Cleaners Battling Persistent Stains
Multiple users are struggling to remove stubborn stains from various surfaces, including work shirts, pans, and bathroom walls. They've tried common cleaning products like 'The Pink Stuff' and magic erasers but with limited success, highlighting the frustration of dealing with difficult grime.
SOURCES (60)
“I’m in an old apartment that wasn’t properly cleaned out. There are stains like this as well as yellow stains on the walls. I used powdered bleach and a brush and a lot of elbow grease to get it to budge. However I’m wondering if…”
“Does anyone have any advice on which products to use to get this out of clothing please? The ingredients are Liquid Paraffin and White Soft Paraffin. It's not a one off stain, it's a product that gets applied daily and as such is quite embedded in the fabric. I'm not bothered about the visual of the stain, just that there's a literal build up on the surface fabric of bits of the emollient. I guess this will be because I generally wash my clothes at 30°c so I could go hotter. I al”
“Checking to see if these stains are something that Zep acidic toilet bowl cleaner would work on. I tired lysol, oxyclean sprays. even with drill brush attachment it wont clean at all. Any other suggestions welcome. Thanks! submitted by /u/thorsrevenge [link] [comments]”
“We just got our walls professionally painted back in July. Today I noticed these stains. Look like grease. I believe when putting on shoes in this area hands are being placed on the wall for steadiness. Either way how do I remove without messing up the paint? The paint is Sherwin Williams. The paint is flat and kind of has a matte finish. We do have extra paint not sure if we should try to paint over it. I just don’t want to damage or mess up the walls. submitted by /u/callmedoc19 [l”
“So far I’ve just scrubbed with hot water and soap. Didn’t expect food dye to be so stubborn lol. What should I use? Don’t expect it to be perfect but I’m hoping for some improvement! Moving soon and don’t want to be charged 😫 submitted by /u/crookedcosmos [link] [comments]”
“i’ve tried dish soap, dawn power wash, CLR, various bathroom cleaners, different sponges / scrub brushes. i have very hard water at my house, i can usually get the stains out, but bathroom sink can never come fully clean the sink bowl already seemed a bit damaged when we moved in like the finish had been grated away. any advice is appreciated, thanks :) submitted by /u/koiplantz [link] [comments]”
“I’m so upset. I bought these Toto Drake toilets with their “cefiontect” coating that was supposed to greatly reduce their ability to stain. Well not only have the bowls developed a stain around where the water line is, but also in the lip of the water jets. I don’t even have hard water here! I have tried every product Toto has suggested from Lysol Hydrogen Peroxide bowl cleaner and CLR. I use a soft Johnny mop to wipe the product off. Nothing is working and these Toto toilets are very picky abou”
“This is the tub/shower after I just cleaned and scrubbed it. submitted by /u/Efficient_Set8999 [link] [comments]”
“I have some brown spots and darker spots on my bathroom sink. I would love some advice on what to grab to clean this. Thanks so much! submitted by /u/lincould [link] [comments]”
“Hey everyone, I was eating soup in my favorite beige shirt and unfortunately some of it splashed on my shirt. The soup was red from paprika and grease and it seems to have left these tiny orange stains. I have not washed the shirt yet but the stains have been on it for 3 days now. As you can see it has been soaking for an hour in oxi clean spray and it didn’t seem to lighten at all. Any ideas on how I can get it out? I don’t have dawn dish soap I only have seventh generation dish soap and I use”
“What the hell do you use to clean porcelain without everything just moving around? I feel like whenever I try to clean these objects dirt and grime and dust it just moves around. What can I use to actually pick up the nasty stuff on these things instead of just moving it around. submitted by /u/2sad2deal [link] [comments]”
“Please help! I dyed my hair using box dye in the bathtub and it stained. I used bar keepers friend and baking soda/peroxide paste with a magic eraser already, which helped but it’s still stained. Currently I have more of the paste mixture sitting on the bathtub in the hopes that it will help. What else can I do??? submitted by /u/Ok_Primary6632 [link] [comments]”
“Hi, as the title states some paint thinner somehow stained this bathroom counter, any idea how to remove it? submitted by /u/Different_Access7979 [link] [comments]”
“My white/cream clothes keep coming out of the wash with these subtle beige/grayish stains that weren’t there before washing. They look almost like faint grease or water stains and are super hard to remove. I’ve tried rewashing/spot treating, and I’ve even taken some to the dry cleaners.. they told me they couldn’t get them out either. Has anyone had this happen? What causes it and, more importantly, HOW do I get it out?! And if it’s a lost cause how do i prevent it? submitted by /u/o”
“Hi i was wondering if anyone knows of something i could use to remove stains on my countertops from tea. I have used several things and it’s not helping. I appreciate any ideas. Thank you. submitted by /u/Limetree218 [link] [comments]”
“How do I get rid of this stain? I’ve tried soft scrub and barkeepers friend. I’ve tried steam cleaner in combo with above. I was shocked when I took the picture, the picture shows the stain much darker than it looks in reality. But it is bad. submitted by /u/lizndale [link] [comments]”
“This wc is 2 months old and not being used that much but there are these stains that is so persistent and is a horrible sight ive used a cleaning agent and it was no ude how do i clean this submitted by /u/xiiphers_void [link] [comments]”
“There are some grease stains from.... massage oil on my bedsheets. How do I get rid of them? submitted by /u/filthyleaf [link] [comments]”
“anyone have any tips on getting these hair dye stains out? i‘ve tried baking soda&vinegar, baking soda&dish soap, toilet bowl cleaner, bar keepers friend, lysol power bathroom foamer, nail polish remover and a magic eraser and they won’t budge 😭😭 not sure what the material of the flooring is either :( submitted by /u/LabConfident9250 [link] [comments]”
“I recently spilled pasta sauce on my new-ish Nordic Knots rug (in Sakura pink). I first dabbed with water and dish soap which pulled a lot of the stain out initially, and then a couple days later once it was dry I used woolite pet stain remover which seemed to fully the remove the stain. THEN, like 5 days later the stained was suddenly back but in this shade of grey (pictured here). I don’t know what to do next without ruining this expensive rug. Please help!! submitted by /u/hellomo”
“no matter how many websites i pour over i use a hard time deciphering what exactly these stains are! anyone able to help with identification and subsequent cleaning tips? submitted by /u/blushvelvet [link] [comments]”
“Hi everyone, I need some advice on removing a stubborn oil stain left behind by Blu-Tack on my drywall. So far, I have tried: **Vim cream**: Did not work; the stain is still there. **Goo Gone**: Tested it on a tiny spot, but it just left a dark mark so I stopped. **Dish soap and water**: Currently trying this today to see if it dries clear. How can I safely lift this putty oil out of the drywall without ruining the paint? Any advice is appreciated! submitted by /u/Impressive_Honey_49”
“Hi everyone, I need some advice on removing a stubborn oil stain left behind by Blu-Tack on my drywall. So far, I have tried: Vim cream : Did not work; the stain is still there. Goo Gone : Tested it on a tiny spot, but it just left a dark mark so I stopped. Dish soap and water : Currently trying this today to see if it dries clear. How can I safely lift this putty oil out of the drywall without ruining the paint? Any advice is appreciated! submitted by /u/Impressive_Honey_499 [link]”
“Cleaning newbie here but I don't know if my eyes are playing tricks but this yellow stain is not getting off even with bleach :( any tips? submitted by /u/OkIncident6977 [link] [comments]”
“These kitchen chairs are so gross. I have a green machine but it tends to make it worst. It moves around the stain. Any product suggestions or techniques? I’d love to save these. submitted by /u/janet425 [link] [comments]”
“Anyone have ideas what might be causing these stains or how I might treat them?? Context, I live in an apartment with a shared pay per load washer and dryer. The washer is a top loader with no separate compartment for deturgent or softener and I have been here for over a year. Recently I have been getting weird stains on my clothes that I find while folding them so post wash and dry. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason behind the stains they have appeared on dark clothes, light clot”
“I have a few rags I use for cleaning the bathroom, mostly the exterior of the toilet and floors. My question is, how should I go about laundering these rags? They don't tend to even look very soiled after use, but they are still being used to clean a bathroom floor. Is it unsanitary to mix them with my other laundry? Should I be running a load of laundry with just them? Would this be bad for the machine as it would be running near empty? Am I overthinking/over complicating this whole thing?”
“Hey all, so I have Lino flooring in my bathroom & I managed to get crazy colour semi permanent hair dye on the floor in there, I didn’t notice for a few days that I had though (whoops). Does anyone have any tips on how I can get this off at all please? I’ve tried toilet bleach but it isn’t budging and my brain genuinely can’t even think of anything else that would help. Thank you in advance!! submitted by /u/tinkerbellepeach [link] [comments]”
“ive been using fabric softener for my washes, but my favorite shirt was stained like this and im guessing it was from that :( is there any way yo get it out ? ive tried scrubbing with dawn but im afraid to try anything else 🥲 submitted by /u/Medical-Method2590 [link] [comments]”
“New apartment has these stains in the shower alcove. Please please please give suggestions how to remove it. Pictured is everything I have tried so far (not mixed together). Blue stuff is Dawn, baking soda and vinegar. I have even tried sanding it and the stains seem to be deeper than that. I’m not worried about damage because clearly the landlord didn’t care enough to fix the stains from the last tenants. I’m not sure what material the tile is. submitted by /u/Melodic-Barnacle7679 [”
“Is there a good way to remove these stains and residue? Not sure what they’re from. submitted by /u/Immediate-Appeal-822 [link] [comments]”
“I’ve had this happen before and man, I’m mad. Had oil stains on my favorite black hoodie, used some oxi clean on it, washed it immediately on cold (I never dry it, always hang dry), and now the spot is lighter than the hoodie itself. What the heck are you supposed to do for oil/grease stains on black/dark fabric???? Ugh, this hoodie wasn’t cheap. I’m so upset. Edit: it’s 68% cotton and 32% polyester submitted by /u/rydenshep [link] [comments]”
“For a while now, my white clothes specially have been getting these stains after getting washed. We thought it was the washing machine, so we changed it, but no solution. We have tried washing them again multiple times, but they dont come off. We only wash white clothes only with white, so I’m really not sure what it could be the problem, nor the solution. My sister work in healthcare and her working clothes keep getting dirty, so any advice would be appreciated!! submitted by /u/Alb”
“I’m using comet ultra bathroom spray + a nylon brush and I just can’t for the life of me get these stains out. What could I be doing wrong? Is there a good, long YouTube video that really goes in depth on how to get bathroom stains out or something? I’m just not doing something right. submitted by /u/throwawayperson911 [link] [comments]”
“My partner cleaned the shower glass with normal anti limescale spray made for bathrooms, but afterwards these stains show up. His mom alwayysss uses the same products and this has never happened. Smh ideas on what has happened and how we can solve this URGENTLY ?😭 submitted by /u/tuofiorellino [link] [comments]”
“How would you proceed? Had an unwelcome accident with an explosive blueberry smoothie and this is the result after cleaning it mostly away. Is there any way to clean the stains away? This is a rental apartment and I am moving away in two weeks. Thinking about just painting over it with gouache or acrylic paints. submitted by /u/PlentyTangerine1582 [link] [comments]”
“How do I remove a stain like this?? No clue what it is. The Shout and Dawn worked on the other stains but this remains. I’ve seen this in my son’s shirts also and have just thrown them away when I can get it out. This is a World Cup jersey. Not ready to give up yet. submitted by /u/Prestigious-Dig9386 [link] [comments]”
“Ask what method people use to remove stubborn soap buildup from bathroom tiles especially when regular cleaning doesn’t seem to work. submitted by /u/Ok-Pen-8945 [link] [comments]”
“Hello Reddit cleaning community! I'm a novice when it comes to laundry stains, so I'm hoping someone can help otherwise I'll have to throw out my hubby's t-shirts. I don't know what the heck these stains are (definitely not biological), but they cannot be removed in a regular wash on high heat (washes at least 6 times now). I've also tried using vinegar and making a paste from laundry stain remover and letting it soak directly onto the stains. Any advice at all would be r”
“i know this question has been asked a million times but i had a stubborn oil stain in my fleece tracksuit pants that i could NOT get out. i tried dishwashing liquid, stain remover, orange degreaser even wd40 and it did nothing. the pants are a washed black colour so all it did was remove the dye where the stain is. i ended up fabric dying the pants dark black to disguise the stain but it’s definitely still there. i ended up buying another pair and lo and behold i got another oil stain on them (m”
“Hiiii, I just wanted to ask the more experienced folks how you get stains out of your kitchen whites. I get heavy, really dirty grease, charred food, other oils and fats, etc, on mine every day. It's not uncommon to finish the day off with black marks on them. My method right now is 2× potency stain remover for 24 hours, removing them, rinsing them, and putting them in brand new solution about halfway through. It works OK, but there are still stubborn food dyes and grease stains that linger,”
“I have these really shiny almost white tiles that always show streaks when I clean. What cleaner can I use that doesn’t streak? I use the swifter mops right now. submitted by /u/ICanSeeYouAtNight [link] [comments]”
“I have this ridiculously tight space in my bathroom between my vanity and the shower wall, and I cannot figure out how to properly clean it. It's too narrow for me to fit my hand in there and all the way to the back. As you can see in the pictures, the gap runs all the way down between the vanity and the wall/shower. Moving the vanity isn’t an option as it is attached to the wall. Does anyone have a tool or method that works well for super narrow spaces like this? submitted by /u”
“I had a shirt I was trying to soak with a laundry stain remover.. it was an arm and hammer brand . . Had no idea this could happen. Live and learn I guess but would appreciate any tips submitted by /u/ExpertBarber2881 [link] [comments]”
“Hi all! Please help, my kitchen tops continue to have smudges on them no matter how many times I clean or what products I use. Doesn’t look so bad in the photos but is all over the kitchen tops. Anyone have any tips? Or is this my life now 😬 submitted by /u/bahnie88 [link] [comments]”
“I have family visiting me occasionally and this stain is bothering me. I tried using wipes and a small amount of vinegar it smeared it even more. Not really sure how I can get it off. Any suggestions would be appreciated. submitted by /u/Zahra-9527 [link] [comments]”
“I got this stain from my turmeric soap that fell and melted in the shower. I’ve tried bleach and other products but nothing seems to work. What can I try next? submitted by /u/No_Entrance_7450 [link] [comments]”
“We cannot figure out what has caused these stains. There’s also a couple in the sink as well. Thank you in advance for your help! submitted by /u/Accurate-Tie4896 [link] [comments]”
“I am trying to get rid of this staining in our toilet. I clean it on a regular basis with scrubbing bubbles, Lysol, you name it. I don’t know why it keeps staining like this. How can I get rid of it? For context I live in a rental so changing the toilet is not an option. TIA submitted by /u/Top_Alarm_2551 [link] [comments]”
“I think it's gonna drive me crazy!! Even after doing everything below, everytime I run a clean water cycle, black specks keep coming out of the jets. What else can I try? Already tried: - Hot water and bleach cycle + clean water cycle - Unscrewing and taking apart every jet cover and intake + bleaching/scrubbing/drying them - Running jets without the covers or nozzles - Hot water and vinegar cycle + clean water cycle - Dawn dish soap cycle + clean water cycle - Mold/mildew cleaner cycle + cl”
“This is one of my fav sweaters to wear, I unfortunately got an oil/grease stain ( at least I think it is ) on it. Not entirely too sure on what to use to treat this. Regular washing hasn’t worked. submitted by /u/pxck_runner [link] [comments]”
“Please reply if you see this and know a way to get the stains. I have tried water, shampoo, scraping and scrubbing, scrapping helped a little bit however it still looks like this. I really do not know what else to do. (Also yes, I just have small feet.) Do I use baking soda or not? submitted by /u/Mackenzie301 [link] [comments]”
“Does anyone have any recommendations for removing the yellow staining at the bottom of my shower door. I don’t want to remove it because it goes all the way up to the side so I just need to somehow remove the yellowing. Any suggestions would be appreciated. submitted by /u/SpareMedicine9019 [link] [comments]”
“Hello everyone! i recently moved into an apartment with a bathroom heater that has stains (i guess from putting towels to warm). i tried already some detergents, the pink stuff, the magic eraser but they won’t come off. Do you have any suggestions please? i’m renting so i can’t change it. submitted by /u/Powerful_Cod_2342 [link] [comments]”