What are your tips for removing stains? See what Mumsnet users shared with Fairy Non Bio

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Mums(netters) know best when it comes to stain removal and that’s why Fairy Non Bio wants to hear about the stain removing secrets you have up your sleeve.

Here is what Fairy Non Bio has to say: “With the summer holidays on the horizon, we know all those BBQs with ketchup, Pimms and playing on the grass is going to give you a bit more of a challenge with your laundry. What are your quick tricks of the trade when faced with a stain?”

What’s your go-to method for removing red wine stains? Do you use the classic technique of adding white wine straight away, or is there a trick that we’re missing? Do you use kitchen staples for stain removal: perhaps vinegar or salt? Perhaps you have a method for removing tough grease stains that you swear by?

Whatever your methods are, share them on the thread below to be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher for a store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

I would just use a varnish type spray to put on before washing

Soak in Biotech first

Baking Soda in the sunshine

I swear by baking soda! It really helps removes stains and recently, helped to re-freshen and give my Birkenstocks some extra life.

Soak it straight away and don’t leave it to dry!

Vanish stain remover works every time

pre-soaking with stain remover

I usually use the Vanish powder, it works wonders! I think also you should wash it as soon as possible and not let it dry out.

Lemon juice brightens up whites then put them on the line in the natural sunlight then your whites are white again

One great tip I had is meat tenderiser for blood stains - my DS1 has a tendency for nose bleeds, and this works a treat. Hairspray works a treat on crayon, and biro marks. I will add my fairy tabs into the wash, then after 20 minutes, put my washing machine on pause - to soak the clothes in the detergent (overnight on occasions) them restart the wash in the morning and the was 99% of the time comes out clean and smelling great.

I think the most important part is getting to the stain straight away so most will wash out with soap and water.

I always try to remove the stain straight away before it sets in. I use a stain remover and a scrubbing brush. Also, when I or my DD are doing messy activities I always put old clothes on so that if a stain happens then it's no big deal.

Hairspray is great for ink stains on clothing, which helps me out no end when my teenage son comes home covered in it.

No great tips here. We just get the stain in soap and water immediately. If all else fails you can buy clothes dye instead of throwing away the clothes. This works great for white clothes. Xx

Divorce? :D

Try not to panic.
Act quickly, stains are generally easy to shift when they're fresh- it's tricky when they dry in though. As someone who has had to deal with her clumsy partner twice knocking over a full bottle of red wine on beige carpets in rented homes, I swear by that 1001 carpet mousse stuff!

Also- avoiding stains is best. When DS was going through the baby-led weaning phase there was no magic gadget or bib that kept that bugger dry and clean. So I tended just to strip him down to his nappy (it was summer, thankfully) let him 'eat' and explore to his hearts content and then just swab him down at the end. Much easier, and less washing! :D

Always get to it as soon as poss, carry a single use stain remover packet in your bag for those red wine stains ! Then soak before washing.

Line drying in the sun helps to bleach out stains.

I also use Astonish powder for removing stains. Cheap and does the job well!

I got a tip from my mum. Add a bit of washing up liquid to a stain before popping it in the machine with your normal detergent.

Washing clothes in a higher temperature (60 degrees) is effective, but it also removes the dye from clothing, so this trick only works on white fabrics. For colours, I soak in hot water immediately to avoid the stain setting in. I also scrub clothes with a stain remover before putting in the wash - this has varied success rates!

My biggest tip is to deal with them as quickly as possible. Left in, some stains are very difficult to remove. I was given a good tip for removing stains during travelling - try to get some of the travel wipes airline companies provide- they are really good for removing food and coffee marks and usually readily available. I always travel with a few in my bag

We have this stuff called Whiter wonder which works on EVERYTHING. I have no idea how it works, it's just like an innocuous white paste that looks useless but I have yet to find a mark that it won't get off my pale carpet and it works on clothes too. It's great stuff!

Baking soda and warm water helps remove a lot of things, it is also far more successful than some silly myths like pouring white wine on red!

As most people have already said, rinsing stains as soon as possible is the best advice. Cannot always be bothered to do that though, especially when it's on a duvet cover I only recently put on.. Just soaking in cold water is very effective for blood stains when you do it quickly. I've also tried white vinegar and salt in the past for various stubborn stains, but am unsure how effective they were. (Probably not very.) I do think Vanish Gold is a pretty good product in general.

Cold water and salt is my 'go to' for removing blood, also sunshine is good for fading/removing some marks from pale coloured fabrics.