These Are the 6 Best Stain Removers We Tested, and They Can Handle Everything from Red Wine to Olive Oil (2024)

In our opinion, if you’re living fully and joyfully, stains are inevitable. Whether it’s a splash of red wine on a blouse from a delicious dinner, a smear of grass on the knee of your jeans from a sunny picnic, or a drop of olive oil on a comfy T-shirt from cooking a favorite meal, stains happen. And while you likely have kitchen cleaners, mops, steam mops, and other kitchen cleaning tools already stashed for handling spills and cooking mishaps, we want you to be equally prepared to combat stains on your clothes.

That’s why we had our expert testers try out over 20 of the best stain removers on the market to see how they fared against some of the trickiest stains to remove, including dropping red wine, chocolate, and olive oil on clothing garments. The winner proved effective against every test we threw at it. Read on for the best stain removers for every situation — so you never have to say goodbye to a stained garment again.

Our Favorite

Simply put, the Method Stain Remover performed the best on all the stains we tested, from fresh to set-in and grass to olive oil. We also loved that it’s a gel, which can be washed right away or left to soak, while the built-in brush helped work the product into the stain for maximum stain-lifting results.

The Tests

To determine the best stain removers on the market, we measured each product's ease of use, effectiveness, scent, and value. To come up with a rating for each of these attributes, we tested the stain removers on fresh stains, applying the stain remover between one and 30 minutes after creating the stain and on set-in stains — or stains that were created and dried before the stain remover was applied. We looked at the performance of the remover on six different types of stains: red wine, chocolate syrup, grass, blue marker, olive oil, and face makeup (foundation). The manufacturer’s instructions were followed for all the products, so if clothes were meant to be machine washed after the stain remover was applied, that was what we did.

After testing each product, we assessed the level of leftover staining to determine how well the remover performed. Beyond effectiveness, we also looked at the effort required to remove a stain or a particularly difficult application process, any scent, and how much remover was included or required for use.

Factors to Consider

Formulation

Stain removers typically come in four different formulations: liquid/spray, powder, gel, and pen. “A spray stain remover is easy and quick to use, allows you to quickly cover a large area of fabric, and is usually formulated to tackle most everyday household stains,” says Courtenay Hartford, author of The Cleaning Ninja. “A powder stain remover is usually a bit more work to use, but it’s great for tougher, more set-in stains. Gel stain removers are usually formulated to be an all-purpose solution like sprays, and pen stain removers are created specifically to target all the types of stains that you might run into when you're out and about away from home.”

Stain Type

The make up of your stain is going to play a role in the stain remover that you choose. Hartford says spray and gel stain removers are typically formulated to treat a wide variety of household stains, while powder stain removers are meant to target tougher stains like food, grass, wine, and oil-based stains. Pens, meanwhile, are most effective against food- and drink-related stains, as these are the ones you are most likely to run into when you’re on the go.

Fabric Type

As the gentlest type, spray stain removers are generally safe to use on most fabrics. “Powder stain removers can be a bit harsh, so stay away from using them on leather, silk, wool, or cashmere,” suggests Hartford. “A lot of gel removers come with a little built-in brush, and you'll want to use that to help work the gel into the stain so it can penetrate and treat the stain, so stay away from using them with delicate fabrics and knit sweaters that don’t do well with the brushing required.”

As far as pens go, the color of the fabric may matter more than the type. “The main active ingredient in stain removal pens is a gentle form of hydrogen peroxide,” notes Hartford. “Most fabric dyes are colorfast enough to withstand it, but it's a great idea to spot-test the pen on a hidden inseam before you treat a stain in the middle of your shirt if you're concerned about the hydrogen peroxide bleaching the garment.”

Wait Time

While pen stain removers are meant to be used when you’re away from home, most others require a cycle through the washing machine after application. However, the time from application to washing will vary. “You should wash your clothing items right away after using a spray stain remover. It's not ideal for spraying a stain and leaving it to sit for days because the stain can become more set-in to the fabric,” Hartford says.

Powder and gel removers, on the other hand, are meant to sit and soak. “Since it needs several hours of soaking time, a powder stain remover is best to use when you aren't in a hurry,” notes Hartford. “With gel, you can treat the stain right away and leave the item to sit for up to a few days until you're ready to do your laundry.”

Other Stain Removers We Tested

Strong Contenders

Seventh Generation Laundry Stain Remover

While this spray-style product performed quite well on fresh stains, as well or better than the others we tested, it only succeeded in completely removing one of the set-in stains—the others faded, but none were totally removed.

Grove Co. Stain Remover Spray

This product worked on some of the easier stains but left too many behind after treatment — notably both the fresh and set-in wine stains and the fresh and set-in makeup stains — for it to make our list.

Carbona Laundry Stain Scrubber

Our testers liked how the brush top on this product worked the stain remover into the stain, but it also seemed to pick up stain remnants and smear them elsewhere. For this reason, it seemed to work better on set-in stains than fresh, and we wanted products that excelled at both.

HEX Performance Stain & Stink Remover

We liked the lemon scent and the easy-to-apply spray nozzle on this stain remover, but it wasn’t as effective as other products we tested, with five of the twelve stains tested remaining on the clothes after treatment.

Ingredients Matter Stain Stick

While our testers liked applying this bar-style stain remover, it struggled to remove many of the stains entirely after just one treatment. Plus, unlike a spray, gel, powder, or pen that can be tucked back into a cupboard or bag, you’d need to find somewhere to stow the sudsy bar after using it.

What Didn't Make the List

We tested several other stain removers that didn’t make the cut. In general, the prices tended to be higher while not performing as well as our top picks, giving them less value for the money. The products also tended to be harder to apply, with either the spray being difficult to direct at the stain or the product being difficult to mix. Finally, they were not as effective at removing all the stains we tested as our winners were.

Our Expertise

Alyssa Sybertz is an experienced food and home writer and recipe developer who covers anything and everything you may find in our kitchen or throughout your home for Food & Wine. For this article, she used insights from our testers who evaluated 21 stain removers to determine the best of the best for all your stain elimination needs.