Soap — the first thing to try

For most everyday stains we normally advise starting with soap. You don't need a different soap for grass, make-up, food, collars or general muck; the same basic principle applies.

Wet the stain and the soap, rub the soap directly onto the fabric and work it in, then leave it for a little while before washing. For something stubborn, repeat rather than immediately reaching for something stronger.

Our Marseille Stain Bars are made specifically for this job, but a bar of Traditional Savon de Marseille works too. The advantage of the stain bars is their size and shape, which makes them particularly easy to keep by the sink and rub directly onto fabric.

Sommières Clay — for oil and grease

Sommières Clay works differently to soap. Rather than washing the stain away, the very fine clay absorbs oils and grease, drawing them out of the fabric.

Sprinkle it generously over the stain, leave it to work and then brush or vacuum it away. It is particularly useful when you don't want to wet something straight away, and can be used on far more than laundry — upholstery, carpets and other textiles too.

For a fresh oil or grease stain, this is often the one to reach for first.

Percarbonate — for stains and brightening

Percarbonate is the one to reach for when soap needs some extra help, particularly with white laundry and staining that has worked into the fabric.

When it dissolves in water it releases oxygen, helping break down stains and brighten the fabric without using chlorine bleach or optical brighteners. I use it regularly with white bedding, adding a generous sprinkle to a hot cotton wash alongside my usual soap solution.

It can be used on many coloured fabrics too, but not wool or silk.

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