☕ Coffee or tea
Tannin
Flush cold water from the back. Work in liquid detergent, wait 10 minutes, then wash. For pale fabric, oxygen bleach can help.
Watch for: Avoid heat until the shadow is gone.
Stain SOS.
Tell us what it is. We’ll tell you what to do before you panic-wash it with the nearest mysterious chemical.
The first rule: blot, don’t rub. Use cold water for protein stains like blood, dairy, and eggs. And do not use the dryer until you know the stain is gone—heat turns a small problem into a permanent little memoir.
🍷 Red wine
Tannin
Blot—do not rub. Flush cold water from the back, cover with salt only as a short-term blotter, then treat with detergent and oxygen bleach if fabric allows.
Watch for: No hot water; it can set the stain.
🩸 Blood
Protein
Rinse with cold water. Rub in enzyme detergent and soak in cool water, then wash cold.
Watch for: Warm water cooks protein stains into fabric.
🍟 Grease or oil
Oil
Cover with baking soda or cornstarch for 15 minutes, brush away, then work in dish soap or liquid detergent before washing warmest safe.
Watch for: Do not put it in the dryer until it is gone.
🧈 Butter
Oil
Scrape away excess, treat with dish soap or liquid detergent, and wash at the warmest safe setting.
Watch for: Check after washing before drying.
💄 Makeup
Pigment + oil
Lift excess with tape or a spoon. Treat with micellar water or dish soap, then liquid detergent. Wash as labeled.
Watch for: Test delicate fabrics first.
💋 Lipstick
Wax + pigment
Blot, treat with dish soap or a solvent-based prewash, then wash. Repeat before drying if needed.
Watch for: Keep it off silk and wool unless the label approves the product.
👕 Deodorant marks
Mineral + oil
Rub gently with a dry microfiber cloth or nylon stocking. For buildup, use a little vinegar on washable cotton, then launder.
Watch for: Do not scrub hard on dark knits.
💛 Sweat yellowing
Protein + mineral
Soak washable whites in oxygen bleach, then wash with enzyme detergent.
Watch for: Chlorine bleach can react with residue and deepen yellowing.
🌱 Grass
Plant pigment
Work in enzyme detergent. For sturdy washable fabric, dab rubbing alcohol from the back, then wash.
Watch for: Skip alcohol on acetate, rayon, and delicate dyes.
🥾 Mud
Soil
Let it dry completely, brush off what you can, then pretreat with detergent and wash.
Watch for: Wet mud spreads when rubbed.
🍫 Chocolate
Protein + fat
Scrape, rinse cold from the back, treat with enzyme detergent, then wash.
Watch for: Warm water makes the fat portion harder to lift.
🍅 Tomato sauce
Pigment + oil
Scrape, flush cold water from the back, pretreat with detergent, then wash.
Watch for: Sunlight can gently fade a remaining mark on washable whites.
🫐 Berries
Plant pigment
Flush cold water from the back, treat with liquid detergent, then soak in oxygen bleach if safe.
Watch for: Do not use heat first.
🖊️ Ink
Dye
Place paper towels beneath. Dab—not rub—with rubbing alcohol from the outside inward; replace towels, then wash.
Watch for: Test alcohol in a hidden spot first.
🖍️ Permanent marker
Dye
Dab with rubbing alcohol on a protected work surface; follow with detergent and wash.
Watch for: Some marks are permanent—do not spread them with water.
💅 Nail polish
Lacquer
For washable sturdy fabric, use non-acetone remover after a spot test, blotting from the back.
Watch for: Never use acetone on acetate or triacetate.
🎨 Paint, water-based
Pigment
Rinse while wet with warm water from the back, then work in soap and wash.
Watch for: Once dry, it may be permanent.
🖼️ Paint, oil-based
Oil + pigment
Use the paint can’s recommended solvent in a ventilated area, spot test, then wash separately.
Watch for: Keep solvents away from flame and heat.
🕯️ Candle wax
Wax
Harden with ice, gently scrape, then sandwich between paper towels and use a low iron if fabric allows. Pretreat any dye residue.
Watch for: Check the care label before using heat.
🫧 Gum
Polymer
Harden with ice, scrape gently, then remove residue with a tiny amount of rubbing alcohol if safe. Wash.
Watch for: Do not pull while soft.
🔩 Rust
Iron oxide
Use a commercial rust remover made for fabric or lemon juice plus salt on white washable cotton, then rinse and wash.
Watch for: Never use chlorine bleach—it can worsen rust.
🫧 Mildew
Fungus
Brush outside, pretreat with detergent, and wash at the warmest safe temperature with oxygen bleach if appropriate.
Watch for: Dry fully in fresh air; address the damp source.
🐾 Urine
Protein + odor
Blot, rinse cold, soak in enzyme cleaner, then wash. Air dry to check for odor before heat.
Watch for: Avoid ammonia cleaners; they can smell similar to urine.
🤢 Vomit
Protein + acid
Remove solids with gloves, rinse cold, treat with enzyme detergent, and wash separately.
Watch for: Disinfect washable surfaces after cleanup.
☀️ Sunscreen
Oil + mineral
Treat with dish soap, then liquid detergent. Wash warmest safe and air dry to check.
Watch for: Hard-water minerals can make marks look orange.
✨ Self-tanner
Dye
Rinse cold, pretreat with detergent, and soak in oxygen bleach if fabric allows.
Watch for: Treat quickly—dyes deepen as they set.
🟡 Curry or turmeric
Strong pigment
Blot, rinse cold, pretreat with detergent, and use oxygen bleach when safe.
Watch for: Sunlight may fade a remaining yellow cast on washable whites.