How to Remove Stubborn Stains in the Laundry

Do you wish you knew how to remove stubborn stains in the laundry without spending a lot of money on specialty removers and stain fighters? You can use a homemade stain remover that you may already have in your home.

The secret to removing stubborn stains from clothing is liquid laundry detergent. Just about any brand of liquid laundry detergent will work, even generic brands. You can use Tide, Sun, All, Cheer, Gain or any other brand. To use it as a stain remover, you will use it concentrated without any water.

Use a Liquid Laundry Detergent to Remove Stubborn Stains in the Laundry

On dry clothing, rugs that can be laundered, sheets, towels or other cloth material that can be put in the washing machine, pour on liquid laundry detergent. Do not allow the clothing or the laundry detergent to get wet. It is important that the liquid laundry detergent is used in its most concentrated form. Cover the stain completely with a generous amount of liquid detergent. You will want to make sure that the liquid laundry detergent soaks into the stain to remove it.

Let Your Clothing Set Overnight to Remove Stubborn Stains in the Laundry

Allow the stained clothing to soak in the concentrated liquid laundry detergent overnight. If it is a particularly tough stain, you may want to let it soak for two nights. Light stains may only need to set momentarily. It depends on the type of stain and the type of material. Tough stains such as grass, mud, chocolate, red wine and blood may need to soak longer, especially if they are on a cotton material. Materials such as polyester and other synthetics will not require much time soaking.

Wash in the Normal Setting for the Type of Clothing to Remove Stubborn Stains in the Laundry

After you are done soaking the stained fabric, you can put it directly into your washing machine using the normal setting for that type of material. Do not wash it on a short cycle. Use the amount of laundry detergent that you would normally use for the size of load you are washing.

Repeat if Necessary Before Drying to Remove Stubborn Stains in the Laundry

When the article of clothing is removed from the washer, check to see if the stain is gone. If it is still there, you need to allow it to dry naturally without putting it in the dryer, which can set in the stain. After it is dry, repeat the process to completely remove the stain.

Dry the Article of Clothing Only After the Stain is Gone

If the stain is gone, you can then dry it in the dryer on the setting that you normally use or dry it in the manner that you usually do, such as hanging it on the line.