We Tested the Best Stain Removers for Clothes, and These 7 Will Easily Lift Dirty Imperfections

Best Overall

Shout Advanced Grease Busting Foam

$4 at Amazon $4 at Walmart

After rigorously testing 37 laundry stain removers, Shout Advanced Grease Busting Foam earned a spot as our best overall pick for its high stain-removing performance, ease of use, and practical price point of just $4. 

This foaming spray is formulated to remove tricky oil and grease stains from food and auto care. We love how simple it is to use this spray. After we saturated our stains in the foam, we tossed it in the wash, and voila, you’re done. Just be sure not to leave this cleaning agent to dry on your stained garments before laundering, as it won’t be the most effective.

We also love that the spray is unscented. So if you’re someone who dislikes the strong, chemical fumes that most cleaning products have, you’ll love Shout’s Advanced Grease Busting Foam. 

_{Type: Spray foam | Amount: 18 ounces | Scent: No noticeable scent | Application Method: Spray and launder before drying}

Best Powdered

OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover Powder

$19 at Amazon $13 at Walmart

For those whose whites may need a little brightening and sparkle, the OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover Powder is the perfect laundry care solution.

This oxygen-based bleach cleaner also removes hard-to-lift green grass streaks that seem almost impossible to remove from clothing effectively. Our editor, in fact, uses OxiClean regularly to tackle especially difficult stains, like dark food spills that have been sitting, as well as pen marks and makeup messes.

Similar to powder detergent, this stain remover comes in a container that’s filled with three pounds of loose powder and includes a plastic measuring cup to customize your pour. However, this cleaner can be used on various surfaces outside of laundry, such as the kitchen, bathroom, furniture, and more, but the application is a bit more tedious. 

Using an empty spray bottle, you can mix the OxiClean powder with water to create a multi-surface cleaning solution. We found that mixing the concoction can be a little messy, though. 

But the process is way simpler if you’re purchasing this stain remover powder strictly for clothing. You can add the powder straight to your load of laundry along with your desired detergent or even pre-soak your clothing before laundering (which we found to be most effective for especially tough stains). 

_{Type: Powder | Amount: 48 ounces | Scent: No noticeable scent | Application Method: Mix with water and apply, or pre-soak}

Best Unscented

Amodex Liquid Ink & Stain Remover

$12 at Amazon

Whether you have a sensitive nose or hate the harsh smell that most cleaning products leave behind, opting for an unscented cleaner may be ideal. With no noticeable scent before or after the wash, the Amodex Liquid Ink & Stain Remover is our winning pick.

During testing, this ink and stain remover erased the chocolate, butter, and ink pen markings the best, whereas the mustard and wine stains faded but were still clearly visible.

This stain remover comes in a small, four-ounce squeeze bottle. While we believe that the cleaner would be much easier to use in a spray bottle, we love being able to drop the solution directly onto the stain, which also prevents product waste.

_{Type: Liquid | Amount: 4 ounces | Scent: No scent detected | Application Method: Apply a few drops, rub in with fingers, and wash}

Best On-the-Go

Tide To Go Instant Stain Remover

$8 $7 at Amazon $8 at Walmart $8 at Target

There’s always that one person who has a Tide Stain Remover Pen on hand, and those who don’t are always super appreciative of prepared friends whenever an accidental spill happens while we’re out. 

These compact, bleach-free pens effectively erase just about any stain on all fabric types. We found that Tide pens work best on grass, syrup, and ink marker stains. While the wine stain was significantly lightened, it still needed more treatment. 

I’m personally notorious for spilling sauce on my top whenever I’m out dining, so I can also vouch for this stain remover. Two hours post-brunch, I noticed a blob of dried syrup on my black sweater, which I was able to immediately lift, thanks to a friend, who had a Tide To Go Instant Stain Remover in her purse. There was no need to change outfits or run home to a washing machine. 

While this pen is great for emergency spills while on-the-go, it doesn’t replace a traditional wash, and because of its small size and slow application process, removing larger-sized stains is not suggested.

_{Type: Pen | Amount: 3 pens | Scent: Light chemical smell | Application Method: Blot stain, press pen tip, rub gently}

Best for Kid Stains

Hate Stains Co. Miss Mouth’s Messy Eater Stain Treater

$17 at Amazon View on Hatestains.com

If you prefer a quick-acting cleaner that'll lift your textile's filthiest stain within a few spritzes, consider Miss Mouth's Messy Eater Treater Spray. After testing the popular cleaner ourselves, we can see this being every parent's go-to stain remover and a diaper bag necessity.

This spray can be used on various stained fabrics and surfaces, including linen, upholstery, suede, and your kiddo's toys. Its biodegradable formula can also double as shoe clean and carpet stain remover.

While we love how portable Miss Mouth's Messy Eater Treater Spray is, this may not be the longest-lasting cleaner given its small, 4-ounce size. Given the small amount of product you get, we also think this spray can be quite costly. For longevity purposes, we would use this spray on small stains or while on the go.

Best on Tough Stains

Carbona Laundry Stain Scrubber

$8 at Amazon $11 at Walmart

If your favorite shirt has a dried, set-in stain, don’t worry, it can still be saved. The Carbona Laundry Stain Scrubber is a Spruce-approved, standout pick, thanks to its unique scrubbing brush head and stain-removing formula that lifts tough, set-in spills.

Unlike any cleaner on our list, this Carbona stain remover is constructed with a built-in brush applicator. The brush made us feel like we were actually working the treatment into our dried stains. That is, until it came time to test the fresh stains.

During testing, the applicator picked up the fresh chocolate, but unfortunately smeared it onto the next stain. From our testing, we highly recommend sticking to old, set-in stains when using this stain fighter.

If you prefer your cleaning products to have a subtle and underwhelming scent, the Carbona Laundry Stain Scrubber will be right up your alley. We put our noses directly up to the applicator to detect the cleaner's scent and were delighted with its light yet pleasant smell.

_{Type: Gel | Amount: 8.4 ounces | Scent: Light | Application Method: Apply from bottle, use scrubber to work in stain}

Best on Fresh Stains

Seventh Generation Laundry Stain Remover

$31 at Amazon $4 at Target View on Grove.co

For busy households filled with little ones whose clothes are always covered with fresh food spills, we highly recommend keeping a bottle of Seventh Generation’s Laundry Stain Remover on hand. 

While the product didn’t effectively eliminate all the stains equally, we noted that the cleaner performed better on newer, fresh stains than dried, set-in ones.

If you’re someone with a busy schedule and can’t get to the laundry room right away, you can quickly pre-treat your stain with a few spritzes of this remover and won’t have to worry about throwing it in the wash for up to 24 hours.

And if you’re someone who prides themselves on using eco-friendly products, you’ll love the Seventh Generation Laundry Stain Remover even more. This cleaner has a plant-based formula with no dyes or fragrances. Plus, you can’t beat the price point of $4. 

_{Type: Spray | Amount: 16 ounces | Scent: Unscented | Application Method: Spray, wash within 24 hours}