Stains on clothing
Also: spots · marks · discoloration
Stains are localized discolorations left by food, drink, grease, cosmetics, or bodily fluids that soak into fibers and resist casual washing. They range from a faint water ring to a set-in grease mark, appear anywhere on a garment, and count against both cleanliness and cosmetic appearance depending on size and visibility.
How to approach a stain you cannot identify
Short answer: sometimes. It depends on what exactly you have and how long it has been there. The steps below say where it stops working rather than pretending it always does.
- 1Blot, never rub. Rubbing drives the stain into the fiber and abrades the surface around it, which shows even after the stain goes.
- 2Start with cold water. Heat sets protein stains, which is most of the ones on clothing, and once set they never come out.
- 3Work from the outside of the mark inward, or you will spread it into a larger, fainter ring.
- 4If cold water alone does nothing, use an enzyme detergent and give it an hour, not five minutes.
- 5Air dry and check in daylight before it goes anywhere near a dryer. A dryer is the step that makes a nearly-gone stain permanent.
Stopping it happening again
The single biggest factor is how long it sat. A fresh stain rinsed in cold water usually goes; the same stain found six months later usually does not, whatever you put on it.
What changes by fabric
The method above is the general one. These fabrics need a different approach.
- Getting a stain out of silk
silk — Silk is a protein fiber, so the enzyme detergent that lifts a protein stain digests the garment along with it.
- Getting a stain out of wool
wool and cashmere — Wool is a protein fiber and it felts. Enzymes eat it, and the agitation that shifts a stain from cotton mats it permanently.
- Getting a stain out of leather and suede
leather and suede — Water is itself a stain on leather and suede, so every step of the usual method makes a second mark around the first.
How to spot it
- Inspect in bright, even light and again at a raking angle for sheen
- Check high-risk zones: front chest, lap, cuffs, and collar
- Turn the piece to catch grease marks that only show as a subtle gloss
Grade impact
Stains split across Cleanliness (10%) and Cosmetic Appearance (20%). A small, hidden mark keeps an item near Very Good (7); a prominent front-and-center stain that won't wash out pulls it to Fair (5) or below.
Fixability
Depends on the stain. Fresh water-based marks often wash out; set-in grease, ink, and protein stains resist and may be permanent. Always attempt cleaning before grading, since a lifted stain can meaningfully raise the result.
How to disclose it
Pinpoint it ('quarter-sized faint stain on lower front'), give a size reference, and photograph it. A disclosed stain is priced accordingly; a hidden one that shows up in daylight drives 'not as described' claims.
Stains — frequently asked
- Should I try to remove a stain before grading an item?
- Yes. Many fresh, water-based stains wash out, and a lifted stain can raise the grade a full tier. Set-in grease, ink, or protein stains may be permanent — grade and disclose those honestly rather than hiding them in a flattering photo.
What if it does not all come out?
Most of the time some of it stays, and the leftover is what a buyer sees. A garment is worth what its condition says it is worth, so the sensible next question is how much this particular flaw moves the number.
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