Let’s face it, humans make nasty stains. Yes, even that A-list celeb, that “Perfect Mom” who always out-moms you, even your In-Laws. Because, no matter how civilized, how important, how famous we are (or aren’t), we can all make these stains. And that’s ok, because the key is not whether you make them, it’s knowing how to help remove the tell-tale evidence of them!

For some quick Do’s and Don’ts on removing stains everyone makes, read on:

SWEAT

Not pretty, not elegant. Not a problem. Got a big work presentation? Lugging 2 carseats, diaper bags and 2 screaming kids through a busy airport? Just asked “When are you due?” to someone who was NOT pregnant? Don’t worry. For detailed instructions on how to get those sweat stains out, click HERE but in the meantime, here are some tips:

DO: Pre-treat those sweat marks with your regular liquid laundry detergent by applying it on the stain, rubbing it in and waiting 5 minutes. 

DO: Use the hottest recommended water setting when washing. If your shirt is white, use ¾ cup of Clorox Regular-Bleach or use Clorox 2 for colored clothes.

DON’T: Ask someone “when are you due?” unless you’re absolutely positive they are pregnant.  There’s only downside. Trust me.

BODY SOIL:

So gross, so unavoidable. Body soil is composed of body oils, dead skin flakes and sweat. Oops, I guess I should have made sure you’re not eating… Did you know that the average person oozes out up to 50 grams of body soil a day? That’s about 1 liter of sweat, 1 billion dead skin cells (yes, that’s 1 billion with a “b”) and 10 grams of sebum or body oils. And if you’re a busy mom running after toddlers or teens, well, let’s just say you’re probably squeezing out even more.

Body soils don’t necessarily make stains, but they do contribute to nasty body soil “side effects” like: “ring around the collar,” yellowing of clothes or maybe even that funky smell coming from clothing you stored last season. OK, now that I’ve fully grossed you out, let me tell you how you can get rid of as much of that nasty as possible…

DO: Use the hottest water recommended for that garment. Hot water cleans better!

DO: Check if your items are bleachable. If so, add ¾ cup of Clorox Liquid Bleach- Regular to your detergent which helps remove body soil from fabrics.

DON’T: Panic too much about preventing body soil. Everyone has it. In fact, you’re probably oozing some of it out right now. Eeewww!

BLOOD: 

Ok, let’s keep it real, ladies… this is something you probably think about at least once a month (yes, I’m referring to a period blood stain) or when your kids cut themselves and get blood on nearly every piece of their clothing (and some of yours). Here’s what you can do to get that bloody stain out of your clothes faster than a kid can say, “Mommy! Why is Max playing with the ginsu knives!?”

DO: Rinse that stain with cold water and then presoak for at least 30 mins with laundry detergent.

DO: Use a little saliva (yes, saliva!) to help break up the stain. I don’t know what’s so magic about your own mouth-water, but it can help.  And it’s free!

DON’T: Use hot water. It will set the stain.

DON’T: Let your kid play with ginsu knives

So there you go, Do’s and Don’ts for your nasty stains. For more tips, download our handy (and free!) Clorox® myStain app.  It provides stain removal tips for common stains and more. The app is available for iPhone®, iPod touch® and Android® mobile digital devices and you can download it now by clicking here