Cleaning & Organizing Laundry Stain Removal

How to Remove Mystery Stains From Clothes

By
Mary Marlowe Leverette
Mary Marlowe Leverette 2018
Mary Marlowe Leverette
Mary Marlowe Leverette is one of the industry's most highly-regarded housekeeping and fabric care experts, sharing her knowledge on efficient housekeeping, laundry, and textile conservation. She is also a Master Gardener with over 40+ years of experience and 20+ years of writing experience. Mary is also a member of The Spruce Gardening and Plant Care Review Board.
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Updated on 10/05/23
Reviewed by
Brandon Pleshek
Brandon Pleshek headshot.
Reviewed by Brandon Pleshek
Brandon Pleshek of Clean That Up! is a seasoned veteran of the cleaning industry with over 20 years of experience in commercial and residential cleaning. He is a member of The Spruce's Cleaning and Organizing Review Board.
Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board
How to Remove Mystery Stains From Clothes

The Spruce / Ashley Nicole DeLeon

In This Article
Project Overview
  • Working Time: 10 mins - 1 hr
  • Total Time: 1 - 8 hrs
  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Estimated Cost: $5 to $10

It is inevitable that you will need to remove a mystery stain from clothing at some point in time. It happens to almost everyone and you wonder where it came from. Or, if you have little ones in the house, you pull dirty laundry from the family hamper and have no idea what that brown spot or sticky spot is on a shirt.

A stain usually offers three clues—the location of the stain, how the stain smells, and the color of the stain. Like an armchair detective, you will have to identify the stain and then treat it accordingly. In most cases, high-quality, heavy-duty laundry detergent will solve the problem. Always use the most gentle stain removal method first on mystery stains.

Stain Type Varies
Detergent Type Heavy-duty laundry detergent
Water Temperature Cold
Cycle Type Varies by fabric
smelling a stain to help identify it
The Spruce / Michele Lee

Preventing Bleach Stains

If you use chlorine bleach, always clean up the work area carefully before moving to the next laundry load. This is especially important in shared laundry rooms and laundromats. Check that your washer's bleach dispenser is working properly, and that it is not leaving a bit to drip on the next load of dark clothes.

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Soaking basin
  • Washing machine

Materials

  • Water
  • Liquid laundry detergent
  • Stain remover stick, gel, or spray
  • Oxygen-based bleach (optional)
  • Dry-cleaning solvent (optional)

Instructions

How to Remove Mystery Stains

  1. Soak in Water

    Fill a sink or basin with cold water and completely submerge the stained item and allow it to soak for at least 30 minutes to see if the stain lightens.

    allowing the garment to soak in water prior to treating
    The Spruce / Michele Lee

  2. Pretreat With a Stain Remover

    Treat the stain with a prewash stain remover spray or gel or a bit of heavy-duty liquid detergent. (Tide or Persil are rated as the best brands that contain enough enzymes to break apart stains.) Work the stain remover or detergent into the stained area by rubbing with your fingers or a soft-bristled brush. Allow the cleaner to work for at least 15 minutes.

    pretreating the stain with a heavy duty detergent
    The Spruce / Michele Lee

  3. Wash as Normal

    Wash as recommended on the fabric's care label. Make sure the stain is gone before you toss it in the dryer.

    garment in a laundry basket
    The Spruce / Michele Lee

    Tip

    Never place a stained garment in the high heat of the dryer as this can set the stain and make it almost impossible to remove.

How to Remove Persistent or Dye-Based Stains

If the stain persists or is dye-based, it might require a special treatment with oxygen bleach. This technique is safe to use for all washable fabrics—white and colored—except for silk, wool, and anything trimmed with leather.

  1. Mix Oxygen Bleach and Water

    Mix a solution of oxygen-based bleach (OxiClean, Nellie's All Natural Oxygen Brightener or OXO Brite) and tepid water following product directions.

  2. Submerge the Garment

    Place the entire garment in the solution so it is fully submerged.

  3. Soak

    Allow it to soak for at least four hours or overnight

  4. Wash the Garment

    Launder the garment as usual.

Tip

If the mystery spot is waxy or gummy, the stain will probably respond best to treatment with a dry-cleaning solvent.

submerging a garment into a basin of bleach solution
The Spruce / Michele Lee

Additional Tips for Handling Mystery Stains

If you weren't able to remove the stain, you might have misidentified what caused it. This comprehensive list of stain makers could help you find the culprit. The location, color and odor of the stain are all things that can help you identify it and take the right course of action. The absence of color means the dye has been bleached from the fabric. This is most often caused by splashed or spilled chlorine bleach. In this case there is no way to remove the bleach stain.

If the Mystery Stain Persists

If the garment is labeled as dry clean only and stain removal cannot wait for a professional cleaner, try spot treating the stain. Take to a professional dry cleaning service as soon as possible.

If all fails, you might be able to wear the garment as part of a layered outfit so the stain won't be visible. Or, you can disguise the stain in a creative way.

FAQ
  • Are there some mystery stains that cannot be removed?

    Any stain that has set for a long time may be hard to remove. The longer a stain has been left to dry, the more challenging removing it will be. Some especially stubborn stains include red wine, oil or grease, chocolate, and yellowing from sweat.

  • What clues can help you identify an unknown stain?

    Stains can be identified by color, shape, texture, and odor. For example, if a stain is reddish-brown it may be dried blood. If it's shiny, it may be oil or grease. The smell is always a big clue, especially for food stains. For older stains that no longer have an odor, you may be able to draw out the scent by applying a small amount of water to it.

  • What are the mystery stains that appear after washing your clothes?

    You may notice mysterious stains after doing your laundry. They can look like blue or white splotches or a transparent spot with a waxy consistency. Detergent can leave stains if you use more than what's recommended or the wrong type of detergent for your dispenser. Luckily with the right technique, these can be removed as well.

7 Creative Ways to Hide Stains on Clothes
The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. The Ultimate Stain-Removal Guide. Consumer Reports.