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

If I spill anything on any clothing I try and pop it into cold water to soak so that the stain doesn't set.
Then use a bog-standard spray stain remover before washing.

Hairspray brings out pen.
Milk for blood stains.

I agree with other posters that line drying in the sunshine works wonders.

Straight in the washing machine if possible! Sunlight is a miracle cure for so many stains especially tomato pasta sauce!

I soak and / or use special stain removing solutions. They don't always work though so I end up just chucking / recycling the item of clothing

depending on the quantity of the stain depends how I tackle it, but my go to remedies - blood - salted water overnight, grass - hair spray and a toothbrush, candle wax - a warm iron over brown paper covering the wax. After the treatments pop into my machine with a spoonful of vanish, I find that if there is a 'shadow' of the stain left if hung on the washing line in bright sunlight - the UV rays will fade away the rest.

Sunlight soap. Scrub onto the stain. Leave in a light or sunny place.. then wait. And wash afterwards! Same can be done with vanish..

I always resort to asking my mum or Mumsnet and then my newly acquired knowledge goes as soon as the stain is gone. You know it would be really handy to have some tips on the back of a detergent box for those of us like me whose household skills are not top notch.

Getting to treat the stain before it sets. I always make a paste of oxy stain remover and rub it in pre-wash. Then wash, but I e leaner not too hot. Then put out on the line if sunny.

before it even goes near the washing machine a good dollop of fabric detergent rubbed in helps - usually with cold water. And don;t give up either - some stains didn't come out first time but fade over time.

On cotton colours, to remove grease, I use a very hot iron and brown paper bags. The bags go over and under the stain and then I iron the bag. The grease should lift off the clothes to the bag. If any remains afterwards I use a little amonia on the stain.

Sunlight (actually even just daylight if it's not sunny) will remove poo stains, including new born.

Soap (in a bar) is much better for getting pen off little hands than liquid hand wash.

Vanish gold is amazing! then wash and re wash!

The sun! I've never had to resort to it before but tomato pasta sauce failed to come out DS's t shirt after a soak in Biotex at the weekend so I hung it in the sun, even thought it had already been through the tumble drier, and a couple of hours later the stains were gone!

Like a previous poster, mould and banana are the only things I've never removed from DS's clothes.

I find leaving whites to dry in the sun bleached stains out of white (after they’ve been properly washed of course)

Rub baking soda onto the stain before soaking over night in cold water. Always helps!

Try to clean it asap after happening as it increases chances of success

Clean as best you can then scrub in cleaning product and don't rinse, wash as normal with maybe extra scoop of vanish in wash

If it's tomato based, don't waste your time, use clothes as messy play/decorating type clothes or cut up for cleaning rags

Blood stains (DH and DD both suffer from nosebleeds) - soak in cold salty water, cold wash in bio detergent. Usually works...

you can remove turmeric stains by dousing in ariel liquid both sides, leave overnight and hang to dry outside

I use white vinegar and it usually works well.
Sunlight really helps baby clothes as well.

I tell you what works a treat on biro marks.

Milk!

I never believed it myself until I walked to work wearing a lovely pale pink jacket - without realising there was a pen in the pocket, without a lid.

Every step I took, the pen drew a mark which went right through the fabric - so by the time I got to work it was as if someone had been scribbling all over the front of my jacket. A colleague told me to soak it in milk ... so I tried it and it worked!!

For red wine stains, I make up a solution of ordinary washing detergent in a plant spray and just spray the affected area leave it for an hour or so, and then rub the fabric gently with a nail brush, before popping in the machine for a wash cycle. Works every time.

Agree with sunlight. Also I try to let stained clothes soak as soon as it happens before it sets

Leave tomato based stains out in the sun.

For most stain I rub in neat washing up liquid leave for at least an hour overnight if possible then wash. Sunlight helps to bleach out stains.

For oil marks (we get a lot from bike chains), rubbing swarfega in with an old toothbrush shifts even the most resistant marks

Any stained clothing gets whipped off and soaked straight away (hopefully before any stains get set). For some of the tricky ones I have a range of Stain Devils products in the cupboard!