How to remove 6 pesky stains with common household items

Print this recipe
Stains are part of life for those of us who wear clothes. No matter how careful we try to be, we will inevitably spill something on ourselves at some point. Fortunately, stains don't necessarily mean that you've ruined an article of clothing.
In fact, most stains are pretty easy to remove and you can get rid of them using everyday household items. So grab your favorite stained shirt or pair of pants, scour the house for the stain-removal items you need and get to work making your closet look like new.
Advertisement
1. Red wine stains
No matter what you spill it on, red wine is going to be difficult to clean up. Luckily, there's a handy chart that can help you remove the stain without too much fuss. Just make sure you start working on it immediately, as you don't want to let it set. Be sure to blot the stain versus scrubbing.
Shutterstock
2. Sweat stains (h/t One Good Thing)
There's no delicate way to say this: sweat stains are gross. And we're all subject to them at some point or another. But removing them is surprisingly easy. Just combine dish soap and hydrogen peroxide, apply the mixture to the stain and sprinkle a little baking soda over the top. Then, using a laundry brush, scrub over the stain.
3. Oil stains
Unfortunately, oil stains are difficult to remove by just tossing your shirt in with the rest of your laundry. You have to give these stains a little extra attention. Fortunately, all you really need is baking soda, dish soap, vinegar and a toothbrush. Sprinkle baking soda over the stain, let it sit for about 45 minutes, squirt on some dish soap and then scrub all of it with a vinegar-soaked toothbrush.
Shutterstock
4. Urine stains (h/t What's Up Fagans?)
If you have kids or pets who sleep on the bed, then there's a good chance you have some urine stains on your mattresses. While you won't see these stains often, they can cause a lingering odor. To remove these stains, combine 8 ounces of hydrogen peroxide, 3 tablespoons of baking soda and a drop of dish soap in a spray bottle. Spray this mixture all over the mattress and wait for the stains to start disappearing. If it leaves behind some grit from the baking soda, you can use a vacuum to get rid of that.
5. Blood stains (h/t The Krazy Coupon Lady)
Sometimes you end up with blood stains on your clothes. We won't ask why; it's probably best if we don't know where they came from. But when you do find yourself needing to wash some blood off of your clothes, you can do so with a can of Coke. Just add the soda to your normal wash cycle when you throw that article of clothing into your washing machine and the acid in the Coke will take care of the stain.
6. Makeup stains
Wearing a light-colored shirt can sometimes seem like a bad idea when you have to put it on or take it off over a face full of makeup. Unless the shirt has an incredibly wide neck, there's a good chance you're going to end up with some of your makeup on the collar of your shirt. To remove this, wipe a little shaving cream over the stain before you wash it.
Advertisement
Shutterstock
Print this recipe