There is nothing better than a juicy burger provided that burger makes its way from the plate to your mouth uninterrupted. Unfortunately, life is not that black and white. Stains happen. Whether it be your new tie, old jeans, or favorite custom dress shirt, stains are near impossible to prevent indefinitely. It’s best to remove stains before they set so, let’s talk about the 5 most common ones and how to get rid of them.

"After all, we may be what we eat but our clothes don’t have to be."

Red wine

Red wine is one of the most readily available staining substances encountered by a young professional on the go. It’s everywhere. Keep it from overstaying its welcome with a simple routine of salt and cold water. Blot, never rub, red wine. After you’ve removed the excess, cover the stain with salt. This will absorb the wine and turn the salt a light pink color. Finally, soak the stain in cold water and an enzyme detergent overnight.

Coffee

The problem with morning coffee is before you’ve had your fix, you haven’t had your coffee yet. That’s how spills happen. Don’t let morning brain – and stains – ruin the rest of your day. Instead, blot the excess coffee with a dry cloth. Presoak the stain with a mixture of 1-quart warm water, ½ teaspoon of dishwashing detergent, and a tablespoon of white vinegar. Lastly, rinse the area with warm water. If there is a little left-over residue don’t sweat it. Use rubbing alcohol and a sponge to blot it out.

Ink

Ink stains are tricky. They’re rarely ever noticed until they set in. Remove stains that come from ink by following these steps:

First, lay the article of clothing on a flat surface. Pour on rubbing alcohol and let it soak for roughly 10 minutes. Blot the spot until your cloth no longer lifts ink.

After you’re done blotting, rewash the piece in cold water with bleach. Be sure to use color safe bleach on your non-whites. If the stain persists, mix cold water with a few droplets of laundry detergent and rub together to form a lather. Rinse and let air dry.  As a last resort, try nail polish remover. Apply it to a small test area and look for any discoloration in the fabric. If none result, apply the nail polish remover to the stain with a cold water and laundry detergent solution and rub it out.

Sweat

Remove sweat stains from colored clothing by soaking the garment in a solution of white vinegar and cold water. Let the piece sit in the mixture for 20 to 30 minutes. Run cold water over the affected area, massaging the stain loose with your fingers. Toss the soiled shirt in the wash and you’re all set to go.

Ketchup

Before attempting to remove stains, always check your clothing’s laundry label. Ketchup stains are no exception. Blot as much ketchup off as possible. After you’ve got your clothing relatively ketchup free, run cold water from the underside of the garment. Rub in some liquid detergent and let the stain sit for a about 15 minutes. When you’re done with that, soak the stain in warm water for half an hour. Rinse the stained area and that should be it. If the stain persists then repeat the process before throwing the article of clothing into the wash.