By Samantha Nicole Alarilla Stains: everybody gets them and everybody hates them. At some point in your life, you’ve worn your favorite white shirt and felt really good in it – only to have your OOTD ruined by a ketchup stain. Or maybe you went out for a walk during the lunch break and returned with not only takeout but also embarrassing sweat stains too. Whatever the case, stains are irritating and can ruin anybody’s day, but the good thing is they aren’t forever. Here are a few easy tips on how to remove common stains: 01.Ketchup Flush the stain with cold water and pre-treat with liquid laundry detergent. Let it sit for several minutes before rinsing and sponging with white vinegar. Rinse and pre-treat with a stain remover. Wash the clothing but do not dry. You may have to repeat this process until the stain is fully removed. 02.Red and White Wine For red wine, sprinkle salt on the affected area to absorb as much of the stain as possible. Carefully rinse from the reverse side of the stain with boiling water and wash immediately. As for white wine, soak the clothing in cool water for thirty minutes and pretreat with a stain remover. 03.Coffee Soak or sponge the garment in cool water for thirty minutes. Pre-treat the stain with stain remover and wash it as you normally would. If you do not have a stain remover at hand, rubbing the stain with ice and a towel behind the fabric will absorb the stain. If that fails, dab white vinegar on the stain with a cotton swab. 04.Lipstick Put the stained garment on a towel and soak with a solution of water and dishwashing detergent. Using the towel, blot to remove the stain -- the lipstick should seep into the towel. 05.Sweat Create a paste with baking soda and water – add just enough baking soda to make the paste sticky and viscous. Apply to the stain and let it sit for an hour. 06.Ink Dab a small amount of non-gel toothpaste over the affected area and rub gently. Wash off with soap and repeat as many times as necessary. 07.Chewing Gum If the gum is still soft, rub with an ice cube to harden it. Once it has hardened, carefully scrape the gum off with a butter knife. Pre-treat with stain remover and wash. 08.Blood Apply a small amount of hydrogen peroxide directly on the stain with a dropper. However, if the stain is dry, carefully brush the affected area well and soak in cool water with laundry detergent.   TIPS Before anything else, for any stain you are dealing with, it is absolutely crucial to prevent it from setting. “Setting” is when the staining material forms a chemical bond with the fabric – making it a lot harder to remove, and sometimes, even permanent. To prevent this, immediately treat the stain with water or any solvent (rubbing alcohol is generally safe for all types of fabric). Remember to apply the solvent gently – dab and let it soak, never scrub. Avoid heat as well, as heat will speed up the chemical bonding of the staining material and the fabric. As long as you follow these steps, you will be able to remove stains quickly and easily, and won’t have to resort to garment repair or replacement.