Below is a kind of ready reference or quick guide to stain removal from fabrics:
| Beer (including dark beer) | Paint a paste of Napisan Oxygen on the stain and leave for 15 minutes. Then wash normally. |
| Beetroot | Treat with glycerine before washing normally. |
| Bird droppings | Wash fabric normally. |
| Blood | Wash fresh bloodstains through the washing machine on the cold setting. If you can’t, use cornflour and water. For old bloodstains, use cold water and soap. |
| Chewing gum | Harden the gum with ice and cut as much off as possible with scissors or a blade. Then apply dry-cleaning fluid with a cotton ball, sprinkle talcum powder to absorb it and work the remaining gum out by rubbing in circles. |
| Chocolate | First clean with soap and cold water. Then clean with soap and hot water. |
| Coffee or tea | For fresh stains, use glycerine applied with a cotton ball, then wash in washing powder. For old stains, use glycerine, then dry-cleaning fluid and detergent. |
| Deodorant | Use dry-cleaning fluid before washing. |
| Egg yolk | Use soap and cold water first, then washing powder and warm water. |
| Fruit juice | Use detergent and sunshine. For stone fruits and fruits with a high tannin, treat the stain with glycerine first. |
| Grass | Use dry-cleaning fluid before washing in washing powder. |
| Grease and oil | Detergent suds. For heavy staining, soak in baby oil first. |
| Hair dye | Dry-cleaning fluid or kerosene, or hairspray if you can get to the stain immediately. |
| Ink or ballpoint pen | Rotten milk or dry-cleaning fluid. Use glycerine first on red ink. |
| Lipstick and make-up | Dry-cleaning fluid |
| Milk | Wash normally on cold cycle. |
| Mud | For red clay mud, apply dry-cleaning fluid then wash. For black mud, wash in the washing machine. |
| Nail polish | Apply acetone, not nail polish remover. |
| Paint | For water-based paint, use methylated spirits. For oil-based paints, use turpentine. |
| Rust | Use CLR or lemon juice and salt. |
| Sap | Apply dry-cleaning fluid. |
| Shoe polish | Use methylated spirits. |
| Soft drinks | Treat as though it’s a fruit stain because soft drinks are made of vegetable dyes. |
| Sweat | Make a paste of Napisan Oxygen and water and leave on the stain for 15 minutes before washing normally. |
| Tar | Use baby oil, kerosene or dry-cleaning fluid. |
| Urine | Wash in washing powder and dry in sunshine. |
| Vomit | Washing powder, sunshine or Napisan, washing machine and dryer. |
| Wax | Ice, dry-cleaning fluid, talcum powder. |
| Wine | New red wine—vinegar. Old red wine—glycerine, bicarb and vinegar. White wine—vinegar. |