Red wine, ketchup, mustard and coffee-ring stains spread across linen with cutlery and berries

Food and drink

Coffee, tea, wine and fruit juice are tannin stains. Don't rub them with bar or natural soap — that can set the tannin; use detergent in the hottest water the fabric allows. [1][2]

Combination stains such as ketchup or gravy carry both an oily part and a colored part, and the oily portion is treated first. Inspect before machine drying — dryer heat sets stains. [1]

Stains in this family

Beer & soft drinksSponge or rinse the spill promptly in cool water — some soft-drink stains are invisible…Berries, fruit & juiceRinse a fresh fruit or berry stain promptly with cool water and keep soap away from it …ChocolateChocolate is a combination stain: deal with the greasy part first, then the color. On w…Coffee & teaSponge or rinse a fresh coffee or tea stain promptly in cool water, then pretreat with …MustardMustard gets its color from turmeric, a yellow dye, and can become impossible to remove…Red wineAct fast: blot the spill, then sponge with cool water or club soda; table salt sprinkle…Tomato & ketchupScrape off the excess, then treat washables with a pre-wash spot remover or rub in liqu…Turmeric & curryCurry stains come from vibrant ingredients including turmeric, chilli powder, tomato, a…

All stains A–Z →

Sources

  1. Institutional Iowa State University Extension and Outreach — Holiday Stains (AnswerLine) (accessed 2026-08-18)
  2. Institutional Iowa State University Extension and Outreach — Summer Food Stain Removal (AnswerLine) (accessed 2026-08-18)

Updated 2026-08-19. Compiled from the cited sources; not independently verified by this site.

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]