The sourced stain decision engine

Sort it before the stain sets

Pick the stain, the material, and what has already happened. Get the safest documented next step — with every claim labeled by where it comes from: university guidance, industry body, manufacturer label, third-party test, or clearly-marked community anecdote.

Sort my stain Browse all stains

How it works
  1. What caused it?Pick the stain or closest match — 34 covered, each from documented sources.
  2. What is stained?Choose the material or surface — shown only where sources cover it.
  3. What happened already?Tell us what has been done so far — fresh, dried, washed or heat-set changes the advice.
  4. Get the plan.Do-now, avoid, method, checkpoint before heat, fallback — every step cited.
Common stains
Blood Grease Red wine Coffee Ink Pet urine Grass Old/set-in stains
Nothing invented

Every claim has an origin

An automated check blocks publication of any step without a citation, and every page lists its complete sources with access dates.

Labels first

Materials change the answer

The garment care label identifies a safe cleaning method and warns against harmful steps. If it says do not bleach, do not use bleach. [1]

Honest gaps

We say when we don't know

Combinations our sources don't cover say so, with conservative advice instead of guesses. Disagreements between sources are shown, not hidden.

Stain families

Red wine, ketchup, mustard and coffee-ring stains spread across linen with cutlery and berries Food and drink Coffee, red wine, mustard, beer Butter, cooking oil and grease marks on linen with an oil bottle and cotton pads Oil and grease Cooking oil, grease, sunscreen Blood, egg, milk and mustard-yellow stains on linen with a thermometer and lab tubes Biological Blood, sweat, egg, milk, mildew Ink, marker, lipstick and hair-dye splashes on linen with pens and makeup Ink and pigment Biro, marker, crayon, hair dye Grass stain, muddy paw prints and soil on linen beside a denim leg and a trowel Outdoor Grass, mud, soil Urine and feces stains on linen with a diaper and a puppy training pad Accidents (pet and human) Urine, vomit, feces — pet or person Yellowed vintage christening gown, lace collar and doilies on linen with an old box and bottle Old and set-in Storage yellowing, set-in marks Paint splatters, rust and wax on linen with a brush, work gloves and wire Household and DIY Candle wax, gum, paint, glue, rust

Stain guides

All stains A–Z
Blood Work fast and keep everything cold: rinse fresh blood under cold running water and... Cooking oil & grease Absorb what you can, then get an oil-cutting pretreatment into the fibers and launder... Red wine Act fast: blot the spill, then sponge with cool water or club soda; table salt... Coffee & tea Sponge or rinse a fresh coffee or tea stain promptly in cool water, then pretreat... Ballpoint & ink Treat ink while it is fresh — laundering or drying can set it, and dried India ink... Urine (human & pet) On washable fabric, rinse with cool water, soak in cool water with a heavy-duty... Grass Grass is a tannin-and-protein stain, so keep heat away from it: pretreat both sides... Old yellow storage stains Yellowing on stored textiles comes from detergent residue, oxidized oily soil, fiber... Sweat & deodorant For perspiration, soak the garment 15–30 minutes in warm water with a sodium... Tomato & ketchup Scrape off the excess, then treat washables with a pre-wash spot remover or rub in... Chocolate Chocolate is a combination stain: deal with the greasy part first, then the color. On... Mud & soil Let mud dry, then scrape or brush off as much as possible before any water touches...

Five kinds of evidence, never blended

Institutional guidance, industry bodies, manufacturer labels, third-party tests, and community anecdotes answer different questions. Each is labeled; none is dressed up as another. No invented statistics, no fake tests, no fictional reviewers.

How evidence is labeled →

Community reports, honestly framed

Real forum threads — linked, dated, and always labeled anecdotal. We publish no success percentages, because we have no verified outcome data yet, and we'd rather be right than impressive.

Read community reports →
Safety

Never mix cleaning products, especially chlorine bleach with ammonia, acids, or other cleaners. [1][2] If a cleaning or laundry product is swallowed or gets in the eyes or on skin, contact your local poison control service for case-specific advice. In the US, call 1-800-222-1222 or use webPOISONCONTROL. [1]