Smudges, drips, drops, and smears - no matter what their source, the key to keeping them from ruining your favorite clothes is to take quick action before the stain gets a chance to dry.
For most fabrics, this means blotting up the excess or rinsing the stain with cold water (don't rub; this spreads the stain and grinds it in deeper), and then pre-treating the spot.
Summer stains are especially tough. Here's how to remove them.
1 Chewing Gum:
Rub the gummy spot with ice to harden it. Scrape away as much of the gum as possible with a dull knife. Saturate what remains with a prewash spot remover; rinse and launder as usual.
2 Chocolate:
Pretreat or prewash the garment in warm water with a laundry detergent that contains enzymes. Launder as usual.
3 Iced coffee:
Sponge with or soak in cold water. Apply a pretreating product on the blight. Wash as usual and air dry; repeat if spot remains.
4 Cosmetics:
Pretreat the spot with a prewash spot remover or a liquid laundry detergent. Wash the garment in the water temperature recommended for the fabric.
5 Crayon:
Scrape off the surface wax with a dull knife. Soak the fabric in a product containing enzymes or oxygen bleach in the hottest water safe for the fabric. Launder using the hottest water the fabric can withstand.
6 Grass:
Presoak or prewash the garment in warm water in a bucket or your washing machine (using the presoak setting) with a detergent containing enzymes. Launder as usual with chlorine bleach if it's safe for the fabric. If the cleaning instructions advise against it, use oxygen bleach instead.
7 Juice:
Soak in cold water, apply a pretreating product; launder as the label instructions recommend. Air dry; do not place in the dryer until the blight is gone.
8 Perspiration:
Deodorants, antiperspirants. Use a prewash stain remover; if the discoloration is old, apply white vinegar. Rinse, then launder using oxygen bleach in the hottest water that's safe to use with the fabric.
General Spot-Busting Tips
Be sure to follow the golden rules of safe washing: Zip zippers, snap snaps, fasten hooks and tie laces to prevent any unnecessary fabric damage.
Cold water will protect most dark or bright-colored clothing from running and minimizes shrinkage. Use cold water for lightly soiled fabrics with blood, wine or coffee stains.
Warm water minimizes color fading and wrinkling. It is best for synthetic fibers, natural and synthetic blends and moderately soiled fabrics.
Hot water should be used on sturdy fabrics with tough laundry challenges. Light and dark fabrics should be separated as hot water may cause garments to bleed. Delicate and coarse or sturdy fabrics should be separated to prevent abrasion and protect clothes from washer wear-and-tear.
