The majority of chemical stain removers are designed to work on all kinds of stains. Finding out if it is an oily or non-oily stain is mainly to direct your immediate response. Tips for which home made stain removers work best for specific stains are highlighted in the third method.

Grease stains. Mascara. Lipstick. Foods which are rich in oil or butter.

Sweat stains. Non-oil based makeup. Foods that aren’t oily. Blood. Toothpaste. Dirt.

Some products will recommend you apply it to the edges of the stain, others at the heart of the stain. Generally, you won’t need to apply a particularly large amount for a small stain.

You can try this for oily and greasy stains, as well as normal dirt and food stains. This homemade cleaner can work on cotton, canvas and other clothing fabrics. It is not recommended to use it on silk or wool.

You are checking to be sure that the stain remover does not discolor or damage the material. This mixture should be safe for all colors, but do a spot test to check before proceeding.

Rinse it off with cold water. If necessary, repeat this for harder stains.

Place your clothes in the liquid and leave it to soak. Rinse it off, and repeat if necessary. You may find gently rubbing the affected area while it is submerged will help loosen the stain.

You can also combine it with some distilled white wine vinegar. [5] X Research source

Lemon juice and salt can work well to tackle mildew and rust stains on white clothes. [7] X Research source Adding some lemon juice to a white wash can generally refresh the clothes.

This won’t make the stain disappear, but can help it come out in a normal wash subsequently.

Dust off any excess chalk before putting the garment in the wash. Only wash it in cold water, and don’t put it in the dryer as this can cause the oil to set. [11] X Research source

Chlorine bleaches will damage colour on fabrics, but for white fabrics that is less of a problem. If you use bleach regularly in your machine washes you may find some yellowish marks appear on white clothes. [13] X Research source

After treating the stain with bleach, wash it as normal. Wear rubber gloves if you are using bleach like this.

You should NEVER mix bleach with ammonia as the reaction causes highly toxic and potentially deadly fumes. [18] X Research source Work in a well-ventilated room and wear rubber gloves if you use ammonia.

The first time you wash it after this treatment, be sure to keep the garment separate from other clothes. Concentrated ammonia can damage and stain your clothes. [20] X Research source