The Best Stain Remover For Kitchen Linens, According to a Cleaning Expert

If you’re anything like me, you’re more than a little messy in the kitchen. In fact, back when I used to work in professional kitchens, I can distinctly remember sneakily switching out my apron mid-shift as the one I had been wearing was already stained after just three hours at my station. In my home kitchen, I worry less about spilled sauces or splashes of jus coating my apron, clothes, and kitchen towels because, well, I’m in the comfort of my own home. 

However, I turned around one day and noticed that every single kitchen towel was dappled with stains of various sizes and colors, and that’s not even mentioning my cloth napkins or two beloved aprons.

In an effort to avoid buying new kitchen linens and salvage my pre-existing towels, napkins, and aprons, I reached out to Scott Schrader, a cleaning expert and Chief Marketing Officer at CottageCare, a home cleaning company with over 41 locations nationwide, to see if he had any advice on the subject. As it turns out, he came back with one product he says he just can’t live without when it comes to keeping the kitchen clean and stain-free. 

The Best Kitchen Stain Remover

“Far and away the best stain removing product for kitchen stains,” says Schrader, “is OxiClean Max Force Laundry Stain Remover.” When I ask him why it works well specifically for kitchen linens, he explains: “OxiClean is good for kitchen stains because it’s designed to fight through tough organic stains, which are the bulk of kitchen stains (i.e. grease, tomato sauce, wine, coffee, and similar types of messes). OxiClean works well on cotton and most of the washable fabrics we use for our kitchen linens.”

He also says he loves just how accessible it is, so in the event of an unexpected last-minute stain, if he’s not stocked up on the stuff, he can easily run out and grab it: “Of all the stain removers, OxiClean has potentially the widest availability. You can find it in specialty and general grocery stores, as well as online.”

Okay, but how does it work? Using enzymes, solvents, polymers, and mannanase, the solution is able to break down thicker foods, lift foods from the fabric, and dissolve and trap grease and dirt as it pulls residue away from the surface. Essentially, the stain remover is able to penetrate the fabric and pull grease, fat, and particles from the fabric by suspending them within its own solution.

Schrader says he usually follows the instructions on the bottle, but that he “sometimes finds it’s best to pre-treat the stain by applying the product directly on the stain and letting the product sit for 10-15 minutes before washing.” Allowing the solution to sit on the stain for two to three times the brand’s suggested five minutes, Schrader finds, helps it tackle tougher stains.

And, “for particularly stubborn stains,” he says, “you can try adding a small amount of liquid dish soap to your pre-treatments with OxiClean to help emulsify grease stains even more.” Which is exactly what I’m going to do next time I have an oil or grease stain!