Expert stain removal tricks that will mean you never have to scrub and soak again 

There’s nothing more tedious than having to deal with difficult stains that require hours of soaking or scrubbing. 

Some of the worst you’re likely to encounter include cooking oil, sweat, mud and the always complicated grass stain.

To help make things easier, Australian stain removal expert Rebecca Tan from Vanish revealed to 9Honey her top tips and tricks.

And the best part? Her hacks mean there’s no need to spend hours over a wash basin or shell out on expensive products.

Grass stains can be notoriously difficult to remove, so for optimum success try pre-treating the stain ahead of washing (stock image)

How do you remove grass stains that are really difficult? 

* If you suspect a stain is likely to be difficult to remove, an extra step can be factored in.

* Products to treat hard-to-remove grass stains include rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover.

* Dab the affected area with a solvent applied to a sponge then rinse in cold water. Then follow the pre-treatment procedure. 

1. Grass stains

Active kids are likely to mean one thing: clothing covered in grass stains.  

The stains themselves can be notoriously difficult to remove, however, as Rebecca reveals this needn’t be the case. 

She advises pre-treating the stain first by washing it in cold water then adding stain removal product to the affected area.

‘Mixing a powder stain remover with water is better than using regular powder detergent alone on grass stains,’ the expert told Honey.

Once the stain is pre-treated, wash with your usual detergent. 

If an article of clothing is stained with cooking oil, treat the stain immediately using baking soda to 'blot' the oil (stock image)

If an article of clothing is stained with cooking oil, treat the stain immediately using baking soda to ‘blot’ the oil (stock image)

2. Cooking oil stains

Cooking oil stains on clothing can be troublesome to treat.

However, you’ve got more chance of restoring a garment if you deal with these sooner rather than later, Rebecca advised.

Fresh stains can be addressed using a decent amount of baking soda which has been applied to the affected area. This should remain on the garment for 30 to 40 minutes.

Add detergent to the baking soda to create a paste. Gently massage this into the fabric using your fingers.

At this point, the article of clothing can be put in the wash. A hot cycle is recommended, if the garment allows.

If the stain still won’t budge, a little white vinegar added to your next wash can make your detergent more effective.

If clothing has become damaged by mud, allow the garment to dry before you attempt washing it in the machine (stock image)

If clothing has become damaged by mud, allow the garment to dry before you attempt washing it in the machine (stock image)

3. Mud stains

It can be all too tempting to throw a mud-covered article of clothing straight into the washing machine as a fast way of cleaning it.

Instead, Rebecca suggests allowing the mud to dry, then using an old toothbrush to remove as much dirt as you can.

Finally, pre-treat the stain with your preferred stain remover and wash as you normally would.

Sweat stained clothing needs to be dealt with straight away as leaving garments could make it harder to remove these sorts of marks (stock image)

Sweat stained clothing needs to be dealt with straight away as leaving garments could make it harder to remove these sorts of marks (stock image)

4. Sweat stains

If you leave clothing marked with sweat for too long before washing, chances are you’re going to have a tough time removing these stains.

For best results, hand-wash the soiled part of the garment under cold water, gently rubbing with detergent to loosen the stain.

Make sure the garment is thoroughly rinsed before adding to a wash cycle. The garment can be washed with the rest of your clothes.

If you’re dealing with tough sweat stains, soak clothing using a mixture of stain removal powder and water. Two hours is recommended for coloured garments and longer for whites.

‘Soaking the shirt in this way will not only remove sweat stains but also combat the sweat stain smell,’ Rebecca said.

A woman shared how her trick using a tea towel and an iron removed a heat stain from a piece of wooden furniture

A woman shared how her trick using a tea towel and an iron removed a heat stain from a piece of wooden furniture

A woman shared two photos (before left and after right) revealing how her hack removed heat stains from a piece of wooden furniture

How does the removal process work? 

1. Get a tea towel and iron on medium setting with no steam.

2. Iron gently over the tea towel onto the surface. Leave for several hours to wait for the stain to remove. 

5.  Heat stains from furniture

There’s nothing more unsightly than heat stains caused by hot drinks which have been placed on a favourite piece of wooden furniture.

Trying to remove these can seem like an ordeal – but as one mum revealed to Facebook, there’s a trick, and it doesn’t involve scouring, scrubbing or expensive products. 

Her hack uses an iron and a tea towel. She advises setting the iron to medium and ensuring there is no steam. 

‘I just got a white burn mark out of my beautiful wood table,’ she wrote. 

‘With a tea towel and iron set to medium setting. No steam.’ 

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