Mystery Stains? Presoaking Can Help

Find out how a bucket, water, and the right detergent can brighten dingy clothes. Presoaking stained or dingy laundry items can help restore your favorite things-whether it’s a shirt or a child’s lovey—to their former, brighter glory. And the reason is simple: soaking maximizes contact time between fabric and detergent.

Why a Soak Makes Sense:

When you immerse washable fabric in detergent and water, you give the cleanser and all its modern-day bells and whistles (the brighteners, the special crud-fighting enzymes, the sudsy stuff) time to soak into the fabric and lift stains.

For a Basic Presoak:

Fill a sink, tub, or washing machine with enough water to cover your item, using the warmest water allowed on the fabric care label. Then, add a measured full dose of your favorite Tide Ultra OXI High Efficiency Liquid Laundry Detergent. Stir the water until the detergent is completely dissolved. Add your item. Presoak for 30 minutes, then launder asusual. (Always check the manufacturer’s label for laundry care instructions.)

A pictogram of a fabric care label and liquid laundry detergent being poured into a water bowl

For Extra-tough Stains:

Prepare a soaking solution by filling a bucket, a bowl or your sink with warm water, and add Tide Plus Bleach Powder detergent. This detergent includes a unique cleaning ingredient that activates a stronger, but color-safe, form of bleach and provides superior stain removal to help brighten and clean your things. Presoak your garments before washing to tackle extra-tough stains.

A pictogram of a white T-shirt with an orange spot and an orange T-shirt with a white spot