All Purpose Cleaning Product??
 

For commonly encountered stains/smells, do you have one "go-to" product to remove them from fabrics, especially for old stains/smells that may have been there for YEARS?

Has anyone found one method/product that works for almost everything?

Mildew
Mold
Blood
Rust
Urine
Smoke
Skunk
Musty/Old people smell (no offense to old people - I'm one of you!)
Sick people smell
Sweat stains
Inks
Grunge

I haven't found a product that works on all stains. I use Grandma's Spot Remover mixed with Tide detergent and rubbed into the stains. That works for all but the most stubborn stains. For smells I use Lysol spray before washing or add Lysol liquid to the wash.

I've used Oxyclean.... just soak it over night. Maybe test it on a corner first.

I have had good luck with a product called Awesome. I've only found it available at a dollar store. Haven't tried it on all the stains you mention but like it for what I have tried it on. It also works great to clean most surfaces in the house. Be sure to test it on an inconspicuous spot first.

Zout has removed old set-in stains for me which other products failed to remove.

White vinegar. I use it in my kitchen in a spray bottle, mixed about 1:1 with water and a squirt of dish soap. I also use it in the bathroom and in the laundry, in the rinse cycle. Look it up, it really is a very versatile product.

I like Awesome for more strains on clothes. Only one dollar at The Dollar Store. Can be found at
Walmart also. Can soak clothes over night. Spray the stain and wait 20 minutes before putting in the washer.

Zout removed dried blood stains for me and seems to work well on all organic type stains.

I honestly don't think there is one thing that will work for both organic stains and oil-based stains *and* odors. I use a different product for each.

For odors in laundry, this sounds unorthodox but it works really really well:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TSO20W/
Yes, it's cat litter additive. I add a heaping teaspoonful to the soap dish in my front loader when I have a load of "smelly" clothes. It has worked every time for me -- especially for that old sweat smell that seems so prevalent in teen clothing (especially athletic clothes). It also worked on dirty clothing left on the floor that the cat decided was a handy litter station.

We don't get many grease stains, so not sure what I would use on those.

Edit: Just read the original post over. I think the cat litter additive would work great on the old people smell, sick people smell, and urine smell as well as stale sweat smell. Might work on skunk, but I haven't needed to try it that way (thank goodness!!!) It might work on mildew and smoke; again, haven't had to try it on those. A container lasts a long time, but you may need to use more per load than I do if your washer uses a lot of water. Mine is a small front loader and a heaping teaspoonful works well with that amount of water.

Retroclean cleaned a 40 year old tea stain our of a cutwork tablecloth that had been washed and dried several times. The same solution was used for several more pieces of work. That's probably not the recommended, but I like to stretch a penny. Cat urine was in some quilts for over 5 years (I didn't know). It took out the stains and any residual smells. Retroclean also removes yellowing. You can check here using 'antique clean' to search for more thoughts on this product. I am not affiliated in any way, but just a happy customer. It took out rust from pins, too.

Hydrogen Peroxide Dawn dish soap and washing or baking soda Works great on all kinds of stains Good Luck

I have never found anything that removes urine from fabric. If so, I would like to know !!

Try a combination of detergent, Oxyclean (I prefer the liquid), and the cat litter additive I posted earlier in this thread. This combo has taken out both the stain and odor of cat urine from clothing for me. If it's really bad, try running it through the washer twice with this combo.

All pet shops have a urine remover spray. It's commonly used on carpets. It takes a product that breaks down enzymes to remove the urine odor.

Lestoil works extremely well even on old grease stains. It smells horrible so I wash the item a lot after the Lestoil, but the grease is gone!

I use the product Awesome on most stains. Also, a Vet tech told me to use peroxide to remove blood stains. It has worked well for me.

I was told club soda for blood, coffee, tea and wine stains but haven't tried it yet. I use Grandma's stain remover. But will now check out some of the suggestions here

I haven't found a product that works for all but I like Oda Ban and Grandmas Spot Remover.

I have used Oxy spray on all my clothing stains...seems to work on almost all...expecially blood. I also used it to clean the grout on my bathroom floor and was happy with that too.

I just saw CLR has come out with new products that sounds like it covers most of your list. I like clr for calcium remover.

I have used "Fantastic" for years and keep a bottle of it under my kitchen sink. It cleans up spills on the kitchen floor, can be used on the carpet with no ill effects, takes the grease/good from the tracks on my sliding windows and doors, makes the bathroom floor sparkle, takes smudges off door jambs; so I guess I'll stick with it.

AWESOME I found at Big Lots too.. Love this stuff... and don't forget Dawn Dish soap...

I buy vinegar by the gallon, always have a full gallon for when I am getting low & one thats in use.

Be wary of using dish soap on spots. Many have bleach in them...you can imagine how I found out.

I'm a fan of Odor Ban too, I smoke so I keep a bottle in my truck to lightly spray myself before going to anyones home. BTW I don't smoke in my house & always wash my hands before handling my fabrics so no smell will get on them.

I am really happy to hear all these suggestions. I will use them also. I know you asked about odors. My main problems have to do with stains. I use Oxi Clean, Carbona stain removers (I get them at Wal Mart) (They are separate for certain stains) and my favorite stain remover Dawn dish washing detergent (I am careful to get the original, no bleach). Of course, sometimes I use these in combination.

I'm interested in how you think old people smell. froggyintexas

awesome is great cleaner on lots of stains--car upholstery, etc., and I use Grandmother's Spot Remover with very good results in ink, tomato stains and grease spots.

There is a "certain smell" that I really don't know how else to describe.
Sort of a combination of old Vicks, liniment, closed in spaces, mildew, old stuff, maybe stale smoke, illness, lack of bathing,incontinence, disinfectant, bleach, sort of a staleness - sometimes some of the above, sometimes including other odors I didn't think of.

This only describes a very few homes/houses - but the contents do pick up that scent - and I would like to get rid of that odor if I should acquire something from that house.

If you know of a more "politically correct" way to describe it, I would prefer to use it.

I certainly do not include ALL people in any one category!

I use "Mean Green" on most EVERYTHING. Hubby is a machinist, and Mean Green gets the grease out of his work clothes. I use it on our grill, the tires on the cars, countertops, bath rooms, stained clothes, EVERYTHING. I get the gallon jug at Family Dollar.

Maybe a more politically correct description would be aged odour. This could cover a multitude of things from soft furnishings to personal items. Just a thought. Mustiness is another.

Vinegar - straight. I had a dog with incontinence, and when she would accidentally pee on a rug, I would pour vinegar, let it set for a few minutes, rinse, and wash in the washing machine with normal detergent. It absolutely neutralizes urine. If you don't get it out - they will go back as an "approved" place to go. Vinegar is the only thing that works, IMO.

Musty/Old people smell (no offense to old people - I'm one of you!)

I recently bought some vintage hankies from eBay, and when I received them, I was dismayed. They smelled like "Old people smell".

I washed them using the "Sanitize" setting on my HE machine, with extra oxyclean - in the prewash as well - and it all came out. I was so happy. Had never used this setting before, but came away a firm believer that water temperature plays a big part in clean-ability. I think it also helps that I have soft water, too.