It’s a fact of life that not all stains are created equal, so it’s important to know what type of stains you’re facing before choosing the most appropriate pre-treatment and washing methods to use.
Dealing with oily stain removal? You can use dish soap to pre-treat these spots, but for enzymatic stains, like blood, you’ll want to pre-treat with a liquid detergent and a clean toothbrush. Follow our guide to stain removal to learn how to remove stains from clothes most effectively and more details about some of the most common types.
What Are the Different Types of Stains?
From drinks to blood, there are many different substances that can leave their mark on your clothes, and all of them require a different method to deal with. Before we give you a step-by-step guide on how to remove the stain from your favourite clothes, let’s see the list of some of the most common stains you may encounter:
- Enzymatic - Grass and blood stains, for example
- Grease - Butter or other oily stains
- Body soils - Collar and sweat stains
- Bleachable - Stains from coffee and tea
- Clay, soil, or dirt stains
How to Get Rid of Stains?
Different stains can require different removal processes to get the best result. Now that you have an idea of what type of stain you have, the good news is that most stain removal procedures are similar, except when it comes to pre-treating. Whatever the cause of the stain, however, here are a few tips on how to get stains out of your favourites:
- Prevent the stain from setting.This is the first and most important thing to do in case of any kind of stain occurring. To prevent stains from setting in, remember to soak the garment in cold water as soon as possible. You also want your piece of clothing to avoid direct heat, since heat can speed the setting of stains.
- Remove the excess stain.Use a paper towel or a soft brush to remove as much of the stain as possible from the garment, do this gentle so you don’t damage the fabric. This is particularly important for stains that have already dried.
- Pre-treat stains. Here it’s important to know the type of stain you are dealing with, because each type requires a different pre-treatment method:
- Enzymatic stains: Pour liquid detergent directly onto the stain. Gently rub on the stain with the bottom of the Ariel dossing cap like mentioned on the Ariel instructions.
- Greasy or oily stains: Pre-treat with Ariel liquid and leave it for 1 hour. Then wash at the hottest temperature allowed by the fabric care label.
- Body-soil stains:Pre-treat with Ariel liquid and leave it for 1 hour then wash with your Ariel according to the fabric care label
- Bleachable stains: Pre-soak for 1 hour in solution with Ariel powder and wash with Ariel powder detergent, don’t use liquids for this type of stains.
- Clay or dirt stains: Pre-soak in cold water with liquid detergent and wash at hottest temp allowed by the fabric care labels.
- Add detergent. Measure the correct amount of detergent according to the product labels and your load size; in case of heavy soiled laundry add extra product.
- Wash your garments. Choose the most appropriate wash temperature and cycle setting according to the instructions given by the garment's fabric-care label.
- Check garments before drying. Don't put the clothes into the drier until the stain is completely removed, as drying will set the stain.
When it comes to removing stains, for enzymatic stains it’s usually best to wash at 40C if allowed by the fabric care label, for other tough stains use the highest temperature allowed by the fabric care label.
Stain Removal Tips from Food to Mystery Stains
If you have a specific stain you’re looking to remove, then check out our various articles on how to remove stains from clothes. Here you'll find a wide range of stain types and specific advice on how to remove each one of them: