We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. The 6 Best Stain Removers, According to Our Tests These products will help you banish every pesky stain, including oil and red wine. By Nick DeSimone Nick DeSimone Nick DeSimone is a pasta-obsessed vegetarian chef who spent nearly 10 years in restaurants before becoming a food writer. They review kitchen products for Food & Wine and love plant-based and Southern Italian cuisines. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on February 18, 2026 In This Article View All In This Article Top Picks Reviews Our Stain Remover Tests Factors to Consider FAQ Others We Tested Our Expertise Credit: Food & Wine / Amazon Stains happen. No matter how hard you try to avoid them, a splash of red wine from a guest's wine glass at a dinner party or a few drops of coffee from your morning coffee mug can become a hard-to-treat stain in an instant. Stains from cooking can be especially hard to clean — tomato sauce, red wine, coffee, dark chocolate, and vegetable oil are common ingredients that are all notoriously difficult to get out of clothing, kitchen aprons, tablecloths, and other fabrics. If you cook often, you'll probably have to deal with spills and splatters at some point, so having a good stain remover on hand is essential. But not all stain removers are equally good at, well, removing stains. It can feel impossible to know which ones can actually save your favorite T-shirt from tomato sauce spatters after slurping spaghetti or preserve your rental deposit after knocking a full cup of coffee onto the carpet. To find out, we rounded up more 40 of the most popular stain removers to see how they perform against the trickiest stains. We found effective stain removers for every type of stain across multiple types of fabrics. So don't worry — the next time you think your favorite shirt is ruined by a spill, we've found the best stain removers for any job. Our Favorite Stain Removers Shout Advanced Stain Remover Gel hit all the marks and lightened the most stains thanks to its unique scrubber brush and gel texture. For carpet stains rather than clothing, we'll always reach for Resolve Pet Expert Stain and Odor Remover because it lifts tricky stains without rinsing or washing. Top Picks Best Overall Stain Remover: SALE Shout Advanced Ultra Concentrated Gel Stain Remover at Amazon $4 $3 Jump to Review Best Stain Remover for Set-In Stains: Grandma’s Secret Spot Remover Laundry Spray at Amazon $17 Jump to Review Best Stain Remover for Oil and Grease Stains: Shout Advanced Grease Busting Foam at Amazon $5 Jump to Review Best Stain Remover for Red Wine Stains: SALE OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover Powder at Amazon $15 $12 Jump to Review Best Stain Remover for Carpets: Resolve Pet Expert Stain and Odor Remover at Amazon $7 Jump to Review Best Stain Remover Pen: Tide To Go Instant Stain Remover at Amazon $9 Jump to Review Best Overall Stain Remover Shout Advanced Ultra Concentrated Gel Stain Remover Credit: Amazon $4 $3 at Amazon $4 at Farmandfleet.com $4 at Walmart Pros We love the gel formula and scrubber brush, which worked together to lift most stains. Cons We wish there were a way to just use the brush without dispensing more product. This Shout Advanced Ultra Concentrated Gel Stain Remover snagged our top spot because it tackled both fresh and set-in stains with ease. For fresh stains, you only need a few minutes for the remover to soak in. For set-in stains, Shout recommends about 8 hours — though if life happens, you can wash the item up to a week after treatment. After treating our grass, marker, syrup, and oil stains with Shout, they completely vanished. It also significantly lifted both the red wine and the foundation — there was only a slight brown tinge where the foundation stain was, which was the best of the bunch. And for under $4, this is an amazing deal. We found this one among the easiest to use during testing because of the combined power of the gel texture and the built-in scrubber head. The gel is easy to control and doesn't just soak all the way through fabric like thinner liquids can; it sits on top of the stain. The scrub brush is a game-changer. Not only did it protect our hands from the gel (a boon for those with sensitive skin), but the brush also helps work the product into the garment's fibers, thoroughly saturating it. The only downside of the brush is that more gel comes out whenever you tip it upside down. If you've already dispensed the amount you want to use and are just trying to work it in with the brush, you can wind up with an annoying mess. Type: Gel | Volume: 8.7 ounces Best Stain Remover for Set-In Stains Grandma’s Secret Spot Remover Laundry Spray Credit: Amazon $17 at Amazon $6 at Walmart Pros This spray actually worked better on set-in stains than new ones, and the application process is straightforward. Cons It's one of the most expensive stain removers we tested and didn't work as well on red wine. Fresh stains can be tricky to begin with, but once they've had time to dry and set in, they can be downright impossible to remove. We didn't have high hopes that any of the tested products could stand up to set-in stains, but then we tried Grandma's Secret Spot Remover. It completely removed the olive oil, which was impressive since old grease stains are notoriously difficult to remove. Though we didn't test it on carpet, Grandma's says it can also be used for carpet stains. The process is very straightforward: You just spritz the stain, wait 5 to 10 minutes, then run the garment through the wash as usual. There's no scrubbing needed, and it can be used with hot or cold water. Grandma's Secret didn't work quite as well on the red wine, though it did lighten that stain considerably. It's also one of the most expensive removers we tested and can sometimes take multiple treatments or a considerable amount of product to treat a stain. If you buy it on Amazon, though, you get a bonus 2-ounce mini-bottle you can keep in the car or your purse for added value. Type: Liquid spray | Volume: 16 ounces Best Stain Remover for Oil and Grease Stains Shout Advanced Grease Busting Foam Credit: Amazon $5 $5 at Amazon $5 at Walmart Pros This easy-to-apply spray foam did an amazing job on tough grease stains. Cons If used incorrectly, it can cause its own stain. As the name suggests, Shout Advanced Grease Busting Foam is formulated specifically for oil and grease stains, and it had no trouble with fresh or set-in oil stains in testing. We were pleasantly surprised that it's versatile beyond oil and grease spots: It easily neutralized grass, chocolate, and marker, too. Like many of the stain removers we tested, the Shout struggled with the red wine stain and couldn't remove it altogether. But for just over $4 per 18-ounce can, it's a great deal. The Shout comes out of the can as a thick foam, which can be a bit messy but makes it easy to coat the entire stain area quickly and evenly. You don't have to worry about scrubbing; you just spray it on the stain and then throw it in the washing machine. However, you have to be sure to wash immediately after using the spray, as it can cause its own stains if it dries on fabric. Because of that, you can't really use this product on carpet, furniture, or other items that can't be rinsed thoroughly. Type: Foam spray | Volume: 18 ounces Best Stain Remover for Red Wine Stains OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover Powder Credit: Amazon $15 $12 at Amazon $12 at Walmart Pros This powdered stain remover easily reversed red wine in addition to other tough stains. Cons You have to mix up powder and water yourself, and it works best if you soak rather than spot-treat. Red wine stains are notorious for resisting almost all removal methods: The other winners of our tests were able to lighten but not fully remove the purple splotches. But fear not! OxiClean can save an otherwise ruined garment. For our main testing, we mixed OxiClean powder with water in a spray bottle and spritzed the stains. That method worked to completely remove both fresh and set-in red wine, something no other stain remover could accomplish. As the name implies, this stain remover is indeed versatile as it also had no trouble removing chocolate, oil, and grass stains. However, OxiClean recommends submerging garments in a powder-and-water solution and soaking for up to 6 hours for tougher set-in stains, such as particularly bad red wine spills or things like foundation, which our spray treatment was not able to remove. Even mixing up a solution in a spray bottle was a hassle and a mess, and soaking is an even more labor-intensive process. On the other hand, you can simply add a scoop of powder directly into your washing machine for an everyday boost to standard detergent. OxiClean's powder format makes it a good value, since this 5-pound bucket could last for years. Type: Powder | Volume: 80 ounces Best Stain Remover for Carpets Resolve Pet Expert Stain and Odor Remover $7 at Amazon $7 at Target $7 at Walmart Pros This spray had no problem lifting the trickiest stains, including pet stains. Cons It's only formulated for carpets and can take multiple applications to fully remove the toughest stains. Though this stain remover is marketed specifically for pet stains, we were impressed with how well it worked with coffee, wine, and peanut butter on carpet. When we used it on a dried coffee stain, Resolve lifted the stain before we even had a chance to scrub, and a fresh coffee stain disappeared immediately after one single spray. It also completely removed the set-in wine stain with just one application. Even oily peanut butter couldn't beat Resolve, though we did have to use two rounds of application to get rid of it entirely. For best results, the process is a bit more labor-intensive than just spray and wipe. You should completely saturate the area, scrub, let it sit for up to 5 minutes, and then blot thoroughly with a sponge or soft towel to remove all traces of stain and cleaner. The other downside is that it's only for carpet; the manufacturer advises against using it on clothing or furniture. Type: Liquid spray | Volume: 22 ounces Best Stain Remover Pen Tide To Go Instant Stain Remover Credit: Amazon $9 at Amazon $9 at Target $8 at Walmart Pros This compact portable stain remover performed surprisingly well on both fresh and set-in stains. Cons Each small pen can only treat a handful of stains. Sometimes, stains happen on the go, where you don't have access to your washing machine or full-sized bottles of stain remover spray — that's where the Tide To Go pen comes in. It's meant to be stored in an office, backpack, purse, diaper bag, or car, treating fresh stains right when they happen. In our tests, it made quick work of the chocolate, grass, and oil stains, while the wine stain was significantly lightened but not removed completely. It also did a surprisingly good job at lightening our set-in stains, too, even though that's not its recommended purpose. This portable pen-style stain remover is really only meant for small stains. The compact applicator (it holds just a third of an ounce) works well on limited areas and is totally mess-free. However, applying it to bigger stains would be tedious and likely use up all the solution at once. This stain remover won't be the one you reach for the most in the laundry room, but it will come to the rescue during a ketchup spill when out to lunch or after a coffee dribble on your morning commute. Type: Liquid pen | Volume: 0.3 ounces Our Stain Remover Tests This roundup includes results from more than 40 stain removers for both laundry and carpet, conducted across multiple rounds of testing. Not all the stain removers we tested were subjected to the exact same tests, but all of our tests are designed to assess the same criteria: performance, ease of use, and value. The exact procedure to evaluate how effective a carpet cleaner is differs from laundry stain removers, so we designed tests tailored to each type of product. We also collected qualiatative insights throughout. All the products we tested underwent some combination of the following tests. Fresh stain test: We stained a garment or carpet with multiple ingredients — some combination of olive oil, salad dressing, chocolate syrup, coffee, red wine, grass, marker, and makeup. We then immediately treated the stains following the manufacturer's instructions, including machine-washing clothes on a regular cycle if applicable. We assessed the remaining stains after treatment, and then reapplied if any stain remained. We also noted if the cleaning process was complicated or required labor-intensive scrubbing or repeated applications.Set-in stain test: We stained a second carpet or garment with the same stains but let them fully air-dry before treating. We followed the same procedure as above, treating the stain and washing it according to the manufacturer's instructions. After both tests, we compared the fresh and set-in stains to each other to compare the efficacy of each remover on both types of stains.Water temperature test: We stained two additional garments for each machine-washable stain remover, treated them, and then washed them separately in hot and cold water. We examined the remaining stains to see if water temperature affected the potency of the stain removers.Carpet stain test: For stain removers specially formulated for carpet, we stained a section of carpet with peanut butter, coffee, and red wine. After applying the stain removers according to the manufacturer's instructions, we used a scrub brush to work in the product and lift the stain. If the remover required blotting, we absorbed the product using paper towels after the elapsed time noted in the instructions. We repeated the test again with stains that had been left to dry for 24 hours and observed if we got different results. We also looked at the stain removers' prices to consider value. At the time of testing, the products we tested ranged in price from $3 to $26, with an average of about $12. This represents a wide range of container sizes, and we tried to look at the price per stain treatment more than just the overall cost. Factors to Consider Formulation Stain removers can come in liquid, gel, or powder form. Liquids and gels can be sprayed or spread directly on a stain, while powders usually must be mixed with water first. Some liquids have a special sprayer that turns them into a foam to cover the stain in a thicker layer that stays put. “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 Most stain removers are formulated for specific situations, like wine stains or oil and grease. However, some are all-purpose stain removers that can be used for almost anything — though possibly not as effectively. If you have space in your cleaning cabinet, we recommend stocking several types of formulas to be ready for any type of stain. Hartford says spray and gel stain removers are typically formulated to treat various household stains, while powder stain removers target tougher stains like food, grass, wine, and oil-based stains. Pens, meanwhile, are most effective against small 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 Some fabrics and dyes are more delicate than others, and they can be damaged by powerful, concentrated stain removers. “Powder stain removers can be a bit harsh, so stay away from using them on leather, silk, wool, or cashmere,” suggests Hartford. Sprayable liquid stain removers are usually more diluted, gentler, and they can be used on fragile fabrics. However, take care when scrubbing or rubbing the liquid in, as this can damage more delicate clothes. “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," Hartford says, "so stay away from using them with delicate fabrics and knit sweaters that don’t do well with the brushing required.” No matter the fabric, you should always read both the clothing label and stain remover directions carefully before applying anything to a garment. Portable stain removers like the Tide To Go pens above are safe for most fabrics, but the garment's color matters more than the fabric 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 Most stain removers are meant as a pre-treatment before clothes go in the washing machine. After treating the stain, the remover needs a little time to work before washing. Most liquid stain removers require just a few minutes — anywhere from 5 to 30. “You should wash your clothing items right away after using a spray stain remover. It's not ideal to spray a stain and leave it to sit for days because the stain can become more set into the fabric,” Hartford says. Some stain removers can actually cause a second stain if they're allowed to dry on clothes. Make sure to read the directions carefully before starting any stain treatment. For more serious clothing stains, you can mix a powder stain remover with water and let the clothes sit and soak for 6 hours or more. “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. If you're using a stain remover for carpet or upholstery, it's a similar situation. The stain remover should sit on the stain for a specific amount of time and then be blotted up to work best. Each brand has slightly different instructions, so follow the procedure for your specific product. Frequently Asked Questions How do you remove stains that have already been washed and dried? The best way to completely lift a stain is to treat it as soon as it happens. Unfortunately, that isn't always possible, and a stain that dries onto clothes or gets washed and dried with ineffective detergent will be much harder to remove. In this case, powder stain removers are usually the best course of action. “A good long soak in a bucket of warm water and a good, powdered stain remover will often work to lighten a set-in stain,” Hartford says. “If that isn't effective, move on to trying a paste of water and powdered stain remover. And if that doesn't work, soak the stain again. You'll usually lighten the stain little by little with each pass, and eventually, the stain will be so light that it won't be noticeable anymore. It's a bit of a project, but it's usually worth it to save your favorite shirt, and it's satisfying when you finally win the battle.” Is hot or cold water best for stain removal? The best water temperature for stain removal depends on the type of stain. Hot water is usually touted as the best way to lift stains, and that's true for grass, oil, and chocolate. But blood, for example, should always be washed in cold water, as high temperatures can set the stain. Additionally, some intense stains — like tomato sauce, coffee, or red wine — benefit from a soak in cold water before a wash in warm or hot. It can be hard to know what's best, but thankfully, the instruction label on your stain remover should tell you what water temperature to use when. Can you use laundry stain remover on carpet? The best way to remove any stain is by following the manufacturer's instructions exactly. Some laundry stain removers are effective because they're meant to be rinsed away after use, which you can't do with carpet. Carpet fiber is also made of different materials and woven differently from clothes, and it requires different cleaning methods. Spending a few extra dollars on a separate carpet-specific stain remover is a lot better than accidentally staining your carpet, if you ask us. Other Stain Removers We Tested Strong Contenders Seventh Generation Laundry Stain Remover ($5 at Target) This spray worked well on fresh stains, but we weren't impressed when it came to set-in stains. It only succeeded in fading them; none were removed entirely, and the foundation stain was particularly steadfast. Carbona Laundry Stain Scrubber ($19 at Amazon) The scrubby applicator excelled at working the solvent into set-in stains, making this remover the right match for old stains. However, the brush's downside is that it seemed to smear fresh stains and make them larger. Since it was only really effective on half the stains, we kept it off the list. Defunkify Laundry Stain Remover Spray ($26 at Amazon) Like many others we tested, this Defunkify stain remover did a pretty good job on everything but red wine and foundation. It left more than just a slight shadow and is the most expensive we tested, so we thought it wasn't a very good value. What Didn't Make the List We tested many other stain removers that didn't make the cut. A few performed about as well as our top picks but were much more expensive, so we didn't think they were worth the money. Many were just too hard to use and apply. A few of the spray removers were difficult to control and gave us uneven saturation. A few of the powder removers we tested were reasonably effective, but just too hard to mix accurately. All of the stain remover bars that functioned similarly to a bar of soap fell short in testing. Some were misses because they could not remove stains as well as the other products we tested, but even the ones that performed well were inconvenient to use. A few of our lowest performers from the earliest round of testing have since been discontinued. 20 Mule Team All-Natural Borax Detergent Booster & Multi-Purpose Household Cleaner ($6 at Walmart) Wine Away Red Wine Stain Remover ($12 at Amazon) Puracy Stain Remover ($7 at Amazon) Shout Laundry Stain Remover Trigger Spray ($3 at Amazon) OxiClean MaxForce Laundry Stain Remover Spray ($7 at Amazon) Tide Laundry Stain Remover Spray with Oxi (2-Pack) ($17 at Amazon) Krud Kutter Sports Stain Remover Laundry Pre-Treat ($13 at Amazon) Attitude Stain Remover Spray for Laundry ($10 at Amazon) Chateau Spill Wine Stain Remover Spray ($11 at Amazon) Ingredients Matter Stain Stick ($16 at Amazon) Meliora Cleaning Products Soap Stick Stain Remover ($11 at Amazon) Zout Triple Enzyme Formula Laundry Stain Remover Foam ($14 at Amazon) Hex Performance Stain & Stink Remover ($18 at Amazon) Wash Away Stain Remover ($14 at Amazon) Miss Mouth's Messy Eater Stain Treater Spray ($10 at Amazon) Our Expertise Nick DeSimone is a writer focused on product reviews and kitchen equipment, as well as a former restaurant cook. They have spent many hours scrubbing stains out of chefs' coats and their mom's nice tablecloths. You can find more of their work at Allrecipes, EatingWell, Eater, and more. Explore more: What to Buy Cleaning Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit