Your morning cup of coffee is a beautiful sight for weary eyes—but not when it's spilled down the front of your go-to work shirt. Keep these stain-fighting tips handy so you can meet common household stains with a plan of attack.

To remove coffee and tea stains:
Coffee and tea are categorized as "tannin" stains. These types of stains should be treated with detergent as opposed to soap. If the fabric is washable, you'll want to pre-treat the stain with a stain remover, then toss the garment into the wash with an enzyme detergent on the hottest water temperature permissible for the fabric. If you prefer, you can pre-treat the stain with a solution of one part white vinegar and two parts water, then wash.

To remove wine stains:
Also a tannin stain, wine stains are easier to remove when fresh. First, blot the stain using a lint-free towel to remove as much of the wine as possible. Before the stain can dry and "set" into the fabric, soak the garment in a solution of water and oxygen-based laundry booster. Afterwards, wash the garment in a regular laundry cycle of hot water.

To remove ink stains:
Place a towel underneath the stain, then blot the ink with another lint-free towel that's dampened with rubbing alcohol. The rubbing alcohol will transfer the ink to the towel that's underneath the shirt, so don't use your favorite bath towel for this method!

17 Easy Stain Removal Tips [Lifescript]
Stain Removal Tricks and Shortcuts [Real Simple]
Quick 'n Easy Stain Removal [Ohio State University]
6 Easy Recipes for Removing Nasty Stains [Wonder HowTo]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/waferboard

You're elated that your child's slide into homebase cinched the game; you're not so happy about the grass stain that you need to remove when you get home. Keep these stain-fighting tips handy so you can meet common household stains with a plan of attack.

To remove grass stains:
This tip should help save Junior's uniform: As soon as possible, pretreat the grass stain with liquid detergent, then rinse thoroughly. If the garment can be bleached (check the label), then soak the garment in a diluted solution of bleach and water for no longer than fifteen minutes. If you'd prefer to steer clear of bleach, you can try rubbing a mixture of white vinegar and baking soda into the grass stain, letting it sit, then rinsing.

To remove oil-based stains:
Oil-based stains include mayonnaise, salad dressings, cooking oils, butter, face creams, and grease. First, apply talcum powder or cornstarch directly to the stain; this will help absorb the oil but may require several applications. Scrape or brush off the powder between applications, then toss the garment into the wash on a regular cycle.

To remove sweat stains:
Sweat stains are equally embarrassing and stubborn, but can be conquered if you follow the correct steps. Attack the stain with a cocktail of equal parts water and lemon juice, then hang the garment outside in the sunshine. (You'll need nice weather for this one.) The sunlight will help bleach the stain.

17 Easy Stain Removal Tips [Lifescript]
The Entertainer’s Guide to Stain Removal [Real Simple]
Quick 'n Easy Stain Removal [Ohio State University]

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr/bburky