28 Surprising Hacks to Remove Pretty Much Any Stain

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1. Use lemon juice to remove rust stains on kitchen knives.

Rust stains form on knives when you let them dry in the dishwasher. Get rid of them easily by soaking knives for a few minutes in lemon juice, then rub them clean with a cloth.

2. Pimple cream can remove ink stains from plastic dolls.

Use pimple cream to remove ink stains from plastic dolls.

You’ll want to use acne cream with benzoyl peroxide (cheap at the dollar store!). Generously apply the cream on the toy, then place the doll in the sun for a few hours. Afterwards, just rise the doll off with water, and the ink should be gone.

3. Get rid of blood and grease stains with a can of cola.

Cola contains carbonic and phosphoric acids that won’t harm you but will do some major stain-fighting action on fabrics with blood and grease. Add cola to your normal wash cycle for best results.

4. Put baby powder on an oil stain and let it soak up the oil overnight.

5. Mold and mildew stains disappear with vodka.

Get rid of mold and mildew stains with vodka.

Spritz it on mildew-y bathtub caulking, stains, even eyeglasses, and let sit for 15 minutes. Scrub with an old toothbrush.

6. Clean away shower curtain liner stains in a washing machine.

Throw a towel in with the liner to help scrub away the grime.

7. Get rid of soap scum and hard water stains with cooking spray.

8. Orange peels will also get rid of water stains.

Get rid of water stains with orange peels.

Rub orange peels directly onto stainless steel faucets and appliances. The citric acid and the oils in the orange peels create a streak-free finish.

9. Remove a permanent marker stain from nearly any surface with regular toothpaste.

10. Use hairspray on ink stains.

Using alcohol-based hairspray is key. The ink won’t disappear right away, but once you wash it, voila!

11. Or, soak ink-stained fabric in a solution of milk and vinegar.

You’ll use 2 parts whole milk and 1 part distilled vinegar to soak your garment.

Place the article of clothing in a large bowl, ensuring the stained part is in the most shallow portion of the bowl. Pour the milk into the bowl, covering the stained fabric. Then pour about half as much vinegar in. Let your stained clothing soak overnight. Check in the morning to see if the stain is still there. If it is, rub the fabric to work out the stain, then launder as usual.

12. Remove crayon stains on walls with WD-40.

Use WD-40 to remove crayon or marker from walls. (BUT, only use on walls with a sheen to the paint — the oil in WD-40 can stain matte or flat paints!) Wipe away the stain with a clean rag.

WD-40 will also remove marker and crayon from furniture and appliances!

13. Remove rust stains from concrete with citrus Kool-Aid.

Mix together a few drops of water with a packet of lemon-flavored Kool-Aid. Use a brush to scrub the stains away. The abrasive paste plus the citric acid can do wonders for your driveway or patio.

14. Citrus Kool-Aid will also help scrub away toilet-bowl stains.

Pour a packet or lemon or orange flavored Kool-Aid into your toilet bowl and scrub away the stains with a toilet brush. The citric acid and the abrasive texture of the powder help break down and dissolve stains. Plus, citrus Kool-Aid smells a whole lot better than chemical cleaning solutions!

15. Use the white side of an orange peel to gently whiten teeth.

Ever wonder why cosmetic manufacturers often use citrus ingredients in their products? It’s because of the d-limonene found in citrus rinds.

To gently whiten teeth without harsh chemicals that could break down your enamel, rub the white part of an orange rind on your teeth just before brushing. Do this daily for a couple of weeks and see a difference!

16. Remove hair dye from skin with olive oil.

Dip a cotton ball into olive oil and rub it on the dyed area on your skin for several minutes.

Rinse the oil off with warm water. If the dye’s still there, reapply the oil and leave it on your skin for longer before rubbing and washing off.

RELATED: 16 Game-Changing Beauty Shortcuts for Busy Moms

17. Dip a towel in rubbing alcohol to remove lipstick stains.

Avoid saturating the stain with the rubbing alcohol by applying it to a towel first. Then dab the lipstick away!

18. Wipe away deodorant stains with a new or used dryer sheet.

Remove deodorant stains with a new or used dryer sheet.

The dryer sheet’s light abrasive texture is perfect for lifting deodorant stains.

19. Use lemon juice and baking soda to get rid of armpit stains.

Squeeze fresh or concentrated lemon juice and water onto the stain and rub the mixture in. Allow the shirt to dry out in the sun for extra stain-removing power. For tough stains, create a paste of baking soda and water and apply to the stain. Let it sit for about an hour before throwing it into the wash.

20. Dab white vinegar on coffee and tea stains before washing.

Like alcohol, vinegar does wonders on clothing stains.

21. Use toothpaste to remove coffee and tea stains from mugs.

Regular, baking-soda based toothpaste works best.

22. Erase scorch marks on an iron with vinegar.

Remove scorch marks on an iron with vinegar.

Add a bit of vinegar onto a clean cloth and rub until the burn is removed.

If your iron is extra grimy, soak a paper towel in vinegar and lay it flat. Sprinkle a bit of baking soda over the towel and move your burnt iron back and forth over the baking soda (the baking soda will act as an abrasive). When the surface is cleaned to your satisfaction, turn the iron on to its steam setting so that any stuck baking soda is pushed out of the holes. Repeat as necessary.

23. Clean off stains from baking sheets with a baking soda and peroxide paste.

Remove stains from baking sheets with a baking soda and peroxide paste.

While wearing gloves, put about 1/4 cup of baking soda in a small glass bowl and add just enough hydrogen peroxide to form a paste. Using steel wool or a sponge, rub the paste into your baking pan’s stains. Allow the paste to sit for about 45 minutes before wiping and rinsing clean.