Food is a wonderful thing. It nourishes us and keeps us full throughout the day. If you love cooking and eating, it’s no surprise that your favorite shirt could have been stained by fat or cooking oil. Or you may have accidentally poured your coffee on your favorite dress. There are a lot of things that can happen while eating and it usually results in a bad stain.

No fret! You can use your favorite shirt again because there are ways to remove those bad stains. Here are our four tips to get rid of common food stains.

Fat Stains

Oils and fats (like butter and frying fat) cannot be removed as easily as most other stains. This is why it is also the most difficult to combat such stains. In connection with water, the stain is even spread or reinforced. Instead, sprinkle some cornstarch or talcum powder on the stain. Talcum powder works like a natural absorbent that absorbs the stains into it. After sprinkling, leave it for about 30 minutes. Then you shake off the powder, the stain should now be visibly faded or gone. Then simply wash as usual to completely remove the stain.

Red Wine

A natural enemy of the red wine stain is white vinegar. The acetic acid contained dissolves all residues of the red wine. So just pour some white vinegar on the stain to rinse out the wine and then rub the stain out with a paper towel or napkin. The red wine should then be gone – now all you have to do is throw the garment in the laundry to wash out the vinegar smell.

Coffee and Tea

These stains tend to be less intense than others because both coffee and tea are basically dilutions of water and brewed beans or tea leaves. So first try to wash the stain out under cold water. If the stain doesn’t come out by then, rub a small amount of detergent into it. You can use an old toothbrush or rub the fabric of the garment together. Rinse with cold water and the stain is gone!

Chocolate Stains

Chocolate stains are also very difficult to remove. Chocolate not only contains fat compounds (in cocoa butter) that repel water, but also color compounds (cocoa powder) that are melted into the fats. In this case, rub a mild detergent into the affected area of ​​your garment – this will remove both the oil and color from the stain. Let the detergent sit for a few minutes before rinsing it out and repeat the process (if necessary) until the stain is gone.

Final tips

In addition to the well-known staple foods, a well-stocked kitchen should contain cornstarch, white vinegar and a common cleaning agent to successfully combat food stains from cooking and eating. When in doubt, normal white vinegar is a good starting point for removing stains. And the following always applies: the earlier the stain is treated, the easier it can be removed. For stubborn stains, I use a soft toothbrush to rub the detergent out with extra strength. This means that ruined clothing should be a thing of the past from now on.