How to remove common stains: palm oil, red soil, sweat, ink and more

The rules that apply to every stain

• Act quickly. Fresh stains come out far more easily than old ones.
• Blot, do not rub. Rubbing pushes the stain deeper and spreads it.
• Test any remover on a hidden area such as an inside seam first.
• Work from the back of the fabric so the stain is pushed out, not through.
• Avoid heat until the stain is completely gone. Hot water, the sun, a dryer or an iron can set a stain permanently.
• Check the care label. Silk, wool, kente and "dry clean only" items should go to a professional.

Palm oil, stew and soup stains

Red palm oil stains are both greasy and strongly coloured, so treat the grease first and the colour second.

1. Scrape off any excess with a spoon. If the stain is still wet, sprinkle a little cornflour or baking soda on it, wait 15 minutes, then brush it off to lift some of the oil.
2. Work a few drops of liquid dishwashing soap into the stain with your fingers or a soft brush. Dish soap is made to break down grease.
3. Rinse with warm water, as warm as the care label allows.
4. Wash as normal, then check the stain before drying. If orange colour remains, repeat. On white cotton, a soak in oxygen bleach can lift the last of the colour. Do not use chlorine bleach on coloured fabrics.

Red soil, laterite dust and mud

1. Let mud dry completely, then brush or shake off as much as you can.
2. Rub liquid detergent into what remains and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Soak in cold water, then wash as normal.
4. Check before drying and repeat if needed. Red soil is rich in iron. For stubborn rust-coloured marks on white fabric, use a rust remover made for laundry and avoid chlorine bleach, which can make iron stains darker.

Sweat and yellow underarm stains

1. Make a paste of baking soda and a little water, or use a mix of white vinegar and water.
2. Rub it into the stain and leave it for 30 minutes to an hour.
3. Wash in the warmest water the care label allows.
4. Avoid chlorine bleach on sweat stains. It can react with the proteins in sweat and make the yellowing worse.

Ballpoint pen ink

1. Put a clean cloth or paper towel under the stain.
2. Dab the ink with rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball. Keep moving to a clean part of the cotton as the ink lifts.
3. Rinse, apply a little liquid detergent, then wash as normal.
4. Test the alcohol on a hidden area first, and do not use it on acetate or triacetate fabrics.

Blood

1. Rinse from the back with cold water as soon as possible. Never use hot water, which cooks the protein into the fabric.
2. Soak in cold water with an enzyme ("bio") detergent for 30 minutes.
3. Wash in cool water and check before drying.

Tomato, shito and pepper sauce

1. Scrape off the excess and rinse from the back with cold water.
2. Treat any oil with dishwashing soap, as for palm oil.
3. Apply liquid detergent to what remains, then dab with white vinegar if colour is left behind.
4. Wash as normal. On white cotton, drying in sunlight can help fade the last traces of tomato colour, but only once you are sure the oil has gone.

Makeup and foundation

Foundation and lipstick are oil-based. Dab with a little dishwashing soap or micellar water, rinse, and wash as normal. Fresh deodorant marks on dark clothes can often be removed by rubbing the mark with a dry sock or a clean pair of tights.

When to hand it to a professional

Take the garment to a professional cleaner if it is silk, wool, kente, lace or beaded, if the label says "dry clean only", if the stain is large or old, or if home treatment has not worked. Tell the cleaner what caused the stain, how old it is and anything you have already tried, because some home treatments change how a professional needs to handle it.

With the Simame - Laundry Connect app you can book a partner laundry to collect stained items from your door. Add a note on the order about the stain so it can be treated first.

Common questions