Totally agree about vinegar and baking soda—I was skeptical at first, but they've become my go-to for darker clothes too. I've also noticed peroxide can sometimes leave a weird yellowish tint on certain fabrics if you don't rinse it thoroughly enough...learned that lesson with a nice navy hoodie (RIP). Another trick I've found works well is spot-treating stains with a bit of dish soap before washing. Sounds random, but it breaks down grease stains surprisingly fast without messing up colors. Worth trying if you're dealing with stubborn marks!
I've had similar experiences with peroxide—it's great for certain things, but yeah, it can be tricky on darker fabrics. Sorry about your hoodie, that's always a bummer when something nice gets ruined. Dish soap is surprisingly effective though; I discovered that by accident after spilling salad dressing on a favorite shirt. Thought it was done for, but a little dish soap rubbed in gently before washing saved the day. It's reassuring to know others have stumbled onto this trick too. Sometimes the simplest solutions really are the best ones. Thanks for sharing your experiences—makes me feel less alone in my laundry mishaps!
Dish soap sounds like a good trick, but does it work on older stains too or just fresh ones? I've got this hoodie (yeah, another hoodie casualty here) with an old coffee stain that's been washed and dried a few times already. I've tried peroxide before, but like you said, it can be rough on darker colors, and I don't wanna risk making it worse. Do you think dish soap could still help at this point, or is it more of a fresh-stain solution?
Also, has anyone ever tried baking soda paste or vinegar? I've heard mixed things about those methods—some swear by them, others say they're overrated. Curious if anyone here has personal experience with either of those...
"I've got this hoodie (yeah, another hoodie casualty here) with an old coffee stain that's been washed and dried a few times already."
Haha, I feel your pain—my favorite sweatshirt still has battle scars from an epic latte spill. Dish soap did help a bit even after multiple washes, but honestly, it wasn't a miracle cure for older stains. Baking soda paste was kinda meh for me too, but vinegar actually surprised me...it faded the stain noticeably without wrecking the color. Might be worth a shot before you officially retire your hoodie to "house-only" status.
I've had mixed luck with vinegar myself. It definitely helped fade some coffee stains on lighter fabrics—like a white shirt that survived an unfortunate espresso incident—but didn't really impress me on darker or thicker materials. I guess it depends a lot on the fabric type and how long the stain's been set.
Funny enough, what actually did wonders for me once was hydrogen peroxide diluted with water. I know, sounds kinda harsh, but I used it carefully on an old dried-in stain on a grey hoodie (yep, another hoodie victim here). Did a small patch test first to make sure it wouldn't bleach out the color, and surprisingly it lifted most of the discoloration without damaging the fabric. Still slightly visible if you look super closely, but way better than before.
One thing I've noticed is that sometimes stains aren't just superficial—they can actually weaken fabric fibers over time, especially acidic stuff like coffee or juice. So even if you manage to lighten them visually, there's still a bit of hidden damage underneath. Learned that the hard way when one of my favorite shirts started fraying exactly where I'd spilled coffee months earlier.
Speaking of fabrics taking damage over time...does anyone else find their clothes getting worn out faster after repeatedly treating tough stains? I've wondered if repeated treatments might be doing more harm than good in the long run.
