Removing stains — whether from fabrics, carpets, and even appliances — can be all sorts of frustrating. Some of the common questions that most people ask when getting them are: "How to remove old stains from clothes?" "How to remove stains on white shirt?" or "How to remove stain from colored clothes?" On a normal cleaning routine, the ever-dependable combination of soap and water can do the magical trick on removing common stains like dirt and mud. But for these 8 hardest and stubborn stains to remove, you would be needing more than that to get rid of them.
1. Hot Cocoa
Hot cocoa may be the drink that you’ve always turned to for comfort, but it can also be your worst and hardest enemy as a stain. Cocoa is made up of some of the world’s toughest stains. It is essentially made from chocolate, which by itself is already a big culprit for dark stains. Apart from this, the drink also proves to be a tough stain to remove because it has the strong combination of proteins, fat, and sugar. If you also like putting milk onto your drink, this only makes it even harder to beat. But you don’t need to ditch this classic drink out of fear! To remove it, rinse the area first with cold water. After the traces of the stains begin to disappear, you can switch to lukewarm water. To wash it off and remove the stains, try to use a mild soap or a detergent to continue breaking up the fat and sugar on the stains. To further remove it, using a hydrogen peroxide or a cleaning bleach would be your best choices.
2. Poop
Whether abruptly unleashed by your pet or kid, getting the slightest hint of poop stain can ruin any fabric or carpeting. For unsanitary and hazardous stains like this one, you would need to act fast to remove it. Prolonging your washing process for a poop stain will only worsen the odor and result in more difficult cleaning and scrubbing. For pets, you would need to treat the fabric or carpet using a pet stain solution. For humans, it is recommended to get liquid or gel-based enzyme cleaners to combat the germs that have come with the poop stains. For best results, follow the step-by-step instructions on these cleaning solutions and repeat the process until you restore the surface’s original shine.
3. Blood
Getting hit with injuries is a daily possibility that we need to always be prepared for. From cuts to grazes to unceremonious bouts of nosebleeding, you can expect to get your clothes dotted with dark red stains if any of these happen to you. The proteins found in blood and the pigments that make up for it all contribute to a difficult stain removal process such as a hot cocoa drink. However, for all the likelihood of getting these stains is also the possibility of erasing them. To clean blood stains, clean the fabric in cold water until most of the marks left by the fresh blood is removed. Afterwards, use a stain remover for clothes that is enzyme-based or baking soda to help in removing the stain. Enzymes in particular are powerful in breaking down this type of stain.
Read also: A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE ON REMOVING BLOOD STAINS FROM YOUR BED
4. Permanent Marker
It may be called a permanent marker for a reason, but this doesn’t mean that you should face defeat right away when it comes to removing its stain! As a matter of fact, you can remove these stains with the help of the right set of cleaning tools. First, cleaning it by using an ink solvent will help a lot in breaking down the stain. But in order to fully remove the pesky ink stains on your fabric, you need to brush it with a stiff and bristled cleaning brush until you can no longer see traces of any ink. Afterwards, finish and remove it by rinsing the material with clean and warm water.
Read also: HOW TO REMOVE PERMANENT MARKET STAINS
5. Tomato Sauce
Are you a huge fan of spaghetti or pizza? Then chances are you have already experienced getting your shirt or any type of clothing stained while eating these dishes. The tomato meat sauce is one of the hardest stains to remove because of the grease and oil that come along with the mix. Luckily for you, you can continue eating your favorite pepperoni pizza or Italian spaghetti as long as you know how to clean tomato sauce stains. To start, you need to soak the stained fabric in cool water. Afterwards, add in a tablespoon of white vinegar to the mix. You can also use a spot treatment solution to break and weaken the particles that come with the stain. Once you’re done with the cold water, wash it with hot water and your strongest laundry detergent to fully get rid of any greasy residue.
6. Grass Stains
Removing grass stains is another stubborn mark that needs proper cleaning. People who are into sports usually fall prey to this dirty culprit. So how do you clean grass stains? First, you need to apply a stain treatment directly to the grass stain and hand wash the fabric. You can also use diluted white vinegar to get rid of any of the stain’s residue.
7. Red Wine
Curing a wine hangover is hard but removing its stain is even harder! If you encounter wine spills over your shirt or dress or any type of clothing, there’s no reason to panic. With the help of some natural cleaning ingredients and knowing how to wash it properly, you can remove wine stains just as fast as you can down a hangover with your favorite painkiller. First you need to do is to try removing the stain with a handful of salt. Afterwards, the salt will begin absorbing the wine stain’s color, turning it into pink. Once this is noticeable, you can soak the clothing in cool water mixed with a few cups of enzyme detergent and allow it to soak overnight. However, if you find that you still aren’t able to remove the wine stain altogether, then it’s time to turn to the power of a heavy duty cleaning detergent.
Read also: HOW TO REMOVE RED WINE STAINS: A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
8. Chocolate
Whether you’re an adult or a child, chances are you love eating anything made of chocolate. That’s why it also comes as no surprise that chocolate stains are the bane of every shirt’s existence. To remove these sweet and sticky stains, start by removing any trace of excess choco stain on the fabric. When that’s done, start pre-treating the stain by using a stain detergent and then wash it. You can then use a soft-bristled toothbrush to help wash away the stain and rinse the fabric to its original clean state.
