Fresh Blood Treat the blood stain as quickly as possible, giving it as little chance to set as possible. Do NOT rinse with hot water, which will only set the blood stain. Instead, flush blood with cold water and then soak in cold water for a half hour. Apply a small amount of hydrogen peroxide to the stain directly to treat stubborn stains.
Baby Formula Run fabric, inside out, under cold water to flush out as much of the formula as possible. You can use baking soda to neutralize the acid from baby’s spit up as well, preventing yellowing stains.
Dried Blood Scrape off all dried blood. Create a soaking solution of cool water and detergent, and soak for at least 30 minutes. After soaking, treat stain with stain removal spray and launder in cold water.
Candy Scrape the excess candy material off the surface of the fabric. Rinse in cool water to dilute the stain, and coat stain in detergent without rubbing it in. Allow to sit for several minutes and then launder as normal.
Oil Rub corn flour into the stain and leave for 20 minutes to draw out oils. Brush off with a cloth or brush and examine. This may require several applications to draw the oils out completely. Pretreating the stain with a small amount of dish liquid will also help remove the stain.
Chocolate Soak in lukewarm water. Brush area vigorously with a paste of baking soda and hot water. For a tough stain, spot treat with borax or vinegar to remove any remaining chocolate.
Coffee & Tea Soak in warm or cold water immediately. Brush area with a paste of baking soda and water. For a tough stain, spot treat with borax or vinegar after soaking.
Deodorant If the deodorant has been sitting for a while, you should apply diluted white vinegar to the affected area, allowing it to sit for approximately half an hour. Rinse vinegar from the fabric and apply prewash stain treatment. Launder in the hottest water the fabric allows.
Dirt Scrape off excess dirt and pre-treat affected areas with detergent. Wash in cold, and then warm water. For clay or other ‘red’ dirt that contains iron, try rubbing in dishwashing detergent and soaking overnight.
Grass Soak the stain for a short time in a solution of diluted white vinegar. For tough stains, buy digestive enzymes for humans at your local health food store or pharmacy. Use the powder or pulverized pills to make a paste with water. Spread the paste onto the stain and allow it to sit for an hour before laundering as usual.