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

Line drying for white sheets, they smell lovely and the sunlight removes any stains.

Always pre soak with cold water.

Most things will come out with normal stain removers chucked in the wash if it's had a COLD water pre soak

Blood or other protein stains - always pre-wash in cold water & use soap directly onto the stain, then wash as usual and there will be no stain

Most stains (grass, red wine, food etc) come out if I use my Vanish bar on them before I put them into the machine.

Anything oily, I moisten and then put washing up liquid directly onto it, gently rub in really well and then wash as usual.

I soak in Lidl Formil Bio powder. Works on most stains and gives better results than vanish.

Soak/wash asap then dry outside.
That's usually enough for baby clothes.

If out, only serve beige food and hope they don't poo.
:)

The earlier stain removal can be the more effective.
For red wine, blackcurrant and ketchup (bright coloured stains), I soak in cold water for a while, then rub gently with detergent or bar soap, making it frothy.
Then wash as usual, and if possible, dry outside in the sunshine.

Sunlight works a treat for most stains, I find

For grubby collars on shirts (my DS10 has a big problem with this - grease and sun cream), I squirt on washing up liquid neat, them after half hour give it a scrub with a hard bristled vegetable brush. It's saved many shirts.

For oily tomato stains i use washing up liquid asap then wash as normal and hang out on the line....good as new xxx

If it's chocolate then I just throw it in the wash with some Persil 40 degrees, if it's tomato based or orange 😭 then it goes in a soaking bucket over night with boiling water, vanish. And a touch of persil and then on the line in view of sunlight if there is any out lol. And it tends to come out once dried thank god.
I've found for grease stains I squirt fairy liquid all over it and rub together or use a soft Brillo pad and rub over it, then in machine on a 40.
And for general marks on walls etc baby wipes!

Soaking in cold water

I just used to hang any tomato sauce stained tops and bibs on the line in the sunshine. Eventually the sunlight would help the stains to fade.

I don't suppose this is the 'right' answer but I always use a stain removing spray and machine wash ASAP. I always remember a recommendation from my sister ( degree in home economics) in the days of DC's explosive nappies, she advised: "Shout shifts shite."
She was right and I have remained brand loyal.

Our curtains were recently stained with that horrible magic putty stuff. Cream curtains meet dark blue putty.

Luckily there machine washable so I used rubbing alcohol (from Australia, why can't I get it here??) to get the worst off and then a bar of carbolic soap. How old fashioned! Not a mark on them now!

I bought the soap because my son white school collars can come home FILTHY. And I remember my mom using green laundry soap to clean my dads collars. You can't get it nowadays, but you can get carbolic soap. Bloody brilliant!

Vanish powder, stick, spray, Stain Devils

Or hang them in the conservatory to see if the sun will bleach it out!

I soak anything stained in salt water as soon as I notice it. If it looks bad I use Vanish on it before it goes on the wash. Line drying in the sunshine seems to help too but I’m not sure how.

Anything stained gets thrown straight in a bowl with hot water and fairy or vanish stain remover and left to soak. Throw it in the wash and 9 times out of 10 it's good as new.

I'm rubbish at stain removal. Must get a washing line sorted so I can try bleaching stains, especially now we're back to sun cream season.

Table salt on red wine stains to draw it out. And napisan works well too fot soaking

Blood stains are best removed by soaking in cold salt water. I’ve found hand sanitiser works well on biro stains.

Salt and cold water for blood. If you do this immediately, it probably won’t stain.

Get it in the wash immediately with a spread of stain remover.

I use the vanish squeezy stick - gel comes out the end and it’s got bumpy bits to rub it in with. Leave for a few mins then in the washer it goes. Works very well, and shifts whatever my kids can get splattered on their clothes!

Sunlight is good too, especially for whites. I have several south facing windows so i hang DS2s white polo shirts up in the window and the sunlight does the trick. No idea why they decided white polo shorts were a good choice for a nursery uniform!

My top tip is: to remove muddy paw prints from the kitchen floor, mix a small amount of washing detergent in hot water and mop. It works a lot quicker and easier than floor cleaner and the floor looks a lot brighter afterwards.

for many stains on carpets, I have the tip of an elderly friend of DM: just water, as hot as you can have it, with a squirt of fairy liquid, dabbed onto the stain. It's surprisingly effective, including on the many make-up related stains on my DDs pale beige carpet (another top tip, carpet your DDs room in something dark brown)