As a dry cleaners and laundrette, we get asked how to remove stains from clothing and fabrics all. the. time. We have put together a handy guide to removing all kinds of stains from fabrics to help you at home. Remember, dry cleaning can remove most stains from fabrics so if you are in any doubt or have delicate fabrics, your best bet is to just get the stain removed professionally.
In this guide:
- How to remove blood on clothes >
- How to get oil out of clothes >
- How to remove paint from clothes >
- How to get ink out of clothes >
- How to remove mould from fabric >
- How to get wax out of fabric >
- How to remove red wine from carpet >
- How to get bleach out of clothes >
How to remove blood from clothes
- We are often asked how to get blood out of clothes and sheets. One of the first tips to mention is to never use hot water on blood stains as this will set the stain into the fabric. If you have already used hot water on the stain, the below method may still work but it may be more stubborn.
- Rinse: It pays to act quickly with blood and to get it in cold water asap. Firstly, rinse in cold water to remove any excess blood and start to break down the stain.
- Soak: You can mix a scoop of laundry detergent or oxi stain remover powder to help it along. Let it soak overnight, or for as long as possible.
- Application: Apply a stain remover spray or soap bar directly to the blood stain. You can use a normal bar of soap for this and apply it directly to the fabric. Massage the product into the stain to really work it out.
- Wash: Wash on a warm (but not hot) cycle, with a fabric-safe bleach if the blood stain is old.
- Repeat: If the blood stain persists, repeat the cycle and pre-soak for even longer. You may choose to add a spoon of ammonia to your pre-soak for old or stubborn blood stains.
How to remove oil from clothes
As with blood, it pays to act quickly to get oil or grease stains out of clothing.
- If it is a new oil spill, dab the clothing with some plain kitchen roll to soak up as much as possible.
- Apply washing up liquid to the fabric, rub it in and let it sit with the fabric for at least 10 minutes. Washing up liquid is designed to tackle oil and grease so helps to break it down. Make sure the fabric is colour safe before using to ensure colour won’t run, if not then use laundry detergent instead.
- If it’s an old oil stain, soak in warm or hot water for at least 30 minutes (as hot as the garments care label will allow). Add some oxi stain remover to help break it down.
- Wash on the hottest wash cycle the garment will be able to withstand.
- Line dry the garment. Avoid putting it in a hot tumble dryer as this could be a fire risk if any oil remains.
How to get paint out of clothes
To remove paint from clothes, we must first work out which type of paint it is. For oil-based paints (often glossier and used for doors and furniture), stain removal can be a little trickier than water-based paints (such as latex or acrylic) so its important to make sure you know what you’re dealing with.
How to remove water-based paint from clothes
- Removing any excess paint by peeling or scraping it off
- Flush the stain from the reverse of the stain with warm water to wash out the paint
- Make up a mixture of half warm water and half laundry detergent and saturate the stained area until soaked through.
- Blot the stain with a cloth or paper towel. Don’t rub it in as this could spread the paint and make it worse. Rinse and repeat until the paint is gone.
- Apply stain remover for any leftover residue or marks.
- Wash on a normal cycle for that garment, as hot as it can take.
- If the paint stain persists, take the garment to be dry cleaned as this can be very effective at removing stains.
How to remove oil-based paint from clothes
- Turn the garment inside out and lie the stained area on top of some kitchen towels.
- Blot the back of the stained area with turpentine or a paint thinner (test on an inconspicuous area of the garment first).
- Rinse with warm water
- Use washing up liquid directly on the stain and soak the garment in hot, soapy water overnight.
- Wash on your usual cycle.
- If stain persists, treat with a stain remover and wash again. Do not dry the garment until you are happy the paint stain has been removed, as this will set the stain in further if any remains.
How to get ink out of clothes
As with many stains, time is of the essence so you should try to act quickly before the ink dries and sets in.
- Blot any excess ink carefully, being careful not to rub it into the fibres.
- Test on an inconspicuous part of the garment with either hand sanitiser, rubbing alcohol or hair spray.
- Apply your chosen solvent (above) onto the ink stain – this will dilute the ink and help to break it down before it goes in the wash.
- Put the garment on its usual wash cycle.
To remove more stubborn inks such as felt tip, sharpies and permanent markers, you may need to add in an additional step. Before washing the item, soak the garment in hot water with some laundry detergent and a couple of splashes on ammonia.
How to remove mould from fabric
We’ve all been there. A wet towel left in a swimming bag or a forgotten laundry load in the washing machine. Mould on fabric is easy to remove from fabrics, just follow these simple steps:
- Check the garment label for washing instructions and maximum temperatures.
- Rub some white vinegar (diluted with water) directly onto the mould spots, or soak the garments in a bucket of water with approx 1-2 cups of white vinegar. White vinegar is famously good at removing mould and can even be thrown into your washing machine to remove any damp smells.
- Let the garment dry in the sun, if the fabrics and colours can take it. Sun is a fantastic mould-killer but only for garments not prone to fading. For items with delicate colour, pre-soak in a white vinegar solution for an hour instead.
- Wash at the hottest temperate your garment can withstand with your favourite laundry detergent. Hot water will kill mould spores.
- Hang-dry in the sun if you can and repeat the above steps if any mould persists.
Good to know…
- Bleach and hydrogen peroxide are also famously effective at killing mould, but should be avoided for coloured items. They are much harsher on fabrics and will stain coloured clothing which is why we haven’t recommended them, but they are very effective is you only have white fabrics which don’t have easy-care finishes.
- Household soap is also effective at removing mould when rubbed into the garment and rinsed out with water. Perfect if you don’t have any vinegar in the house!
How to get wax out of fabric
If you have spilled a candle and need to get wax out of your clothes, don’t worry, it’s quite an easy job!
- Wait for the wax to cool and go completely hard and then scrape off any excess with a knife, being careful not to damage the fabric.
- Lay down a paper towel and lay the garment on top, wax side down (wax touching the towel). Iron over the back of the wax stain on a low-medium heat. This will reheat and melt the wax and transfer it from the garment into the towel beneath. Refresh the paper towel if it becomes full with wax to avoid spreading the wax to other areas on your garment. Keep going until it looks as though all the wax has come out.
- If the wax has left a stain, soak the garment in warm water with an oxygen-based stain remover and laundry detergent for a few hours.
- Wash on your usual setting
- If your garment is particularly delicate, take it to a dry cleaners to be removed professionally.
How to get red wine out of carpet
Red wine can be a difficult stain to remove from fabrics, especially light-coloured carpets. Here are our top tips for removing red wine stains from carpets.
- Dab the stain immediately after the spill if you can – don’t rub as you may just rub the wine further in. Use a plain coloured kitchen roll or cloth so you don’t transfer any additional colour into the stain.
- Use either salt, or a baking soda paste to absorb the wine. Completely cover the stain with salt, or a paste made with 3 parts baking soda and 1 part water. Leave for as long as possible, allowing the salt or soda to absorb the wine from the carpet. Once it looks done, simply hoover it up.
- For any remaining stain, apply white vinegar and cold water. Spray white vinegar on the red wine stain and leave for 30-60 minutes. Use cold water to scrub and clean the stain, removing the vinegar and remaining red wine. Cold water is better than hot water due to the tannins in the wine.
How to get bleach out of clothes
We are often asked how to remove bleach stains from clothing. We have all been there – a small splash of household bleach on a pair of leggings or jeans and we are left with a white-ish mark which doesn’t seem to come out.
Can you remove bleach from fabrics? Unfortunately, not really. Bleach damages the fabric, stripping out the colour or dye. Rather than removing a bleach stain, it is a case of repairing the fabric and restoring the colour.
If you decide you want to restore the colour in the fabric, you should firstly try to remove the bleach chemical using cold water and baking soda. If you leave the bleach on the fabric too long, it will damage it beyond repair.
Rinse with cold water, and then rub a baking soda + water paste into the fabric and leave it to dry. Once you have removed the bleach, you can follow a method to dye or blend the fabric colour over the stain.
← How does it work?