If you are obsessed with keeping your clothes in top condition, stains can be your worst nightmare. For instance, a red wine spill on your brand-new jeans or a coffee stain on your white shirt must all be addressed in ways that will effectively remove them without damaging the fabric.

As leading laundry service providers in the UAE, we use tried and proven techniques to restore your wardrobe.

From specific guidelines to common ones, explore our list of expert tips for removing tough stains.

Some generic techniques

Here’s a fundamental rule for blots – do not rub it. Rubbing a stain only smears it further making it spread and further affect the fabric. General stain cleaning methods might not work in these cases, and therefore, require procedures that will loosen the fabric first and then removing the stain.

Use a clean paper towel and dab it gently over the area—this will absorb the stain, leaving little to wash, and will not lead to unwanted additional damage.

However, it is extremely important that you identify the type of stain before you apply the technique.

In another instance, you can use cold water to break stains such as blood and ink. Alternatively, you can use hot water to remove oil stains because heat expands the oil, loosening its grip on the fabric. For chocolate and coffee stains, use a combination of hot and cold water because they have to first be released and then removed. You can also use distilled and diluted white vinegar to remove stains.

5 expert tips for stain removal:

1.    Laundry detergent

The primary hack for any stain is the inimitable and standard laundry detergent. However, enzymes in the detergents have the ability to break down these tough stains when used appropriately. Take a powdered detergent and mix it into water making a paste. Rub the area before turning it over to the washing machine.

2.    Stain remover

You don’t have to damage the fabric when removing stains. Use a stain remover to break down the molecules. Choose your liquid carefully, as some are meant for hard stains while others are mild.

3.    Alcohol

Alcohol has more uses than just making you tipsy. It can easily neutralize oil stains—simply take some of the solution on a clean cloth and rub it against the stained area, and see the stain vanish!

4.    Hydrogen Peroxide

Considered the mother of all hacks, hydrogen peroxide can remove the hardest stains. All you have to do is mix some in the water with which you wash your clothes.

5.    Bleach

Working wonderfully especially for your all-whites, bleach can remove stains and even unwanted color off your crisp clothes. Add it in the ration of 1 tablespoon per gallon.