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• Ketchup spills

  Fast action will help reduce chances this spot will become permanent.

• Mud

  Spatters, spatters everywhere? Whatever you do, don’t spread them around.

• Detergent

  A cleaning agent that, unlike traditional soap, works well in hard water.

• Chelating agent

  A "builder" that gets dissolved minerals out of the way of laundry detergent.

• Borax

  Cleaner and brighter, thanks to this booster.

• Water softener

  A powder can help with laundering in hard water. There’s also a more permanent solution.

• Hydrogen peroxide

  The pharmacy antiseptic makes a good, inexpensive spotting agent because of its mild bleaching action. It's also an effective germ-killing agent.

• Soap

  The old standby is mild enough for personal use, but doesn’t work too well in hard water.

• Vomit

  Remove as much as you can immediately and dilute with water, experts say. Then follow these tips.

• Rinse

  This step in the cleaning process has the biggest impact on final results.

• Enzyme

  These important stain fighters occur throughout nature.

• Phosphates

  Once widely used to soften water for use in washing machines, some makers have reduced use of these chemicals.

• Shower stall

  Preventing the buildup of soap scum and water deposits is a lot easier than removal later.

• Rust stain

  Don’t reach for bleach — it will make this stain worse. Here’s what to do.

• Blood

  A not-so-fearsome stain — if it gets immediate attention.

• Emulsification

  The process that makes so many cleaning products effective.

• Chlorine bleach

  This laundry aid is also an effective disinfectant, but be careful.

• Surfactant

  It makes water wetter!

• Ink spot

  Fast action can prevent spots from becoming permanent stains.

• Builders

  These additives build on the power of detergent in a number of ways.

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