Stain removal first aid: red wine, coffee, oil, blood, ink and grass

The five rules that apply to every stain

Before we get to specific spills, the same handful of rules decides most outcomes. We see the difference every week between garments treated in the first hour and garments treated a fortnight later, and the first group does far better.

• Act quickly: fresh stains lift, set stains argue
• Blot with a clean cloth; rubbing spreads the stain and grinds it into the fibres
• Work from the outside of the stain inwards so you don't enlarge it
• Keep heat away: no hot water on protein stains and no dryer until the stain is completely gone
• Test any product on an inside seam first, and check the care label before soaking anything delicate

Red wine and coffee: tannin stains hate cold water

For red wine, blot up as much liquid as you can, then flush the back of the fabric with cold water so the wine is pushed out the way it came in. A soak in cold water with a scoop of oxygen-based stain remover (the sodium percarbonate powders sold in every supermarket) is the most reliable follow-up for washable fabrics. Salt is a popular myth: it can help blot a fresh spill on a tablecloth but it doesn't remove the dye, and on some fabrics it can help set it.

Coffee and tea behave similarly. Flush with cold water first, then wash at the warmest temperature the care label allows with your normal detergent. Milky coffee adds a protein element, so keep the first rinse cold.

Oil and grease: dishwashing liquid before anything else

Oil doesn't respond to water alone, which is why a splash of curry or salad dressing survives a normal wash looking exactly as it did going in. Work a drop of plain dishwashing liquid into the dry stain with your fingertip, leave it 10–15 minutes, then wash as warm as the label allows. Dishwashing liquid is formulated to cut grease and it does the same job on fabric.

If the mark is still visible after washing, do not tumble dry. Repeat the treatment; two or three gentle rounds beat one aggressive scrub.

Blood, ink and grass: three different problems

Blood is a protein stain, and hot water cooks protein into fabric. Rinse and soak in cold water as soon as you can; a little salt in the soaking water helps, and an enzyme-based soaker finishes the job on anything set. Never start with warm water.

Ballpoint ink usually responds to rubbing alcohol or an alcohol-based hand sanitiser: put paper towel under the stain, dab alcohol through from the back, and swap the paper towel as the ink transfers. Grass is a dye stain bound up with plant proteins, so an enzyme pre-treatment or a paste of oxygen bleach and water, left to sit before a warm wash, gives the best chance.

When to stop and hand it over

Stop when the care label says dry clean only, when the fabric is silk, wool or anything with a lining, or when two home treatments haven't shifted it. More aggressive scrubbing at that point tends to damage the fabric faster than it damages the stain.

If you'd rather not gamble on a garment you care about, flag the stain when you book a Pacco Pacco pickup and we'll assess and pre-treat it individually. We're honest about the hard ones: some stains won't fully lift, and we'll tell you rather than promise miracles. Ask us for an estimate on treatment for your item.