How to remove stains from a white garment

By Nicole

You've been SO careful all day… But during a fancy dinner with your friends you accidentally spilled some wine on your favourite white shirt or dress. What is the best thing to do now? Will it come out if you put it in the washing machine? Many stains can be removed in the washing machine. If you have a stubborn stain, such as a wine stain, you will have to do some preliminary work to ensure that the stain disappears. We will be happy to help you on your way.

Types of stains

Getting rid of a stain, especially on a white garment, requires the right approach. Which approach is right depends on the type of stain you’re faced with. Each approach requires a lot of care. You don't want part of the stain to remain or to accidentally damage the fibres of the fabric. It is also ALWAYS important to get to the spot as quickly as possible. Fresh stains are considerably easier to remove than older stains. So don't let a stain sit for too long and start cleaning immediately if possible. Keep reading to get started as soon as possible!

The most common stain: "common" food stains

You will come across this stain on a regular basis. It just happens; sometimes a piece of food just falls into your lap. First of all you need to determine what kind of stain it is: is it oil-based (like fatty butter or mayonnaise) yes or no? This has a big influence on how best to treat it. An oil-based stain should not be treated with water, whereas this would otherwise be a good idea. For both types you should remember: don’t wipe and dab up the excess dirt first.

Removing a food stain without oil-based ingredients

For a normal food stain, start by rinsing the stain. This is done by holding the garment under the tap with the stain facing downwards. This will flush out the stain from the back of the fabric. Then use your fingers to gently rub out the stain. If necessary, you can use a little (green) soap and rinse it out. If this still does not work, you can always try a stain remover for white clothing.

Removing an oil-based food stain

This type of stain requires a little more effort. For starters, you can try a stain remover. You can also make your own at home by mixing two parts of 4% hydrogen peroxide with one part liquid dishwashing detergent. Apply a generous amount to the stain, for example using a water spray bottle, and leave for 15 minutes. Rinse it out or throw the garment in the washing machine. Repeat if necessary. However, this method is not suitable for sensitive fabrics such as silk and wool.

Removing chewing gum

It seems like a nightmare: chewing gum stuck on your clothes. It's sticky, hard to get off and if it's stuck to the fibres you'll never get it out completely by hand. Place the garment with the chewing gum on it in a plastic bag in the freezer. Leave it there overnight and take it out the next morning. You can now easily scrape off the stain. If there is anything of it left, you can easily wipe it clean with a cloth soaked in a little methylated spirit or turpentine.

Red wine stain

The infamous wine stain: it absolutely sucks when it happens to you. The most important thing is not to give the stain a chance to settle in the fibres of the fabric. The first thing to do is to pat the stain dry and then immediately rinse the affected area thoroughly with cold water. Rub the fabric only gently; rubbing hard will push the wine's dyes further inside. You can then rinse the garment or wash it as normal to make sure all residue is removed.

An alternative cleaning agent is salt. Make sure you sprinkle as much as possible on the stain until it is completely covered. The stain is literally pulled out of the fibres of the garment by the solution. Then either rinse the garment in warm water or put it in the wash just to be sure.

If your garment is made of a sensitive fabric, such as silk or cashmere, we recommend you use dry shampoo. Cover the stain completely with it and leave it to work for 15 minutes. When it has dried you can easily brush the stain off.

Has the stain unfortunately been given time to soak in or is it older? Then removing the stain will take some more time. First add a tablespoon of detergent or washing powder to a bowl of warm water. Then place the stained clothing item in it and rub it gently to ensure the cleaning solution properly soaked the stain. Let it soak for an hour. Finally, rinse with cold water and wash the garment as usual.

Removing blood stains

The right pre-treatment is crucial for removing blood stains. To start with, the garment should be soaked in cold water for at least half an hour. This should dissolve most of the stain. Then throw it in the washing machine and that's it. Simple!

An old blood stain requires a bit more work, but in most cases these can also be eliminated. Again, soaking in cold water for half an hour is a must. You then wring out the worst of the water and gently rub it in with a piece of gall soap. Leave it to soak for a while and then rinse it off; now you can put it in the washing machine as usual.

Removing grease stains

Especially with heavy grease stains, from deep-frying fat for example, it is important that you take action quickly. This is because it penetrates into the fibres of the fabric very quickly. If you don't take action in time, you run the risk of permanent staining. In this case, the only remaining option is to have the garment professionally treated by a dry cleaning company.

If the stain is still new you can try the following. First of all: do not use water. It is useless and you risk making the stain bigger. Therefore, start by dabbing up as much grease from the stain as possible with, for example, a dishcloth. Dissolve a tablespoon of detergent or dish soap in a bowl of hot water and then wash the stain in the solution. The washing machine is almost unavoidable for this type of stain. This is, unless you have a massive amount of patience to rinse the garment. Finally, wash the garment at the highest possible temperature, as far as allowed by the washing instructions.

Removing dirty stains from outdoor play

Grass and mud stains are mainly known from young children playing outside. Of course, it also happens to teenagers and adults from time to time. But especially when you have young children, it is very important that you know how to get rid of these stains; after all, you have to deal with them more often. Whoever the person is, we would like to tell you the best way to remove grass and mud stains.

The best tip we can give you to remove grass stains is to use toothpaste with menthol and bleach. This will get rid of the stain in no time! Rub the toothpaste over the stain with a brush and leave it on for an hour. Rinse thoroughly with warm water and the stain will be gone in no time. For older stains it is better to use gall soap.

Next, let’s talk about the other type of stain kids’ clothing will often run into. This is, of course, mud. To get started you first wait until the mud has dried. Then you brush the stain off as much as possible. The remaining mud stains are quite easy to remove. You rinse the stain thoroughly with warm water and then gently rub the stain with a little laundry detergent. Perform this step a second time if necessary. This should then be sufficient.

Yellow sweat stain removal

This type of stain is not caused by sweat alone. It is in fact caused by the combination of sweat and deodorant. These stains can be very stubborn and therefore the washing machine is not always sufficient. To remove them, make a paste of baking soda and spread it on the stain. Then give it some time: let it soak for three hours. Then wash it out with warm water or throw the garment into the washing machine.

Removing make-up stains

The most common make-up stains, such as from mascara and lipstick, are oil-based. This means that you should not use water to treat the stain: you risk only rubbing it out and making it bigger. Furthermore, you should definitely not use a make-up remover! This can be bad for your clothing and/or spread the stain over a larger area.

It often happens when buying new clothes that unfortunately there is a foundation stain on your new garment. Sometimes you only find out when you get home and sometimes you’ve already noticed it in the shop. If you’ve ever stood there wondering if you should leave the garment in the store: that’d be a shame! Removing a foundation stain is a simple task. To remove liquid foundation you can use shaving foam: spray a little on the stain and let it soak. Leave it alone for at least five minutes (make sure it doesn’t dry out) and then rinse it out well. That still hasn't gotten rid of the stain? Then mix a little alcohol into the shaving foam and repeat the former steps.

Alternative cleaning products

There are several types of detergent to choose from when removing stains from your white clothes. Some are more effective than others against a particular type of stain and/or fabric. You can also consider whether you want to opt for an environmentally friendly solution.

We have listed the different cleaning products that we have not mentioned so far. This is always useful if you need to remove a stain quickly and do not have the other products at hand at the moment. We also inform you about environmentally conscious alternatives to chemicals.

Bleaching agent

For stubborn, small stains, you can apply a little bleach to a cotton bud. Rub it gently over the stain and leave it for a few minutes. Then rinse well. This method is not suitable for removing stains from silk and woollen clothing.

Green soap

This product is often used as a soaking agent. If you have a little more time, you can rub the garment with green soap and warm water so that the soap becomes liquid. Leave it to soak in for a few hours and then rub the stain with your fingers. Now that the product is well absorbed into the fabric, you can rinse it out and/or put it in the washing machine.

Rinse aid

Normally rinse aid is used solely for the dishwasher, but it is also a useful tool for stains. Coat the stain with rinse aid and leave it overnight. Then simply wash the garment according to the instructions on the label the next morning.

Dishwasher tablets and effervescent tablets

For new stains you can use dishwasher tablets or effervescent tablet for dentures. Simply throw your garment into the washing machine with one of these tablets. You can also try soaking your clothing overnight in a bucket of hot water with one of these tablets. Most (new) stains will easily dissolve using this method.

Natural cleaning products

Do you prefer using a eco-friendly stain removal agent? Of course, there are also plenty of organic detergents and stain removers for you to try. We have listed a number of organic alternatives that you might already have at home.

Lemon juice

A minor discolouration in your clothing can in some cases be solved with just a little lemon juice. Apply a generous amount to the stain, rub it in well and throw the garment in the washing machine. Hopefully this will be enough to make the stain disappear. If not, you now know where to find a ton of uesful alternatives to try.

Baking soda, water and white vinegar

Combine baking soda with some water or white vinegar. Make a paste of this and apply it to the stain. Leave it for a while and then rinse the garment after which you can put it in the washing machine. The stain will come out in no time.

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