Effective Odor Removal Techniques for Laundry

In the final part of our stain series, we tackle trickier listener questions–from eliminating fishy odors to whether you can truly remove paint stains. 

Guest: Senior writer Andrea Barnes

Products we recommend:

• A good stain remover for ink or sugary stains: Amodex Ink & Stain Remover
• A good stain remover for cat odors: Nature's Miracle
• A good way to remove odors from clothes: Downy Rinse & Refresh
• For acrylic paint stains, you might try: Dawn Powerwash
• For oil paint stains, you can try mineral spirits
• A good stain remover for old blood stains: Clorox 2 Stain Remover & Color Brightener
• The best liquid laundry detergent & a great product for pre-treating stains: Tide Free & Gentle Liquid Laundry Detergent
• The best powdered laundry detergent (with oxygen bleach) for dirt and clay: Tide Ultra Oxi Powder Laundry Detergent

Additional reading:

• The Wirecutter Show Episode 32: The Art of Stain Removal Part 1
• So You Stained Your Shirt. Now What? 
• The 6 Best Stain Removers of 2025
• Skip the Stain Removers. This Detergent Is All You Need.
• The 5 Best Laundry Detergents of 2025
• The Wirecutter Show Episode 1: The Secret to Better Laundry
• The Best Portable Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner

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Find edited transcripts for each episode here: The Wirecutter Show Podcast