The best zero waste stain remover + some stain science 

I used to not bother with special stain removals. I wanted my laundry routine to be fuss-free and easy… but then…When I started buying nicer things, I really loved…I wanted to learn how to take care of them better. With better proper care, my things last longer, look like new for longer, and I stopped contributing to piles of waste at the landfill or more material for incinerators…
There are several zero waste stain remover options, all quite natural and reasonably available. What I can say for sure, commercial organic stain removers will be gentler, so not as efficient at bad stains. I tried several and thought they were a waste of money. It’s hard to get a balance between gentle, not harmful to the environment, and really efficient right.
That is why I looked into stain removal more, to find better techniques and prep work on how to clean stains, no matter what soap or stain remover you are using.

Side note: Did you know laundry cleaner manufacturers aren’t required to disclose ingredients used in laundry detergents and stain removers? So they do not. Some still use microplastic and ingredients harmful to the environment.

Related: Zero waste plastic free laundry routine from start to finish

General tips before you apply a stain remover

I think you already knew this, but for people at the back, the sooner you can soak or wash off a stain, the better.

What is also good to know about natural stain removals is that there are 2 kinds of stain removal, actual stain removal vs. bleaching the stain so it becomes less visible. I describe this in more detail in my post on why I stopped making my own laundry detergent.
Most often, stain removals will do a bit of both. I find it often doesn’t matter which one it is really, though it is a bit gross to think sth. is still dirty, just not visible…

For best success, you need to know what we are dealing with. There are several types of stains:

1. PROTEIN BASED: blood, milk, ice-cream, various body fluids…
2. OIL BASED: oil, cosmetics, makeup…
3. TANIN BASED: tea, coffee, coke, berries …
4. DYE BASED: ink, colorants in food and drinks
5. COMBO: mayo (protein+oil), ketchup, most finished dishes, most processed food…

Each category has its own stain remover and you can treat some in the same way. The most important thing to remember is:

Never rinse/wash in hot water on blood (protein-based stains).

Never use a stain remover with soap on coffee or tea stains, use pure detergent only. By soap, I mean hand soap, body soap, laundry soap, laundry detergent with Marseilles soap…

So, what do you do instead?

You will want to rinse off the stain with cold, and I mean very cold water. Turn your tap water on the coolest it will go to rinse and soak the stain. Soak with what? Keep reading…

Pre-soak with laundry detergent

If your stains aren’t too old, I would probably just try to soak it with laundry detergent, or dish soap for oil-based stains (just be careful to rinse off dish soap before putting it in the washing machine, you might have a bubbly fiasco on your hands if not) and wash it in a warm or hot cycle if possible. I found we often use stain removers because are told we have to. Some laundry detergents are quite powerful, especially the powdered ones and that is why I got away with not using a stain remover on my clothes for so long. Enzyme based detergents are also quite good at removing stains.

*Washing soda

Washing soda is what I treat my oils stains on kitchen towels with. I have a special set of kitchen towels that I use just like a paper towel and those do get dirty often. Every couple of months, I will chuck them in the washer with a good cup of washing soda (not baking soda) and regular cleaner. Washing soda works by bleaching the stain, not actually removing it.

It can be quite harsh, so I do not use it on clothes and I try to not do it too often.

I buy it at my local zero waste store or organic store. You might also be able to find them in a hardware store, with solvents and cleaners.

It’s also what I used when I tested the Ecoegg|laundry egg.

A word on ammonia based stain removers

It’s often found in old-school “natural-looking” cleaners shelf where I live, so I thought I would include it here, though I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. Here is why.
Ammonia is great as a textile stain remover, for carpet spills, as a car seat cleaner, and works very well on all types of stains. I have used an ammonia solution on an old chocolate stain and it worked like magic. You can also find it in window cleaners or pots cleaners since it doesn’t really leave a residue. And very little goes a very long way…

…but it toxic to aquatic animals (it’s sometimes just dumped into rivers or oceans by the coal industry) and the fumes are highly toxic to humans as well. If you decide to use sth. like that, protect yourself, wear goggles, gloves, and use an appropriate concentration (5-10%), dispose of it properly. Also, ammonia stinks like sth. else and the fumes are harmful, so always do it outside or well-ventilated area.

Acid-based stain remover

Stage one: citric acid or acetic acid aka lemon and vinegar

Citric acid is found in lemons (and other citrus fruits) and acetic acid is vinegar. The problem with those two is that they are sometimes not quite potent enough in their natural states. Try lemon and vinegar on coffee and tea stains, grass, or other protein-based stains.

Use acid only in the pretreatment stage and never put it directly in the washing machine. Some types of rubber react with it and get damaged, which can get to leaks.

Health warning: do not inhale.

Also, do not use acid near metal buttons or decorations, they can get damaged as well.

Acid should also never be used on any type of stone or wood, no matter the stain. It works great on glass (just not glasses, since it can remove anti-glare or anti-blue light layers).

For what it’s worth: hydrogen peroxide and bleach

Hydrogen peroxide is hard to get and it’s not really used as a stain remover in my neck of the woods. I know it can be used as a good all-round brightening solution and it’s gentler on textile than bleach.

I really dislike using bleach on stains because I always manage to get it on something else as well and it tends to linger around, so I got accidental bleach stains weeks later.

My mom will use a diluted solution to clean tiles in the bathroom and it does a good job, but for me, the stink and elbow grease required just isn’t worth it.

So what do I use then?

Old school stain remover – Gallseife

Galseife is a mix of a vegetable hard soap and ox bile. It’s the stuff out great great grandmas would use to get stains out of wool, silk, or any kind of other textiles. It’s suitable for delicates as well, it preserves colors and can be applied as many times as needed. It’s 100 % biodegradable and not harmful to the environment (providing there are no harsh chemicals included). By buying organic you can control at least some of the ingredients.

It cleans oil and protein based stains very well, including makeup stains, fruit stains and dyes.

Sonett stain remover gall soap does quite well and is 100% zero waste, plastic-free. See it here.

*This is not a vegan product and honestly, I’m not sure we have to use animals for cleaning our stuff as well, except when it is a by-product (meaning when we are trying to use the whole animal).

Zero waste and natural Fuellers Earth or Terre de Sommières

Also known as bleaching clay, whitening clay, multani mitti, clay of Multan… It would normally be named after a town where it is mined.

I really like this one because it is naturally occurring all over the world and has been used since ancient times.

It is amazing on oil based stains, but it’s also a really all-around stain remover, for collar stains, deodorant stains etc. The best use for Fuellers Earth though is the dreaded red wine stain. It works as a natural dry cleaning agent, all you need to do is apply it to the stain and it will soak it in.

Where to buy:

• Powder here or on Iherb
• plastic-free stain remover bar from The Théophile Berthon

2 in 1 zero waste stain remover

Most commercially produced stain removers, including natural, zero waste stain removers are a cocktail of bleaching and cleaning agents.

A zero waste stain remover from another French soap maker La Savonnerie des Calanques contains both ox bile and Terre de Sommières and comes plastic free. See it here.

Key takeaways

1. never treat bloodstains with heat
2. never treat coffee or tea stains with soap
3. pre-treat with your regular detergent – it might be enough
4. acidic based cleaners are better for protein-based stains
5. don’t use washing soda in your washer