5 ways to get stains out of clothes

Out darned spot! Indeed! Tackle those hard-to-remove stains with these tips using everyday household ingredients.

The most successful way to get rid of stains is to treat them before they dry and become set in the fabric. If you're at a restaurant or a friend's home and food or drink drops onto your clothes, ask for a glass of club soda and a lint-free kitchen towel. Go to the restroom with the soda and apply as much as you can. Wait one minute, then blot the stain gently with the towel.

It's a brave soul who eats spaghetti while wearing a white shirt without a big napkin tucked into his collar. For an effective tomato sauce spot eradicator, combine 125 millilitres (½ cup) of three per cent hydrogen peroxide and 750 millilitres (three cups) of water in a dishpan, pot or clean sink. Soak the stain in the solution for 30 minutes before laundering.

Grab a can of non-gel shaving cream and spray it onto the stain, rub it in gently and let dry before washing.

Blot up foundation makeup marks on washable fabrics with fresh white bread kneaded into a ball. The bread treatment should also erase pencil marks on woollen and washable clothing. Resist the temptation to use the pencil's eraser to rub out the marks, which in most cases will only make them look worse.

To get rid of that nasty ink blotch on your shirt, put 30-45 grams (two to three tablespoons) of cornstarch into a bowl and then stir in whole milk until you have a thick paste. Cover the stain with the paste and let it sit for three to four hours. Brush off the paste and wash the shirt. Another paste to try is 30 grams (two tablespoons) of cream of tartar mixed with 30 millilitres (two tablespoons) of lemon juice.

Finally, no more stained clothes in the garbage! These great tips for getting out stains will keep your closet filled with your favourite garments for years of fashionable fun.