Getting red stains out of white garments is a common problem for active households. Sometimes sports uniforms are stained by red clay. A red wine might spill onto the tablecloth. Red sugar drinks might stain a child’s party frock. A scrape or more serious injury might cover a favorite outfit in blood. This does not mean that the clothes are damaged forever. There are ways to get red stains out of white clothes using commercial wares or solutions you make from household products.
Consider the source of the red stain on your clothes. If this stain came from something soluble, rubbing the stain under water will most likely get it out.
Soak the stained garment in warm water and apply liquid dish soap. Soap breaks down the molecular structure of many red stains.
Use a commercial stain-removing product. These products are designed to break up stains and lift them out of material.
Add 1 cup of powdered dishwasher detergent and 1/4 cup chlorine bleach to a basin of hot water. Stir the stained garment in this solution with a plastic or wooden spoon until the dishwasher detergent completely dissolves. Continue to soak the clothes for approximately three hours, then wash normally.
Use a color-remover product, which is chemically different from a stain-removing product, and follow the directions on the label carefully.
Soak the clothes in hot water and a product that uses oxygen bubbles. Launder as usual.
Spray the red stains with hairspray right before washing. Let the garment air dry and repeat this process if necessary.
Take the garment to a professional cleaning service if the material is fragile or non-washable.
Tip
Treat a damaged garment as quickly as you can after it is stained. The longer a stain lingers, the more difficult it is to get out.