I get emails regularly from you guy asking me how I get stains out of various things around the house. So I thought I’d do a stain removal tips and tricks post for you – exciting stuff here. Soap, stains, water – I’m cutting edge. 🙂
My favorite tips
First off, I use a lot of this stuff to get stains out – Oxi-clean stick. I buy it from Amazon via Subscribe and Save. When I know I need to get stains out, and I don’t want to fiddle around, I use the stick. I like to let it set overnight for maximum stain removal – and it rarely fails me. That’s a true friend.
Also, I use warm water to wash all my clothes. I know most people tell you to use cold water to save on energy costs – but I just feel like my laundry gets cleaner when I use warm water. I use hot water on towels and sheets.
A little tip I learned from Plant Therapy is to add about 8 drops of tea tree oil (antibacterial) to your towels to remove stinky smells. I also add it to any laundry that might have “the funk” from sickness or poopies…or pukies. You know what I’m talking about.
White vinegar trick
If you don’t want to add tea tree oil, you can use white vinegar. It’s super cheap and easy available in bulk at Sam’s Club. I pay less than $4 for TWO gallon jugs of the stuff. It’s a natural fabric softener – and it won’t create build up on your towels like fabric softener can do.
As a general rule, I just fill up the little thingy on the agitator with white vinegar. It’s about 1/2 cup…because I knew you would ask.
Harness the sun!
If you have a lingering stain that is just driving you insane in the membrane, you might want to try sun bleaching. I looooooooooooooove doing this with my cloth diaper stash.
Hang your wet clothing out in the sunlight, with the stain showing. Direct sunlight is a GREAT bleaching agent…and it’s free.
If it’s a particularly ornery stain, you might need to spray the cleanly washed stain with white vinegar and then put it out in the sunlight. It really helps fade those pesky poopy stains.
Pin Win
You know those super annoying protein stains that greet you from the attic when you take down baby clothes to re-use? Yeah, those things are the devil. I haven’t been able to get rid of ALL of them completely, but using this stain removal tip from Pinterest, I have been able to lighten the stains so the clothing is still usable.
Grease stains?!
And what about grease? It’s our nemesis…taking no prisoners and making bacon seem like the bad guy. Well, no more! Embrace bacon! And wear an apron for heaven’s sake.
But maybe you forget your apron, like me, because you’re too excited over the prospect of hot, delicious bacon. And boom! There is that nasty bacon grease on your solid pink favorite shirt. Did you know that you can remove that stain with eucalyptus oil?! It’s true! I learned about this phenomenon from Creative Christian Mama and she walks you right through it…with photos.
So, those are all my little tricks and tips. Hopefully the stain that is mocking you will be defeated with one of those bad boys. Because, ain’t nobody got time for stains that you seem to only see when you’re sitting in the church pew in front of God and everybody.
Conquer that stain, my friend! And leave any other great tips below.
Hi Stacy! You can also use white vinegar to clean carpet stains! Spray a half and half solution of vinegar and water, let is sit, and blot away. Have a blessed day.
Thanks for the tip, Joy!
Julie, Humorous Homemaking Team
Besides vinegar, baking soda and alcohol are two more powerful cleaning agents ideal for home use. Baking soda for greasy and organic stains and alcohol for synthetic color stains like paint and ink. With those in hand you can get rid of pretty much all kinds of stains.
Stacy, I can’t believe all the stuff I am learning from you on this website. You rock!
Thank you! I will definately pick up Fels Naptha. Have you ever tried clear shampoo on grease/oil stains? The oil cutting agent in it works great!
I have heard that Dawn serves the same purpose. 🙂
Have you ever used glycerine as a stain remover? I saw this on the Today show recently, but haven’t tried it. I haven’t tried the FN soap bar either, but plan to get some. I love peroxide for blood stains – it is the only thing I have found that will completely remove them (even old stains) and I haven’t had a problem with fading – but I don’t hang clothes outdoors. If the blood isn’t removed completely the first time, I reapply peroxide, let it sit and wash again until it is gone. My greatest challenge is tomato base stains – what do you recommend to remove them?
Nancy, I have gotten tomato stains out with Fels Naptha. I have not tried glycerin…..however, I think it’s sorta pricey compared to Fels Naptha. Thanks for the tip on the peroxide. I have heard that, but since it turned my clothes yellow I was afraid to try it again. 🙂
Sounds gross but spit on the blood stains. The enzymes in your saliva will break down the stain. It’s due to the stomach not being able to digest blood or something like that, it works though and that’s the main thing
I’ve read that works too!
I am in love with Fels soap! I will never use Shout again because it pretty much gets every stain out in my 6 year old son’s clothing…and if it can do that…I won’t ever go back to name brand stain remover!!! Never!! Fels had be at hello! Ha!
Thanks for this great post! I’ve been thinking about trying to make a homemade stain remover. I’ve never used the FN soap! I use Crunchy Clean’s pure oxygen to soak my diapers–love it! It is pricier, though. How do you think Awesome oxygen compares to oxiclean free? Whenever I do buy oxiclean, I always buy the free version. I just picked up some Sun oxygen from Big Lots the other day to try. I feel like using cloth diapers has taught me so much about laundry! Who would have thought! Thanks for the great post…I’m sharing!
Erin, I’m not sure. I never used it on my cloth diapers……I was a scaredy cat. 🙂 I used the sun to bleach them instead (although I still have some stains that will NOT come out). I’m also afraid of bleach.
Where did you buy the Crunchy Clean? I have never heard of it……..
I get my CC pure oxygen from Jack Be Natural (http://www.jackbenatural.com/products/Crunchy-Clean-Oxygen-Cleaner.html), but the Crunchy Clean site also sells it directly (www.crunchyclean.com). I believe Country Save and Nellie’s also both make pure oxygen. I wish I knew how to make it myself! I think it’s just powdered hydrogen peroxide?! Anyway, I use a little bit (maybe 1 Tbsp.) in every cloth diaper wash and about once/week I soak with 4 Tbsp. and detergent on hot overnight. My diapers look SO good and smell SO clean after the soaks! I also sun them if needed–or even if not needed just because I like to hang clothes out in the sun! 🙂
I don’t really use the pure oxygen on our other laundry since it’s more expensive, although it doesn’t have any additives or fillers, so supposedly you can use less of it than oxiclean, etc. and get the same results.
Sister, I’m telling you…..buy Awesome Oxygen for $1 at the Dollar Tree. You’ll be one happy lady! 🙂
Thanks for telling me about that detergent. I just bought some more cloth diapers today, so I like knowing more about cleaning them the best way possible.
Those really ARE kid sister overalls! I will have to try the vinegar technique on some things. Stick it to the man!
WOOT!