The finder currently covers 12 stain entries. Start with a washable, colourfast item and a known fibre, then use the individual route’s fabric limits. Most routes cover cotton or polyester; the chocolate entry is cotton-only. Unknown fibres, wool, silk and dry-clean-only items need item-specific advice. Inspect the mark before drying heat.
Open stain & fabric finder- The fabric and care label determine whether a stain route applies.
- Mud, coffee and other stains do not all need the same first step.
- Leave an unknown fabric unknown rather than choosing a convenient route.
In this guide
Check the item before treating the mark
Read the finished care label and fibre information before reaching for a treatment. A familiar-looking white shirt can still have a finish, print or trim with its own restrictions. A stain’s name does not tell you whether the proposed product is suitable for the item.
Check colourfastness as the item and treatment instructions require, including the specified testing method. If the fibre, label or colour response is unclear, pause the general route. Selecting cotton merely to reveal instructions would answer a question you have not established.
Check the actual scope of each stain entry
The current finder has 12 entries, shown below. These are reference methods with fabric gates, not results from testing every stain on every fibre. A new entry does not authorise an unsupported fabric.
For each route, read the first step before applying a treatment: loose mud is allowed to dry before brushing, whereas a fresh liquid stain may call for blotting or a cool rinse. Use one compatible product’s directions and keep any restrictions from the original care label.
| Stain entry | Supported fibres | First step |
|---|---|---|
| Tea | cotton / polyester | For plain tea, promptly flush the mark with warm running water only if the fabric label allows it; wet the area again before pretreatment. |
| Tomato sauce | cotton / polyester | Lift off sauce solids with a spoon or blunt edge, then flush cold water through the back of the mark for around 5–10 minutes without spreading it. |
| Deodorant residue | cotton / polyester | Gently lift or brush off visible deodorant residue; cold-water rinsing can help remove loose material. |
| Fresh pen ink | cotton / polyester | Check the care label and test colourfastness before wet treatment. Keep ink off adjacent clean fabric and act before the mark dries. |
| Chocolate on washable colourfast cotton | cotton | Gently lift excess chocolate; rinse from the reverse with cold water. |
| Makeup / lipstick on sturdy washable cotton or polyester | cotton / polyester | Choose detergent for the colour and fibre; spot-test according to its label. |
| Blood | cotton / polyester | On washable fabric, flush from the reverse with cold water. |
| Coffee | cotton / polyester | Blot excess liquid without rubbing, then flush washable fabric with cold water. |
| Cooking oil / grease | cotton / polyester | Check the garment label and choose a compatible liquid laundry detergent. |
| Mud | cotton / polyester | Allow mud to dry, then gently lift off loose dirt. |
| Grass | cotton / polyester | Check colourfastness and confirm the fabric can use the chosen detergent. |
| Red wine | cotton / polyester | Place a clean cloth underneath and blot excess wine. Use cool water on washable fabric. |
Read the evidence: Persil UK tea stain guide, detergent pretreatment method · Persil US tomato sauce stain guide · Persil US deodorant stain guide · Ariel UK tough stain guide: ballpoint and felt-tip ink · Henkel / Persil US — How to Get Chocolate Out of Clothes, Furniture & More · Henkel / Persil Arabia — How to Get Makeup and Lipstick Stains Out · Persil US removing blood stains · Persil US removing coffee stains · Persil UK removing oil stains · Persil UK removing mud stains · Persil UK removing grass stains · Persil UK removing red wine stains
Two coffee marks, two different decisions
Imagine coffee on a washable cotton shirt and on a silk top labelled for professional care. On the cotton item, the label, colourfastness and compatible product instructions may establish a route within the finder’s scope. On the silk top, that scope has not been met. Keep the label available and seek care advice for the actual garment.
This comparison matters more than deciding which stain-removal tip sounds strongest. The fabric check determines whether you should use the route at all; the stain check helps choose among routes that remain appropriate.
Read the evidence: Persil US removing coffee stains · Persil UK silk care
Do not use one first step for every stain
For washable items within its scope, the finder distinguishes the opening steps rather than presenting a single household mixture. Its coffee reference starts by dealing with excess liquid and a suitable flush. The mud reference instead allows mud to dry before loose dirt is lifted away. Scrubbing wet mud can spread it further into the item.
Use the matching source and compatible treatment directions for the stain you have identified. Do not import a blood instruction into an oil treatment, or a grass pretreatment into a wool garment. The other supported routes are linked through the finder so the conditions stay beside the steps.
Read the evidence: Persil US removing coffee stains · Persil UK removing mud stains · Persil UK removing grass stains
Follow one permitted route and inspect before heat
Use the treatment product’s own directions for application and washing, while keeping the item’s restrictions in force. Avoid adding household chemicals, a bleach step or a stronger treatment that the route has not established. A persistent mark is a reason to reassess, not proof that an unverified mixture will be appropriate.
Check the result before applying drying heat, following the relevant stain guidance. The blood and red-wine references specifically matter when deciding whether heat belongs in the next step. If a mark persists, seek item-specific or professional advice with the label and details of what you have already used.
- Confirm the item fits the home-care scope.
- Select the identified stain and a compatible product.
- Follow the permitted pretreatment and wash instructions.
- Inspect the mark before choosing the next drying step.
- Keep a note of treatments already applied.
Read the evidence: Persil US removing blood stains · Persil UK removing red wine stains
Use a route-selection record for a narrower stain question
Record the stain, finished fabric, label restrictions, colourfastness check and compatible product before treatment. Add what you have already applied and when.
Coffee on washable cotton can stay within the finder’s supported scope. Coffee on a dry-clean-only silk blouse cannot: changing the fibre selection would change the question, not make the treatment safe. Take the label and treatment history to the maker or cleaner for that item.
Read the evidence: Persil US removing coffee stains · Persil UK removing mud stains · Persil UK silk care · Woolmark choosing a wool detergent
What a real stain-remover test can tell you
Good Housekeeping’s 27 February 2026 report describes tests on white cotton, with 20 stain types set overnight and washed in cold and warm water. It reports that Carbona Laundry Stain Scrubber completely removed ballpoint ink in its test. The same report flags silk as unsuitable for this product.
This is the publisher’s result for its test fabric and formula, not a WashSage trial or a promise for your garment. A successful cotton test does not justify treating silk, an unidentified dye or a different formula. Use the matching product instructions and a hidden-area check before treatment.
Read the evidence: Good Housekeeping: stain-remover tests, published 27 February 2026
Questions before you start
Can I use the stain finder on wool or silk?
The standard home routes are for washable, colourfast cotton or polyester. Wool and silk need compatible item-specific advice. Check the finished care label and a suitable specialist reference rather than selecting another fibre to obtain a routine.
Should every fresh stain be rinsed immediately?
Use the matching guidance. Different stains have different opening steps: the supported mud route lets mud dry before loose dirt is lifted away. First check the item and identify the stain instead of applying one rule to everything.
What if I cannot identify the fabric or stain?
Keep the unknown selection and seek advice with the care label and product details. A guessed fabric or stain can lead to the wrong route. Tell a professional what happened and which treatments, if any, have already been applied.
Can I tumble dry after washing a stained item?
Check both the care label and the remaining mark. Drying permission alone does not mean drying heat is the right next stain-treatment step. Inspect first and follow the relevant route; do not use heat to hurry an unresolved treatment.
Sources and scope
- Persil UK silk care
- Woolmark choosing a wool detergent
- Persil US removing coffee stains
- Persil UK removing mud stains
- Persil UK removing grass stains
- Persil US removing blood stains
- Persil UK removing red wine stains
- Persil UK tea stain guide, detergent pretreatment method
- Persil US tomato sauce stain guide
- Persil US deodorant stain guide
- Ariel UK tough stain guide: ballpoint and felt-tip ink
- Henkel / Persil US — How to Get Chocolate Out of Clothes, Furniture & More
- Henkel / Persil Arabia — How to Get Makeup and Lipstick Stains Out
- Persil UK removing oil stains
- Good Housekeeping: stain-remover tests, published 27 February 2026
Use the finished item’s care label and exact appliance manual for permission and limits. Worked examples explain decisions; they do not certify a particular product or report physical testing. Report a correction with the page and supporting source.