My Grandmother Swore By This Old-School Stain Remover And I Do Too

Many Southerners inherit recipes and cooking skills from their grandmothers. When my beloved maternal grandmother passed away, I didn’t get a cherished cast iron skillet or recipe for chicken and dumplings. Nanny wasn’t much of a cook. Her love language was cleaning. Everything in her world was impeccably neat and clean—from the sparkling shelves in her refrigerator to her perfectly arranged closets.

Nanny did pass down her love of clothing to me. She dressed simply but was always put together: Her shoes always matched her handbags, she loved a pair of crisp, white slacks, and she seemed to have a cardigan in every color. Everything she wore was spotless. I attribute this to her generally being a neat freak, but also to her little laundry helper: Carbona Stain Devils.

Why I Use Carbona Stain Devils

This old-school stain remover doesn’t get a lot of attention, but those who do know about it love it. Instead of one all-purpose formula, the Carbona company—which started back in 1908—developed products that treat specific fabric stains. One is for chocolate, ketchup, and mustard; another is for fat and cooking oil; another is for blood, dairy, and ice cream; and another is for coffee, tea, wine, and juice.

How To Use Carbona Stain Devils

Carbona Stain Devil products are designed to be applied as soon as possible, before you wash and dry the garment or item. There is a specific way to apply the liquid: Place an absorbent white cloth under the stain (I use several layers of paper towels), apply the product to the stain, rub or dab the product into the stain with your finger, then rinse with warm water. Sometimes it may be necessary to repeat the process, but I find that it usually works like a charm.

What Amazon Reviews Say

I’m not alone in my devotion to this product line. Many Amazon reviews praise its effectiveness.

• “I am constantly impressed with how well these work on a variety of stains. I’m an OxyClean partisan, but these are great when you need to work on the stain immediately and don’t have time to soak.”
• “I have used the carbono stain removers for a long time. My success rate is 90% on really bad stains. I’ve learned to follow the instructions and sometimes it takes a while, but it works. Keep on dabbing. It will work.”
• “This combination of stain removers can take out 99.9% of stains from your clothing. Just wash garment after using as directed and the stain will be gone.”