Guide to Naturally Removing Stains

Homemade stain remover recipes by surface: peroxide and dish soap for whites, vinegar for wood and steel, lemon for porcelain, and dish soap for stone.

Guide to Naturally Removing Stains
Eco Mama Green Clean

Originally published May 2022

Originally published May 5, 2022. Updated September 2026 with a quick summary, how it applies to your home, and answers to common questions.

Do you know that piece of clothing you used to wear frequently until it got stained? Whether it’s from red wine, beetroot, or just sweat stains, if you can’t remove it, it’s best to leave it to the professionals. Luckily there’s a maid service in Mesa that you can count on to efficiently remove stains from your home.

Many commercial cleaners are heavily advertised as the most efficient stain removers. However, many are made of very toxic and harsh chemicals that can do more harm than good. There’s always an eco-friendly way to clean anything, and stains are no exception. Here you’ll learn how to naturally remove them, so keep reading!

What is the best homemade stain remover?

Before discovering the right remover for a specific type of stain, you should know that time is of the essence from the moment the spillage occurs. The longer the stain sits, the harder it is to remove it, as well as the smell that develops with it. You can make the stain remover and have it in your kitchen to quickly reach for it when you need it.

Here are the best stain removers for different materials:

Laundry

If the stain is on white fabric, this solution works like a charm. Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful whitener, and dish soap helps dissolve the stain. Put this mixture on the fabric, let it sit before scrubbing, and wash it off. Be careful with colored clothing, as letting this mixture sit for too long can whiten it more than you need.

Wood

  • White vinegar
  • Mineral oils
  • Baking soda

Start by cleaning the area with white vinegar. This ingredient alone is potent enough to remove the stains without damaging the surface. However, since wood is a natural material, vinegar tends to dry it, so don’t forget to buff in the mineral oils when you finish cleaning. For stubborn and hard-to-remove stains, sprinkle some baking soda for more abrasive cleaning.

Porcelain and ceramics

  • Lemon
  • Hydrogen peroxide
  • Baking soda

These three ingredients are the holy trinity of natural whiteners, so they’re recommended for bathrooms. Lemon is perfect for dissolving dirt and grime and leaving a fresh scent. Baking soda is abrasive enough to scrape away the stains without leaving scratches on the surface, and hydrogen peroxide is great for disinfecting without the need for bleach.

Stainless steel

  • White vinegar

This is the only ingredient you’ll need for removing stains from this metal surface. While some may think that dish soap and water will do the trick, there are usually hard water stains after cleaning. White vinegar removes everything due to its acidic nature.

Stone

  • Dish soap

If you have stone countertops, like granite or marble, stay away from white vinegar. While it’s good for materials like steel, glass, or porcelain, stone reacts differently with this acidic cleaner. Vinegar can dissolve the protective enamel and make the stone porous. Instead, warm water and dish soap are all you need to remove any type of stain from your stone countertops.

Who can I call when I need a reliable maid service in Mesa & the vicinity?

Keeping track of all these mixtures is difficult enough, so why waste your time and energy? You can simply call Eco Mama Green House Cleaning! Our experts use natural and EPA-approved products that are safe for your family and the environment.

Instead of tirelessly scraping away the stains, take a relaxing day off and visit the Arizona Museum of Natural History with your loved ones and leave the cleaning to us. Give us a call and we’ll send someone right away. Contact us today!

Common questions: Guide to Naturally Removing Stains

What is the best homemade stain remover?
It depends on the surface. For white fabric, mix two parts hydrogen peroxide with one part dish soap. For wood, use white vinegar and finish with mineral oil. For porcelain and ceramics, lemon, hydrogen peroxide and baking soda work well together. Stainless steel only needs white vinegar, and stone counters need warm water and dish soap.
Can I use vinegar on granite or marble countertops?
No. Vinegar works well on steel, glass and porcelain, but it is acidic and stone reacts differently. It can damage the protective surface and leave the stone more porous. For granite and marble, stick with warm water and a little dish soap. It is gentle enough for stone and handles everyday stains.
Is hydrogen peroxide safe on colored clothes?
Be careful. Hydrogen peroxide is a strong whitener, which is why the peroxide and dish soap mix works so well on white fabric. On colored clothing, leaving it on too long can lighten the fabric more than you want. Test a hidden spot first and do not let the mixture sit for long before washing it off.