein, or oil stains from denim-weight fabrics of cotton or cotton/polyester blends. It's best not to use terry-cloth towels or dark-color cloths when blotting stains because lint and darker colored fabric may worsen the problem.

Wash heavily stained items separately to avoid transferring stains. Don't use hot water on stains if you're not sure what caused them. Hot water can set protein stains in the fabric. As a general rule, never wash pesticide-soiled clothes with other laundry.

Check wet laundry before putting it into the dryer to see if the stain is gone. If the stain persists, don't put the item in the dryer. The heat of the dryer can make a stain permanent.

It helps to be prepared in the fight against stains. Keeping the right products on hand means you'll be ready when the toughest stain comes your way. Check out our list of must-have products.

Do you know what to do if you spill red wine on your shirt, or coffee on your pants? Browse our stain troubleshooting guide for quick fixes that will help you clean up in no time.