Expert reveals how to magically remove the most stubborn stains on clothing: 'Good as new'

If you've ever had to toss a beloved piece of clothing after it acquired a stubborn grease stain, one cleaning expert has good and bad news for you. 

The bad news: That piece of clothing could have likely been salvaged. The good news: There's a super easy way to make sure you won't have to lose any clothes to grease stains in the future.

The scoop

Home hacks expert Laura de Barra (@lauradebarra) explained her degreasing trick in a video. "Don't throw it out, let's sort it out," she says. "This works even if you've washed the garment already."

@lauradebarra Get rid of grease stains for good! This is an easy stain removal tip using a cheap and easy to find product #grease #greasestains #stain #stains #stainremover #stainremoval #laundry #washing #washingmachine #laundrytok #laundrytips #cleanclothes #slowfashion #garmentgoddess #laundryhack #greasestain ♬ original sound - LauradeBarra

The process is easy. Simply rub dish soap into the stain, let it sit for a few minutes, and then wash it as usual. Removing her stained sweatshirt from the wash after using the hack, Laura says proudly: "Here she is, as good as new."

Some stains will come out immediately, she explains, but if a stain is persistent, it may require multiple rounds of washing.

"But it will come out," she assures.

Finally, she emphasizes to air dry the item, as heat can essentially bake a colorful stain into a garment (something more common with food stains).

How it's helping

This solution, which uses something that nearly all households already own, is one of the cheapest ways to clean clothing. It's far more cost-effective than any fancy branded cleaning solution or dry cleaning, and as Laura shows, it works just as well on stains.

Not only does this help save money on cleaning supplies, but it also prevents people from needing to buy new clothes to replace any lost to stains. Multiple commenters chimed in to this effect. 

"Literally have clothes chucked in a pile that are now my 'dirty job' clothes because they have grease stains," one person shared. "Might get half my wardrobe back!"

What motivates you to wash your clothes in cold water? Saves money 💰 Saves energy 🌎 Gentler on clothes 👕 I wash my clothes in hot water 🙅 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Preventing these salvageable clothes from going to waste also benefits the environment. Our landfills are currently suffocating in textile waste; over 92 million tons enter landfills — and worse, oceans — every year, according to Earth.org. 

Considering that many modern fabrics are woven with plastics and chemicals in them, as they gradually break down, they contaminate the environment. The European Environment Agency estimates that anywhere from 200,000 to 500,000 tons of microplastics enter the ocean via textiles every year.

What everyone's saying

Many commenters had tried this and similar hacks with success.

"Can confirm it works a treat," one person said. 

Another echoed the sentiment, saying it "works every time."

Others shared their related tips. 

"You can also use cornflour - cover mark in the flour, gently rub in. Leave for about an hour. Then wash as normal. The flour draws the grease out the fabric," one explained. 

Another suggested mixing the dish soap with baking soda to form a cleaning paste. 

Many people have been looking to incorporate more natural cleaning products into their routines, both for their affordability and their toxin-free ingredients. For example, cleaning enthusiasts have shared tips, including using lemon and baking soda to unclog drains, removing sweat stains from white shirts using baking soda and vinegar, and making reusable "Lysol" sanitizing wipes using washable rags and isopropyl alcohol.

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