Before we got quite so into DIY solutions for things around the house, we were convinced that a bad stain basically meant the end of our relationship with a piece of clothing. If the store bought stain remover didn’t work, we would just give up! Luckily, we’ve learned a lot since then and we have our love for DIY tactics to thank for it, along with some very useful indeed Internet tutorials.
Just in case you’re as intrigued by the idea of using DIY techniques to get stains out of clothing and other fabric based things as we were, if not more, here are 15 of the very best ideas, solutions, and home remedies that we’ve come across so far in our searches for just about any stain you can imagine (we’ll admit it: we’re a messy family)!
1. Getting rid of sweat stains
Are you tired of all your whitest whites being marred by the slight yellowing that sweat stains cause? Well, don’t feel too badly about it; sweat stains happen to the best of us! That’s why we knew we’d simply need a home remedy for them the moment we decided to start compiling an arsenal against stains. Check out how Popsugar makes them go away with a bit of hassle!
2. Getting rid of oil stains
Of all the stains we can think of to get on clothing, oil stains might be one of the worst, right behind red wine and tomato sauce! We’re used to finding them on clothing if we or one of the kids forgets to take a chapstick out of the pocket of our jeans before throwing them in the wash, making the chapstick melt in the water and get oil on the fabric. Luckily, this tutorial from One Good Thing by Jillee for getting them right out again works like a charm.
3. Covering bleach stains
Unfortunately, bleach stains are one of the few kinds of stains that you actually cannot remove; once the colour is gone from that fabric, there’s no bringing it back! That’s why Sew Many Ways decided to go ahead and add more on top, replacing the colour that was removed from the fabric by the bleach. Take a better look at their tutorial to see how it’s done!
4. Getting rid of deodorant marks
Okay, we know that deodorant marks don’t actually stain, but in the few minutes you have left before work when you’ve just looked down and discovered them all over the shirt you really wanted to wear that day, they can certainly feel like one! There are several theories out there about how best and most quickly to remove deodorant marks, but we find this tactic from Home Stories A to Z the most effective.
5. How to even out bleach stains that can’t be covered
Have we actually really caught your attention with our talk of bleach stains because you’ve got a piece that’s stained currently, but you’ve realized there’s simply too large a stained area to be covering it like we showed you before? In that case, we’d definitely suggest taking a look how Elana Rose evened theirs out to create a different but at least cohesive look that’s still wearable.
6. Getting rid of ink stains
Have you absolutely had the age-old issue where your pent has leaked in the pocket of your shirt at work and now you’re stuck wondering what to do about the black or blue ink stain left behind? Well, believe it or not, there’s actually quite a fool proof way to lift the colour safely from the fabric without ruing it in that spot! Take a look at this tutorial from Housewife How-To’s to learn more about how it’s done.
7. Getting rid of grass stains
Is the biggest cause of stains in your household actually how much your kids adore playing outside? Our kids are always coming in at the end of the day covered in all manner of dirt as well but the real problem after a long day outdoors is always grass stains. That’s why we were so pleased to come across this fantastic grass stain removal technique outlined step by step on Tips Bulletin!
8. Getting rid of lots of stains using alcohol
Perhaps you have a stain on sometime that you’re not sure of the origins of but you’ve tried just about every other technique you can think of for specific things and you’re sad to report that nothing’s worked yet? Then we’d definitely suggest taking a look at this resource from Housekeeping that shows you step by step how to carefully remove all kinds of stains from all kinds of different materials using alcohol!
9. Getting rid of blood stains
Of course, no one likes to think of the need for removing blood stains from fabric, but anyone who has ever been woken up in the middle of the night by their child with a sudden nosebleed knows just how necessarily it can be as far as pillow cases are concerned! That’s why this foolhardy and very effective tutorial from What’s Up Fagans is so handy to keep bookmarked.
10. Getting rid of wine stains
Of course, we couldn’t possibly write an entire list about stains and not discuss the dreaded topics of treacherous red wine stains! To this day, they might be the toughest kind of stains we’ve ever experience where fabric is involved. Imagine how pleased we were, then, to come across this tutorial from Organization Junkies that actually gives you a surprisingly simple method for getting them out!
11. Getting rid of makeup stains
Have you ever pulled a shirt over your head after doing your makeup for the day and then realized that you got some of your makeup on your collar as you pulled the shirt down? We’ve done this countless times and always struggled to get the stain out, whether it’s foundation or lipstick. That’s why we were so grateful to come across this shockingly simple solution from Best of Tips!
12. How to remove gum from clothing
Okay, we know that gum ground into fabric isn’t necessarily a stain per se, but it’s certainly very difficult to remove! That’s why we were rather excited to come across this fantastic resource from ASOS Official that teaches you, step by step, how to get every last bit of gum out of even the most difficult fabrics to work with. This ones a saviour for anyone with little kids.
13. How to get wax out of clothing
Like gum, wax isn’t necessarily like getting an actual stain, but it’s still something that required a bit of alternative care like a stain would. It also doesn’t sound like something you’d normally get stuck in your clothing, but you might be surprised to hear how often it happens to people! That’s why we’re so pleased to see that Mridul Kabiraz found a technique that gets it out very well indeed.
14. Tie dye a stained shirt
Have you actually already tried just about everything on this list and you simply still can’t get that stubborn stain out of your favourite shirt? Then perhaps you’d do better thinking outside the box a little! We’re kind of in love with the way Refashion Co-op covered their stain up by using fabric dye to tie dye their shirt so the stain no longer shows through the awesome pattern.
15. Getting rid of paint stains
As a crafty person who’s always making new things and doing things around the house, we’re sure that, like us, you’re no stranger to paint stains on clothes. That’s why we think this particular stain removal strategy from Omo is one that just about every DIY enthusiast should have on hand! We can’t believe how easily the paint actually lifts, even from white fabric.
