What do wine, chocolate, and coffee have in common? Well, first of all, we ❤ them… buuuuut they’re also a total pain to get out of your clothes or off of that new white couch if a spill happens. And what’s even worse than a stain? Getting stuck empty-handed when they happen. Good news: you can still tackle tough stains like blood, grass, oil, wine, and chocolate with just a few simple household items that you probably already have hidden away in your pantry. Here are a few of our go-tos.
1. Get salty
Some stains seem impossible to get rid of, even with the most tried and true cleaning products. (Red wine and blood definitely fall into that category.) Try soaking your stained clothes in a mixture of salt and cold water. After just a couple of hours, rinse them out, and toss them into your washing machine. Ta da! Good as new.
2. White vinegar to the rescue
White vinegar is basically good for two things: killer potato salad (totally serious… here’s our favorite recipe) and removing tough stains, like grass or chocolate. Just mix 1/4 cup of white vinegar with 1 cup of water. Then, spray or pour onto your stained clothes and let them soak for at least 30 minutes. Rub and rinse the spot. If the stain is on your carpet or a mattress, just pour the white vinegar and a little bit of baking soda over the top. Let the mixture bubble and then vacuum it off of the surface!
3. Cut grease with artificial sweeteners
We love brunch. We love white pants. We don’t love grease stains on our white pants. When you’re in a pinch, packets of artificial sweetener can do more than just sweeten your iced tea… these little guys are also great for cleaning up a tough grease stain. If you don’t have anything else on hand, just pour a little bit of artificial sweetener on the stain to soak up the oil. Rinse it off after a few minutes and you should be all set.
4. Lemon power
Stain removers don’t have to be complicated, and those sweat stains can’t beat the citric acid in a lemon. Just rub some lemon juice into the stained fabric and it’ll help lift the gross right out. You can also use lemons on cutting boards, ink stains — even rust!
5. Change the game with baking soda
Almost everyone has baking soda in their pantry or fridge, but unless you’re an avid baker, it probably doesn’t get used much. Try making a simple paste with baking soda and water. You can spread the paste onto stained clothes and leave it on to work some magic for about 10-15 minutes. Rinse it away with club soda or water for like-new clothes!
