To remove stains quickly and easily without complications never rub a stained garment with a towel or dark coloured cloth. Towels leave lint behind and dark cloths may bleed and make the problem worse.

Most types of soap can set stains. Never rub a stain with a bar of soap.

If the stain on a garment is fresh, blot up all of the excess fluid with a paper towel or a white, absorbent cloth.

If the label reads, "dry clean only," take the garment to a professional dry cleaner within two days.

If the stain is a solid, such as mud, allow it to dry and then scrape of the excess using a dull knife.

Never use hot water on stains if you do not know what they are. Hot water will permanently set any stain that contains protein, such as blood, egg, gravy or milk.

Never rub stains on delicate clothing. Rubbing can damage the fabric and cause the stain to spread.
If you treat the stain, launder the garment and the stain remains, do not dry in the clothes dryer.

Heat will set the stain permanently. Instead, hang to dry naturally and then attempt to remove the stain again.

Never press or iron stained garments. This will also set the stain permanently, as will any other heat source.

Always treat stains before you launder a garment. Once it is laundered, it is harder to remove.
Always launder soiled garments separately to avoid stains from being deposited on other garments. Do not overload the washer. Use warm water; never cold or hot.

When treating a stain always test the item on a hidden part of the item or fabric first. Avoid using ammonia on silk and wool and always test any method or solution. Rayon, velvet, silk and some laces should be brought to a professional cleaning service.

Fresh sweat is acidic and is easy to remove by simply washing immediately. Dried on stains will alkaline forming a yellow or green stain with a hard, “crispy” texture. This can be treated with a mixture of 1tbsp of vinegar in half a cup of water, sponged onto the stain, which should restore the colour and also remove any perspiration odours.

Another good stain remover for sweat marks is fresh lemon juice or an enzyme pre-soak product rubbed into the stain before washing as usual. Do not use this on delicate fabrics like linen, silk and wool.

Remove perspiration stains with salt. Add 4bsp salt to 1ltr hot water and soak the item in the mixture for ½ hour. Wash as usual.

For more stubborn stains, try using a paste of baking soda and water which is rubbed onto the stain and allowed to sit for 15-20mins, before the garment is washed as normal. Add some baking soda to the wash cycle to remove any persistent odours. Choose a detergent which is labelled as having oxygenated powers or works on protein-based stains.

Bleach should never be used on a perspiration stain, especially on white cotton fabrics, as proteins in the sweat will react with the bleach and turn the stain even darker. Do not iron or put a stained garment in the dryer as the high temperatures will permanently set the stain, making it impossible to remove.

Some deodorants and anti-perspirants can also cause stains. Let deodorant/anti-perspirant dry thoroughly before dressing.

Deodorant and anti-pespirant stains are usually greasy and often white. The worst stains are often caused by anti-perspirants, Attack the stain as soon as possible. For washable fabrics, try rubbing with lemon juice, a spot remover or detergent and water, wash at a high temperature, do not rub dark or black fabrics.

For non-washable fabrics, or if it is delicate or expensive, then take it to a professional dry cleaners. It is best to avoid using bleach but if you decide to use it, choose a colour-safe bleach and wash in the warmest water that’s safe, according to the care label.

When washable fabric clothes are stained with perfume rinse the stain immediately in warm water and then wash as normal as soon as possible.

If the stain is older, try wetting the area and then applying some glycerine before rinsing thoroughly. You can also sponge the stain with a solution of equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water (only on white clothing). If the stain is really old, you may need to treat it with a commercial stain remover before washing as normal.

For non-washable fabrics, it is best to just sponge with warm water and then take to the dry cleaners as soon as possible.

Soak stained or smelly socks or shirts in 5ltr warm water with ¼ cup baking soda added to the washer. Soak for 30 minutes. Spin the socks, but do not rinse.

Soak mildew stains in a mixture of 1 cup milk and 1tsp vinegar. Dry clothing in the sun, then wash as usual. To remove mildew odours from clothes or towels, add 2 cups of vinegar to the wash cycle.
For ink stains, rub alcohol on the stain before washing.

To remove ink from clothing, put a cleaning towel under the clothing item. Soak the ink stain with hair spray. The ink will soak onto the cleaning towel instead.

Ball point pen stains can be removed by using hair spray. Let the hair spray dry and wash.

To remove ballpoint pen from jeans, soak the spot in a bowl of milk. The milk will turn blue, you may have to repeat it a couple of times.

Remove ink with lemon juice and cream of tartar. Put cream of tartar onto the stain and squeeze a few drops of lemon juice on top of it. Massage the mixture into the stain for a minute, brush off the powder with a clean brush, then wipe with a sponge of warm water immediately. Repeat if needed.
Moisten an ink stain with vinegar and then apply a paste of vinegar and cornstarch. Let the paste dry. Wash as usual.

Remove lipstick from clothes by rubbing with shortening. Rinse the area with club soda. Or soak the garment in milk for 30 minutes. Rinse in hot, soapy water. Wash as usual.

Tree sap, juice stains, mustard, ketchup, barbecue sauce and tar can be removed with glycerine
Remove hair dye from clothes with vinegar. Saturate the stain with vinegar, then add 2 cups vinegar to the wash cycle. Do not use bleach in this load.

Add salt to club soda and pour over wine, fruit or coffee stains. Then soak in milk and wash as usual.

Butter stains can be removed by several methods. Remove the excess as quickly as possible. Make a paste of laundry powder and water and work into the stain. Launder per care label instructions. Ammonia will also work well to clean grease stains such as butter, but be careful to insure that it is not going to bleach out the colour of a garment.

Remove grass stains by adding few drops of ammonia to 1tsp hydrogen peroxide. Rub the mixture into the stain and rinse with water when the stain is gone.

To remove grease from clothes. Empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle.

Hydrogen peroxide will remove chocolate stains.

Hydrogen peroxide bubbles blood out of clothes. Leave only for a short time as it can make the material thin in that spot.

To remove blood stains from clothes, use cold water and wash out the stain. Hot water will set the blood and it will be difficult or impossible to get out.

Corn starch can remove blood stains. Rinse the stain in cold water, then rub in moistened corn starch. Dry in the sun.

Removing chewing gum on clothes and jeans - put them into the freezer for a while and the chewing gum just breaks apart ready for you to wash them. Nail varnish remover helps remove stubborn gum.

To remove vomit from clothes treat the area with white vinegar. This will neutralise the acids in the vomit and it will also dissipate the smell. Afterwards you can use the bleach to get rid of the stain and any germs.

Dirty neck rings around shirt or blouse collars can be removed by rubbing shampoo on them. Shampoo is specifically made to remove body oils.

“Anger is a condition in which the tongue works faster than the mind.”