No matter how careful you are with laundry, an item sometimes will make it through the drying cycle before you notice a stain. Stains that have been washed and dried in a commercial dryer are much harder to remove than a stain that is still damp. Before you toss the garment into the trash or use it as a cleaning rag, attempt to lift the stain by treating it with a homemade stain remover and then re-laundering the item.
Colored Clothes and Whites
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Step 1
Pour three tablespoons of white vinegar and two tablespoons of liquid detergent into a quart-size spray bottle. Fill the remainder of the bottle with warm water.
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Step 2
Shake the contents of the bottle to mix the cleaner and spray the set-in stain with the cleaning solution.
Step 3
Rub the solution into the stain with a clean cloth, and then blot dry.
Step 4
Launder the item as you normally would. Check to see if the stain lifted before drying the item. If the stain did not lift completely, repeat the steps until you've completely removed the stain.
White Clothes Only
Step 1
Set your washing machine to the delicate cycle and allow it to fill with cool water.
Step 2
Pour bleach into the bleach dispenser, or directly into the water if your washer is not equipped with a dispenser. Follow the bleach manufacturer's instructions for quantity of bleach to add, as it is based on the concentration of the bleach.
Step 3
Place the garment in the washing machine after the bleach has mixed together with the water.
Step 4
Check to see if the stain lifted before drying the item. If the stain did not lift completely, you can try washing it in bleach again--but, eventually, too much bleach will turn the object yellow.