Tackling really tough stains

Stains are unavoidable in an active household, but don't let those stains stick around forever. Remove them for good, and you will extend the life of your family's clothes.

Keep the following stain busters in your arsenal, and you'll be ready for the worst: rubbing alcohol, WD-40, an enzymatic laundry additive like Biz Bleach or Axion, liquid chlorine bleach, an all-fabric bleach like Clorox 2, household ammonia, white vinegar and a good stain-and-spot pretreatment like Soilove.

There's no escaping these facts: Fresh stains are easier to remove than old ones. Time and heat from a dryer or iron can set a stain permanently. Enzymes break down protein-based stains like food, blood and grass. Pretreating with a good stain remover helps detergents work more effectively.

BALLPOINT-PEN INK: Apply rubbing alcohol or spot remover. Rub in detergent, and launder in the hottest water recommended for that particular fabric. Repeat, if necessary.

CRAYON: Place the garment stain-side down on a stack of paper towels. Spray with WD-40 and let sit for five minutes. Flip garment over and spray again. Rinse well. Rub liquid dish soap into the stain. Rinse again. If any stain remains, apply a stick or spray stain remover and machine wash.

GLUE, GUM, STICKERS: Remove as much as possible with a dull knife or a spoon. To make it easier to remove gum, first rub an ice cube over it to freeze it. Apply WD-40 to loosen any remaining residue, then scrape it off and rinse. Rub in liquid detergent to remove any leftover stain. Machine wash.

PAINT: Wipe off dried acrylic or water-based paint residue with a paper towel. Sponge on a solution of laundry detergent and warm water. Once the paint has softened, remove as much as possible with a dull knife or a spoon. Rinse and repeat until most of the stain has been removed. Machine wash. To remove fresh latex paint from carpet, soak with dish detergent diluted with 20 parts water. Then agitate, blot, rinse and blot again. It will remove old, dried paint, but be careful. Lacquer thinner can also melt certain kinds of carpet, so test first.

CHALK STAINS: Shake out or vacuum up any loose chalk particles. Place the garment stain-side down on a stack of paper towels, and blot the back of the stain with a cloth dipped in rubbing alcohol. Rinse. Rub liquid dish soap into any leftover stain and let sit for several minutes. Machine wash.

GRASS: Apply Soilove or Stain Out, and rub gently into the stain. Let sit for five minutes, then wash with detergent and Clorox bleach (whites) or Clorox 2 (colors) in the hottest water safe for the fabric.

PERSPIRATION, DEODORANTS: If the stain has caused a color change, try to restore the color by using ammonia on fresh stains or vinegar on old ones. Do not use ammonia or vinegar with liquid bleach.

RESOURCES: Go to www.wd40.com for hundreds of uses for WD-40. Find Soilove on supermarket shelves in California and Arizona. Biz Bleach, Axion and Clorox 2 are in the laundry-products aisle.