How to get old stains out of clothes | NoScrubs’ Expert Tips 

According to the American Cleaning Institute, soil particles embed into textile fibers as they dry, which makes it more difficult to remove a dried stain than a fresh one. But don’t lose all hope, you don’t need to bid farewell to your favorite clothes over a stain. From our experience in the laundry industry, here are expert tips on how to get old stains out of clothes for different fabrics.

The success of stain removal depends on 

• Fabric type
• Stain composition (protein, oil, dyes, a specific spaghetti sauce)
• Water temperature
• Chemical treatment
• Age of the stain (especially for difficult stains)

How to pretreat stains

Pretreating is the most important part of stain removal. Pretreating before washing allows surfactants and enzymes to actually break down stains and give them appropriate time to do so effectively. 

Why you need to pretreat stains:

Modern detergents contain protease, lipase and amylase enzymes that break down proteins, oils, and starch. When you pretreat a stain, enzyme activity is improved and starts breaking down the stain immediately. 

Pretreat stain process:

1. Liquid laundry detergent

Since this is usually readily available you can use your regular liquid detergent by:

• Rubbing a small amount of detergent directly onto the stain
• Allowing this to sit for at least 10 minutes. Ideally 10-20 minutes should be enough.
• Continue washing the fabric as instructed by care label

2. Hydrogen Peroxide

This is to be used for whites only!

• Rub a small amount of hydrogen peroxide onto the stain. This is effective for sweat, red wine, blood and food stains.
• Allow this to soak into the fabric for 10-15 minutes and blot if necessary.
• Wash the fabric as usual but do not dry in the sun. 

NoScrubs Tip: Hydrogen peroxide will also whiten laundry and remove odor.

How to remove old stains from jeans

Denim is more durable than delicate fabrics and most denim material today is cotton or cotton blend. 

Identify the type of stain

Based on the type, you can choose an appropriate method to remove old stains from jeans.

• Grease : Dish soap
• Blood : Cold water + enzyme detergent
• Ink : Isopropyl Alcohol

Use the proper method from the list above. For those jeans that you enjoy but have been slowly fading their indigo hue, wash the jeans inside out to reduce friction on the outer dye surface. This helps the longevity of the dye and keeps your jeans looking bright.

How to remove grease stains

Grease is particularly difficult because of its lipid, water-hating structure interfering with water during washing. The best method to do this is with something you already have at home, a bit of dish soap. 

• Rub the stain with dish soap using your fingers
• Let this sit for 5-10 minutes
• Rinse with cold water and wash as normal

If this process does not work the first time, you might need to repeat the first 2 steps and then wash as normal. 

How to get old stain out of a white shirt

Of all the difficult stains, getting an old stain out of a white shirt is particularly bad because of how obviously it sticks out. However, these have numerous restoration methods because you can use oxidation based cleaning to get an old stain out of a white shirt.

Hydrogen peroxide for stain on white clothes

Hydrogren peroxide acts as mild bleach and is especially effective for sweat, blood and yellowing. Since it is a mild oxidizing agent it is very effective on organic stains and is safer than chlorine based bleach. It works by breaking apart the bonds causing discoloration and converting any colored compounds into colorless ones which makes your stains disappear.

• Perform a patch test on a hidden area
• Apply a small amount of 3% hydrogen peroxide directly to the stain
• Let it sit for 5-15 minutes and then blot it with a clean cloth
• Rinse the clothing thoroughly with cold water and wash as usual

Baking soda + Peroxide paste

If you’ve been struggling with how to get an old stain out of a white shirt then then this combination is perfect for underarm stains since they are a combination of sweat, body oil and deodorant residue. This paste provides both oxidation and alkaline lifting which means that the peroxide breaks down the stain while the baking soda helps loosen fatty or oily residue. 

• Mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide and optionally some dish soap
• Apply this directly to the stained area and rub it in with a cloth or brush
• Let this sit for a few minutes and then rinse with cool water
• Wash the clothing as you normally would

Avoid excessive scrubbing since this could damage cotton fibers and if your skin is particularly sensitive use gloves throughout this process. Do not mix different cleaning chemicals like chlorine bleach with this process because this could be very unsafe. Also read garment care labels before attempting any cleaning method.

Hot or cold water for stains?

Based on the type of stain that you’re dealing with, you need to adjust the temperature of your water accordingly to get rid of old stains on clothes. 

Cold water works best for:

• Blood
• Sweat
• Dairy
• Egg
• Protein-based stains

This is because hot water causes proteins to coagulate and then bind permanently to fibers so never use hot water on protein stains.

Hot/warm water works best for:

• Oil/grease 
• Mud
• Heavily soiled cotton

How to get stains out of silk

Silk is a protein fiber which makes it highly sensitive to:

• Heat
• Alkaline detergents
• Bleach
• Aggressive scrubbing methods

This is why you need to take care and be gentle when handling silk stains. 

How to get stains out of silk process:

1. Blot the stain only, do not rub at it when it occurs
2. Use cold water for the washing process
3. Use a mild detergent that is made for delicate fabrics
4. Rinse the clothing gently and lay it out flat to dry

Never use chlorine bleach, hydrogen peroxide or strong detergents on silk material as this could harm the fabric over time. 

NoScrubs Tips on how to get old stains out of clothes

• Always test any detergent or cleaning product on a part of the fabric first before applying it directly to avoid any problems with discoloration or damage
• Always air dry until the stain is gone because dryer heat can permanently set the stain and make it impossible to get residue off later
• Not all stains are made equal so use the correct material identified for your stain type

Tired of laundry?

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