Blot wet stain of excess liquid or moisten dry/old stains with water, apply The Hate Stains Co. product and then launder as usual or rinse away soapy residue. I also suggest adding a half-cup of white vinegar or a quarter-cup of Downy Rinse & Refresh to the fabric-softener slot of your washing machine (make sure to press the fabric-softener button or the machine won’t add the product to the rinse cycle). Downy Rinse & Refresh is an acidic, super-low-pH formula that is designed to strip away gunk and minimize odor. It’s much more powerful than white vinegar and works really well on blitzing odors from synthetic fabrics. (Notably, it is not a fabric softener, even though it’s a Downy product that goes in the fabric softener slot.)

Depending on the fabric, you can also try making a paste of baking soda and water and rubbing it into the stain, letting it sit for 30 minutes before washing,” says Flores. While many other products on our list are sprays or brushes that you can apply directly to the stain, note that this is a powder so you will need a container or basin to soak your garment in.

Mainland UK

After one treatment using this product, our testers noted that both fresh and set-in grass, marker, olive oil, and chocolate syrup stains were completely removed. They were concerned that the stain may be transferred to other areas of the fabric since the formula was so sudsy. However, the product performed well and after washing the treated fabric there was no trace of the stains. It didn’t completely remove most stains on the first treatment, but it reduced the appearance of stains significantly. Follow My Parcel is an industry-changing innovation from DPD, which will give you, our customer, unparalleled levels of information and peace of mind. During testing, our testers applied grass, olive oil, marker, chocolate syrup, red wine, and makeup stains to t-shirts and circled each stain with a permanent marker. After waiting at least one minute, they followed the manufacturer’s instructions to attempt to remove each stain. Whether they’re fresh or set in, makeup stains—especially foundation—can be quite difficult to remove. For cases like these, we love Method’s Stain Remover. Our testers raved about this product, noting that it’s extremely easy to use (even for large stains) because of its built-in scrubbing brush. It performed well on the makeup stains compared to other stain removers we tested, with our testing noting that the set-in foundation was “significantly lightened” after treatment.

OxiClean is well-known for its effective cleaning power, so it’s no surprise that the brand’s Versatile Stain Remover Powder was able to completely get rid of red wine—one of the most stubborn stains—during our testing. Unlike other laundry stain removers, this oxygen-based, water-activated formula works on various types of fabrics and clothing as well as upholstery, carpet, grout, and other surfaces. Plus, it comes with a travel-size spot treatment that’s convenient to keep in the car or at the office so you can pre-treat as soon as the mess happens. While our testers thought that the price point for this laundry stain remover is on the higher side, we think this is an effective product that’s well worth the price for those looking to get rid of food and oil stains.To use, simply clean any excess mess off with a towel or cloth. Then spray the stain, rub in and wait. Finally, wipe away moisture and rinse or wash as usual. Ta-da! As the label claims, this laundry stain remover was specifically formulated for grease and oil, which makes it especially effective for mechanics, cooks, and messy eaters. We also love that this stain remover is safe to use on colorfast and machine-washable fabrics in any water temperature. When using stain removers (like this product) that need to be pre-treated, Flores recommends dampening the stain with warm water, applying the stain remover, and letting it sit for a couple of minutes before washing. This laundry stain remover received high scores across all tested categories, and the testers noted that the bar of soap made it easy to apply the stain remover in the exact stain area. They also noted it lathered well and smelled fresh and clean but didn’t have an overwhelming aroma.