How to Remove Stains: 7 Weird Tricks That Get the Job Done

We’ve all had it happen. You’re on your way to work when someone bumps into you and coffee goes all down the front of your favorite shirt. Or maybe you got a nosebleed and now your clothes are covered in bloodstains.

No matter how they got there, stains are annoying to try to deal with. Trying to figure out whether to use hot water or cold water, baking soda or lemon juice, can be a challenge. Below are seven weird tricks that will help you remove everything from oil stains on your leather boots to lipstick stains on your shirt collar.

If you want to know how to remove stains, keep reading.

1. Removing Ink Stains

Whether a pen busted in your pocket or your toddler decided your favorite shirt would be a good artistic canvas, ink stains can be a problem to remove. Luckily, there are a few tried-and-true tricks to help you remove stains from a pen. The main thing you’ll want to keep in mind is what material the ink stain is on.

If you’re trying to get ink out of colored clothes, try soaking them in milk overnight. Hairspray and non-gel toothpaste can help get stains out of white fabric, especially polyester. And if your stain is on cotton, apply some rubbing alcohol.

2. Cleaning Shoes

Shoes can be some of the hardest things to keep clean, especially if they’re suede or leather. Surprisingly, bread can actually be great for helping get rid of dirt stains on suede. Remove the crust from the bread, let the slice go stale, and then rub it gently on the dirt stain.

If you get watermarks on your leather shoes, put a few drops of vinegar in a bowl of cool water and gently scrub the shoes with a soft bristle brush. If you have an oil stain on the leather, coat it with baby powder and let it sit overnight. If your patent leather shoes need a shine, try using some Windex on them.

3. Cleaning Up Blood

Blood (and other body fluids) can be tricky to get out because of the proteins they’re made of. The trick is never to expose them to heat before you work on removing the stain. If your concern is the lead-up to the stain, click for more.

The first thing you should try with a fresh stain is rinsing it in cold water. If it doesn’t come out, you can try using some hydrogen peroxide. If the stain is old, try soaking it in cola overnight.

4. Getting Out Wine Stains

Red wine is one of the most notorious stain producers, and spilling a glass of wine on yourself can be a quick way to ruin almost any date. The first step is to rinse the spot with water or club soda as quickly as possible. From there, there are a few tricks you can try.

Covering the stain with salt crystals can actually help absorb the wine and lift out stains. You can also try soaking the item in white wine and then covering it with a thick baking soda paste. If the stain is older, stretch the fabric over a bowl and pour boiling water over the stain to loosen up the particles.

5. Removing Sweat Stains

Sweat and deodorant stains can be embarrassing and very hard to get rid of. If you’re dealing with a deodorant stain, try getting a dryer sheet and rubbing it over the stain to lift it off. You can also use the protective foam sleeves that come on dry cleaner hangers.

For sweat stains, mix cream of tartar, crushed aspirin, and warm water and apply the paste to the stain for twenty minutes. You can also try spraying the spot with lemon juice just before you wash the garment. If that doesn’t work, apply a baking soda paste overnight and then rinse it off with white vinegar in the morning.

6. Getting Rid of Coffee and Tea Stains

Coffee and tea stains can be difficult to get rid of because of the tannins in them, although this also makes them great for cool art projects. As with many stains, the trick here is speed. The less time the stain has to set in, the better you’ll be able to get rid of it.

The first step in removing a coffee or tea stain is to rinse the spot in lukewarm water. If you can’t get the stain out with rinsing, let it soak in cold water overnight. If none of that works, try blotting the stain with a bit of glycerin.

7. Taking Care of Makeup Stains

Whether it’s lipstick or bronzer, makeup can be hard to get off of most fabrics. By design, it’s meant to stay put. Unfortunately, this also makes it hard to get that bronzer out of your purse or the lipstick off your collar. Luckily, there are a few good ways to take care of makeup stains.

If your bronzer or powder broke in your purse, get a pre-moistened makeup removal wipe and use it to get all the stains out. If you’re trying to get rid of a lipstick stain, try spraying it with hairspray. If that doesn’t work, use a baby wipe or a washcloth dipped in isopropyl alcohol.

More on How to Remove Stains

The above list is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how to remove stains. Chances are, if you have a weird stain, there’s a tip on the internet for how to get rid of it. Do some googling around if your stain isn’t listed here.

While you’re waiting for your stains to soak out, check out the rest of our website! We have awesome and weird articles on just about every topic – from unique snorkeling destinations to visit to how to last longer in bed. Check out our list of weird news here.

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