Free laundry tool

Stain & fabric finder

Check 12 stain routes for washable colourfast cotton or polyester, with clear fabric limits.

Free · No account needed Method & sources

Before you start

Identify the stain and fibre; confirm water washing and colourfastness first.

What you’ll get

A sourced treatment route for supported washable cotton/polyester, or a clear stop.

Each supported stain has its own fabric limits. Wool, silk and uncertain garments need specific advice.

Preparing your tool…
My Laundry Setup · optional, saved on this browser

Save appliance details, tariffs or measurements you want to reuse. No account is needed. Applying a setup is always your choice; check your exact model and product before using a saved specification.

Create a setup

Empty fields stay unknown. Changing a unit clears its value so it cannot be reinterpreted accidentally. Editing a published value makes it a manual entry.

Match the stain to the finished fabric.

Does the care label permit water washing?
Is the fabric colourfast with the chosen treatment?
Check the product and garment instructions; test a hidden area first.

Continue with this information

You choose the next step. Matching fields are shared with their original units and source for review. When there are no matching fields, the link opens the tool directly.

How this tool works

Selects a sourced stain route for washable colourfast cotton/polyester. Delicate, unknown, non-colourfast or dry-clean-only items require garment-specific or professional advice. No chemical mixture is recommended.

The numerical limits on form fields are validation bounds, not recommended appliance settings. Missing data is not permission to proceed.

Reference sources

Sources reviewed 2026-10-15. No expert testing or manufacturer approval is claimed. Read our full methodology.

Using this tool

Choose from 12 named stain entries after checking the finished fabric, care instructions and colourfastness. Each route states its own cotton/polyester scope; the chocolate route is cotton-only. Delicate, unknown or dry-clean-only items need item-specific or professional guidance.

Match the stain only after checking the fabric

Select the actual fabric and washability. Do not choose cotton for an unknown item just to obtain a route. Silk and wool need compatible care; the same stain can lead to a different next step on a delicate garment.

The manufacturer references distinguish first actions for named stains, including blood, coffee and mud. Follow the treatment product’s own directions and the finished label.

Read the evidence: Persil US removing blood stains · Persil US removing coffee stains · Persil UK removing mud stains · Persil UK silk care · Woolmark choosing a wool detergent

What the result can and cannot tell you

The route provides bounded steps and source links. It does not guarantee removal, identify an unknown stain or establish that a particular pretreatment is suitable for every finish. Do not mix household chemicals or add an unsupported bleach step.

For example, a coffee mark on washable colourfast cotton may be within scope, while coffee on professional-care silk is not. Check the result after washing and before applying drying heat.

Common questions

Does this cover every stain?

No. It covers 12 named stains within each route’s stated fabric and product conditions. Chocolate is supported only for the cited cotton route.

Does a professional-care result mean the stain cannot be removed?

No. It means the general home route is outside this tool’s scope. A suitable maker or professional may provide item-specific advice.

Can I use the route without a colourfastness check?

Follow the item and treatment product’s test directions. An unverified condition should not be treated as passed.

Guides for this decision

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