Given its dark color, soy sauce can be a formidable foe in the laundry room, especially if you've spilled it on your favorite white shirt. If you act quickly, though, you should be able to remove soy sauce stains right out of just about any kind of fabric, carpeting or upholstery.

Combine 1 cup of lukewarm water with a bleach- and alkaloid-free crystal detergent (such as dishwasher or laundry soap). Blot this solution into the carpet or upholstery using a clean cloth.

Drop 1 tbsp. of ammonia into 1/2 cup water. Using a different clean cloth, blot this into the carpet or upholstery on top of the detergent solution.

Apply the detergent solution a second time, on top of the ammonia.

Get a sponge and some clean water. Soak the sponge, wring it out and blot the soy sauce stains in your carpet.

Supplement your efforts by applying a carpet cleaner spray product to the stain, as per the instructions on the label. Consult a professional carpet cleaner if you still cannot remove the soy sauce stains.

Take a clean cloth or paper towel to soak up as much of the soy sauce as you can. Do not rub the cloth into the fabric.

Turn your cold water faucet on and run water over the stain, from the back.

Get enough liquid laundry detergent to cover the stain completely and apply it to the affected area. Using your fingers, rub it in, but be gentle.

Add a dash of white vinegar, lemon juice or a mild bleach to the stain, if the article of clothing is white or made of colorfast fabric. Use a sponge to work the cleaning agent into the fabric.

Rinse the stain. Hold it up to the light to see if it came out. If not, repeat the application of laundry detergent and/or bleach, lemon juice or vinegar as needed until the stain is gone.

Saturate the area with a laundry gel or fabric treatment spray. Put the article of clothing into the washing machine and wash it with liquid detergent.

Check to see if the stain is gone before the clothing dries. If it's still there, reapply some liquid laundry detergent to it, prepare a tub of warm water and let the item of clothing soak for an hour. Rinse it off and wash it in the machine again.