Follow fabric care label instructions.
For successful stain removal:
•Remove stains promptly.
•Determine the kind of stain, then follow the recommended treatment in the stain removal chart below.
•To pretreat stains, use a prewash product, liquid detergent, or a paste made from granular detergent and water.
•Use cold water on unknown stains because hot water can set stains.
•Check care label instructions for treatments to avoid on specific fabrics.
•Check for colorfastness by testing stain remover on an inside seam.
•Rinse and wash items after stain removal.
| Stain Removal |
STAIN | TREATMENT |
Adhesive tape, chewing | Apply ice. Scrape off excess. Place stain face down on paper towels. Saturate with prewash stain remover or |
gum, rubber cement | nonflammable dry cleaning fluid. |
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|
Baby formula, dairy | Use product containing enzymes to pretreat or soak stains. Soak for 30 minutes or more. Wash. |
products, egg |
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Beverages (coffee, tea, | Pretreat stain. Wash using cold water and bleach safe for fabric. |
soda, |
|
juice, alcoholic beverages) |
|
Blood | Rinse with cold water. Rub with bar soap. Or, pretreat or soak with product containing enzymes. Wash using |
| bleach safe for fabric. |
|
|
Candle wax, crayon | Scrape off surface wax. Place stain face down between paper towels. Press with warm iron until wax is |
| absorbed. Replace paper towels frequently. Treat remaining stain with prewash stain remover or nonflammable |
| dry cleaning fluid. Hand wash to remove solvent. Wash using bleach safe for fabric. |
|
|
Chocolate | Pretreat or soak in warm water using product containing enzymes. Wash using bleach safe for fabric. |
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Collar or cuff soil, cosmetics | Pretreat with prewash stain remover or rub with bar soap. |
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|
Dye transfer on white | Use packaged color remover. Wash using bleach safe for fabric. |
fabric |
|
Grass | Pretreat or soak in warm water using product containing enzymes. Wash using bleach safe for fabric. |
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|
Grease, oil, tar (butter, fats, | Scrape residue from fabric. Pretreat. Wash using hottest water safe for fabric. For heavy stains and tar, apply |
salad dressing, cooking oils, | nonflammable dry cleaning fluid to back of stain. Replace towels under stain frequently. Rinse thoroughly. Wash |
car grease, motor oils) | using hottest water safe for fabric. |
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|
Ink | Some inks may be impossible to remove. Washing may set some inks. Use prewash stain remover, denatured |
| alcohol or nonflammable dry cleaning fluid. |
|
|
Mildew, scorch | Wash with chlorine bleach if safe for fabric. Or, soak in oxygen bleach and hot water before washing. Badly |
| mildewed fabrics may be permanently damaged. |
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|
Mud | Brush off dry mud. Pretreat or soak with product containing enzymes. |
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|
Mustard, tomato | Pretreat with prewash stain remover. Wash using bleach safe for fabric. |
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Nail polish | May be impossible to remove. Place stain face down on paper towels. Apply nail polish remover to back of stain. |
| Repeat, replacing paper towels frequently. Do not use on acetate fabrics. |
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|
Paint, varnish | WATER BASED: Rinse fabric in cool water while stain is wet. Wash. Once paint is dry, it cannot be removed. OIL |
| BASED AND VARNISH: Use solvent recommended on can label. Rinse thoroughly before washing. |
|
|
Perspiration | Use prewash stain remover or rub with bar soap. Rinse. Wash using nonchlorine bleach in hottest water safe for |
| fabric. |
Rust, brown or yellow | For spots, use rust remover safe for fabric. For discoloration of an entire load, use phosphate detergent and |
discoloration | nonchlorine bleach. Do not use chlorine bleach because it may intensify discoloration. |
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|
Shoe polish | LIQUID: Pretreat with a paste of granular detergent and water. PASTE: Scrape residue from fabric. Pretreat |
| with prewash stain remover or nonflammable dry cleaning fluid. Rinse. Rub detergent into dampened area. |
| Wash using bleach safe for fabric. |
|
|
Urine, vomit, mucus, feces | Pretreat or soak in product containing enzymes. Wash using bleach safe for fabric. |
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