Stain advice
32 step-by-step stain guides and 33 articles on the clothes, fabrics and laundry problems they turn up in. Every guide tells you which Luniva product to use and exactly how.
Pink or blue?
Enzyme Powered (the pink one) for food, drink, protein and body stains.Pro Formula (the blue one) for grease, oil, body oils and makeup.Not sure which kind of stain it is? How to tell.
Food & drink stains
Curry, coffee, wine, sauces, takeaways and spills.
Use Enzyme Powered
How to remove curry and turmeric stains
Turmeric (curcumin) is a fat-soluble pigment that bonds to natural fibres like cotton and linen.
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Use Enzyme Powered
How to remove coffee and tea stains
Tannins bond to cellulose fibres in cotton and linen.
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Use Enzyme Powered
How to remove red wine and fruit juice stains
Anthocyanin (the red pigment in wine) is a polyphenol that chemically bonds with cellulose fibres.
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Use Enzyme Powered
How to remove chocolate stains
Cocoa butter melts into fabric fibres on contact and traps the cocoa pigment inside.
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Use Enzyme Powered
How to remove tomato sauce and ketchup stains
Lycopene is a fat-soluble red pigment that bonds to cotton fibres on contact, and the olive oil base carries it deeper into the weave.
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Use Enzyme Powered
How to remove gravy stains
Gravy contains animal fat (lipid), meat protein and flour starch.
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Use Enzyme Powered
How to remove egg and dairy stains
Heat is the enemy of protein stains.
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Use Enzyme Powered
How to remove baby food and milk stains
Baby stains are unique for three reasons.
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Use Enzyme Powered
How to remove mustard stains
Turmeric's yellow pigment clings to fabric fibres, and mustard adds oil and vinegar that help carry it in.
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Use Enzyme Powered
How to remove soy sauce stains
Soy sauce is a concentrated, dark liquid made from fermented soya beans and wheat, so it soaks quickly into fabric and leaves a brown mark as it…
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Use Enzyme Powered
How to remove beetroot stains
Beetroot gets its colour from natural pigments that dissolve in water and soak quickly into fabric, so even a small drip spreads.
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Use Pro Formula
How to remove chilli oil, pizza grease and takeaway stains
The colour in chilli oil and pizza grease comes from spices and tomato dissolved in fat, so the oil carries the colour deep into the fibres.
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Use Enzyme Powered
How to remove cola and fizzy drink stains
Most fizzy drinks are full of sugar and colouring.
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Use Enzyme Powered
How to remove beer and cider stains
Beer is made from malted grain and contains sugars and colour from the malt; cider contains fruit sugars.
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Body stains
Blood, sweat, makeup and everything skin and hair leave behind.
Use Enzyme Powered
How to remove blood stains
Blood is protein-based.
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Use Enzyme Powered
How to remove period blood stains
Blood is rich in protein.
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Use Enzyme Powered
How to remove sweat stains
Eccrine sweat is mostly water and salt – it doesn't stain on its own.
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Use Pro Formula
How to remove collar, cuff and body-oil stains
Your neck and wrists are in constant contact with the fabric, so body oils are deposited every time you wear it.
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Use Pro Formula
How to remove deodorant marks
The white streak is a waxy residue sitting on the surface of the fibre, and repeated wear builds it into a greasy layer that plain detergent…
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Use Pro Formula
How to remove makeup and foundation stains
Foundation contains silicones and oils, lipstick contains waxes and pigment, mascara contains polymers.
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Use Pro Formula
How to remove lipstick stains from clothes
Lipstick is designed to stay put: waxes and oils hold the pigment on your lips, and they hold it on fabric just as well.
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Use Pro Formula
How to remove hair oil stains from pillowcases and clothes
Hair oils are made to stay on hair, so they cling to fabric and repel water.
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Use Pro Formula
How to remove suncream and lotion stains
SPF products combine oil-soluble UV filters with silicones and waxes designed to cling to skin and resist water.
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Use Enzyme Powered
How to remove vomit and pet accident stains
Vomit and pet accidents are organic, protein-based messes.
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Use Enzyme Powered
How to remove urine stains and smells from bedding
Urine soaks deep into fabric and leaves residue in the fibres as it dries, and that residue keeps releasing odour.
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Use Enzyme Powered
How to remove baby poo stains and nappy leaks
Baby poo is a mix of milk proteins, fats and colour from bile, which is why breastfed and formula-fed poo is so yellow.
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Outdoor, oil & grease stains
Grass, mud, cooking oil, motor oil, bike chain oil and tar.
Use Enzyme Powered
How to remove grass stains
Chlorophyll is bonded to cotton fibres by plant proteins and sugars released when grass is crushed.
Read the guide
Use Enzyme Powered
How to remove mud and dirt stains
Wet mud is suspended particles that flow into every gap in the weave.
Read the guide
Use Pro Formula
How to remove grease and cooking oil stains
Oil is hydrophobic: it repels water.
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Use Pro Formula
How to remove motor oil and diesel stains
Motor oil is engineered to resist heat, water and friction – the exact qualities of a normal wash.
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Use Pro Formula
How to remove bike chain oil from clothes
Bike chain lube is designed to cling to metal, and as the chain runs it picks up road dirt and tiny metal particles, which is what makes the mark…
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Use Pro Formula
How to remove tar stains
Tar and bitumen are heavy-petroleum residues designed to bond to almost anything they touch.
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Stains on clothes
Shirts, whites, jeans and the stains that won't budge.
Stains on clothes
How to remove stains from shirt collars and cuffs
Grey collar rings, yellow sweat marks and makeup on collars: which Luniva bottle to use on white, coloured and work shirts, step by step.
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Stains on clothes
How to remove stains from white clothes
Curry, coffee, sweat and grease on white tops, shirts and polos: treat the stain first, then keep whites bright in the wash. Which Luniva product to use.
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Stains on clothes
How to remove old and set-in stains
Stains that have been washed and dried, or left for weeks: how to tell what they are, which Luniva bottle to use, and why a second treatment beats a longer one.
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Stains on clothes
How to remove yellow stains from white clothes
Yellow underarms, collars, suncream marks and whites that yellowed in the drawer: what causes each one and which Luniva bottle gets it out.
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Stains on clothes
How to remove stains from coloured clothes
Get food, sweat and grease out of coloured and dark clothes without fading them: check the dye, pick the right bottle, and wash colours the gentle way.
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Stains on clothes
How to remove stains from T-shirts and hoodies
Food down the front, sweat under the arms, hair oil in the hood: how to get everyday stains out of T-shirts and hoodies with the right Luniva bottle.
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Stains by fabric
Cotton, polyester, linen and denim: how to treat each one.
Stains by fabric
How to remove stains from jeans and denim
Curry, grass, mud and bike oil on jeans and denim jackets: which Luniva bottle to use, how to treat thick denim and how to protect the colour.
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Stains by fabric
How to remove stains from cotton
Cotton shirts, sheets, tea towels and underwear: why cotton soaks up stains, what water temperature to use, and which Luniva bottle for each stain.
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Stains by fabric
How to remove stains from polyester and sportswear
Polyester holds on to oil and sweat, so gym kit, football shirts and work trousers stain and smell. How to treat them with the right Luniva bottle.
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Stains by fabric
How to remove stains from linen
Wine on a linen tablecloth, dressing on linen trousers, sweat on a summer shirt: how to treat linen gently and which Luniva bottle to use.
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Uniforms, workwear & sport
School uniform, overalls, chef whites and kit.
Uniforms, workwear & sport
How to remove stains from school uniforms
Grass, mud, ketchup, curry and nosebleeds on school shirts, jumpers and PE kit: a parent's guide to getting uniform clean in one wash.
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Uniforms, workwear & sport
How to remove oil and grease from workwear
Motor oil, diesel, cooking grease and tar on overalls, work trousers and chef whites: how to use Luniva Pro Formula safely on workwear.
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Uniforms, workwear & sport
How to remove stains from football kits and gym clothes
Grass, mud, blood and sweat on football shirts, rugby kit and gym wear: which Luniva bottle to use and how to wash sportswear.
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Uniforms, workwear & sport
How to remove stains from scrubs and care uniforms
Blood, body fluids, food and lotions on scrubs and care uniforms: treat the stain cold first, then follow your uniform washing policy. Which Luniva bottle.
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Uniforms, workwear & sport
How to remove stains from chef whites and aprons
Fat, oil, sauces, blood and egg on chef jackets, aprons and kitchen towels: which Luniva bottle for each, and how to keep chef whites white.
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Home & family
Baby clothes, bedding, table linen and pets.
Home & family
How to remove stains from baby clothes
Milk, formula, baby food and sick on babygrows, bibs and cot sheets: how to use Luniva Enzyme Powered on baby clothes and bedding.
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Home & family
How to remove stains from bedding, pillowcases and towels
Makeup and face oils on pillowcases, blood and sweat on sheets, and marks on towels: which Luniva bottle to use on washable bedding.
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Home & family
How to remove stains from tablecloths and napkins
Wine, gravy, coffee, butter and dressing on tablecloths and napkins: treat them after the meal with the right Luniva bottle, and store table linen stain-free.
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Home & family
How to remove Christmas dinner stains
Gravy, red wine, cranberry sauce, chocolate, goose fat and party makeup: a stain-by-stain guide to Christmas with the right Luniva bottle for each.
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Home & family
How to remove yellow stains from pillows and pillowcases
Why pillowcases go yellow (sweat, hair oil, skincare and damp hair) and how to get them white again with the right Luniva bottle. Plus washing pillows.
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Home & family
How to wash pet bedding and blankets
Accidents, sick, muddy paws and smells on dog beds, cat blankets and sofa throws: how to wash pet bedding and which Luniva bottle to use on the stains.
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Laundry know-how
Washing symbols, temperatures and keeping clothes like new.
Laundry know-how
How to pre-treat stains before washing
The right way to pre-treat a stain: act fast, blot don't rub, match the stain to the spray, wait 1–3 minutes, then wash. Plus the mistakes that set stains.
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Laundry know-how
Why stains come back after washing (and how to stop it)
A stain vanishes in the wash, then reappears when the clothes dry. Why it happens, from oily residue to heat-setting, and how to get it out for good.
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Laundry know-how
UK washing symbols explained
What the symbols on your clothes' care labels mean: washing temperatures, hand wash, bleach, tumble drying, ironing and dry cleaning, explained simply.
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Laundry know-how
What temperature should you wash clothes at?
30°C, 40°C or 60°C? Which temperature to use for everyday clothes, darks, towels, bedding and stained items, and why hot water can set some stains.
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Laundry know-how
How to stop clothes fading in the wash
Keep black, navy and bright colours looking new: wash inside out, wash cooler, don't overload, dry out of the sun, and spot-treat marks instead of rewashing.
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Laundry know-how
How to make your clothes last longer
Simple habits that keep clothes going for years: wash less and cooler, follow the care label, deal with stains early, dry gently and store clothes properly.
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Laundry know-how
Why white clothes turn grey, and how to fix it
Whites going grey or dingy? The usual causes (mixed loads, too much or too little detergent, overloading, body oils) and how to brighten them again.
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Laundry know-how
How to get rid of sweat smell in clothes
Gym kit and work shirts that still smell after washing: why sweat odour clings to clothes, and how to wash it out for good with the right Luniva bottle.
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Laundry know-how
How to clean a smelly washing machine
Washing machine smells of damp or mould? Clean the door seal, drawer and filter, run a hot maintenance wash and stop the smell coming back.
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Laundry know-how
What is an enzyme stain remover, and how does it work?
How enzyme stain removers break down food, blood and sweat stains, what each enzyme does, whether they're safe on colours, and when to use a grease remover.
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Laundry know-how
Food stain or grease stain? How to pick a stain remover
Is it a food stain or an oily one? A quick way to tell, a stain-by-stain list, and what to do with mixed stains like curry, gravy and pizza.
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Laundry know-how
Got a stain while you're out? What to do until you get home
Spilled wine at dinner or coffee on the way to work? What to do on the spot so the stain comes out later: blot, rinse cold, keep heat away, treat at home.
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Stains A–Z
- Baby food & milk
- Baby poo & nappy leaks
- Beer & cider
- Beetroot
- Bike chain oil
- Blood
- Chilli oil, pizza & takeaway grease
- Chocolate
- Coffee & tea
- Collar grime & body oils
- Curry & turmeric
- Deodorant marks
- Egg & dairy
- Fizzy drinks & cola
- Grass
- Gravy
- Grease & cooking oil
- Hair oil & hair products
- Lipstick & lip gloss
- Makeup & foundation
- Motor oil & diesel
- Mud & dirt
- Mustard
- Period blood
- Red wine & fruit juice
- Soy sauce
- Suncream & lotions
- Sweat & underarm marks
- Tar & bitumen
- Tomato sauce & ketchup
- Urine & bedwetting
- Vomit & pet accidents