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Protocol
Method steps
- Read the label and pretest Read the care label before any stain-removal method, do not use a product or procedure the label prohibits, and pretest each cleaning agent on an inconspicuous area to check colourfastness (UGA Extension).
- Dab a fresh mark with cold water On a fresh stain, gently dab with a cloth and cold water to lift as much perfume as possible; hot water can cause the stain to set (Purex).
- Cool water, detergent, launder For washable clothes, sponge or soak the stain in cool water, apply detergent to the stain, and launder (UGA Extension).
- Still there? A vinegar soak, then rubbing alcohol Soak 15 minutes in about 950 ml (1 US quart) of warm water with 2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) of detergent and 15 ml (1 tablespoon) of white vinegar, then rinse with water. If the stain remains, sponge it with rubbing alcohol, rinse thoroughly and launder, adding chlorine bleach only if it is safe for the fabric (UGA Extension).
- Air-dry and check before any dryer Air-dry the garment and make sure the stain is fully out before it goes in a hot dryer (Clorox).
Route a perfume mark by fabric and care label before you treat it. Washable garments can be treated at home; on acetate, triacetate, modacrylic and acrylic, dilute any alcohol with 2 parts water. Wool gets a pretest and a thorough rinse-out. Silk, dry-clean-only garments and leather, suede or fur go to a professional cleaner.
For a washable garment, sponge or soak the perfume mark in cool water, apply detergent to it and launder; if it stays, UGA Extension’s next steps are a vinegar-and-detergent soak, then rubbing alcohol↗ (UGA Extension (external link)). Those home procedures apply only to washable items: take “Dry Clean Only” garments to the dry cleaner (University of Kentucky Extension (external link)). This page covers perfume and cologne on clothing; lipstick and foundation are in how to remove makeup and lipstick stains.
The route table: fabric and label first
Find your garment in the first column, take the first move, and skip what the third column rules out.
| Garment and label | First move | Do not | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washable, fresh mark | Dab with a cloth and cold water, then follow the washable steps below | Use hot water at this stage: it can set the stain | Purex; UGA Extension |
| Washable coloured item, mark still there after washing | Liquid hand-dishwashing detergent on the dry fabric, 5 minutes, warm rinse, then rewash | Rinse the fabric before this pretreat | Clorox |
| Washable acetate, triacetate, modacrylic or acrylic | Pretest; if you must use alcohol, dilute it with 2 parts water | Use alcohol undiluted: it damages these fibres | UGA Extension |
| Wool | Pretest in an unseen area; small amounts of liquid, blotted, edge to centre | Use chlorine bleach | Woolmark; Cornell Cooperative Extension |
| Silk, including silk labelled washable | Blot, avoid heat, and take it to a cleaner as soon as possible | Rub it while wet: it can leave light spots that cannot be corrected | DLI |
| Dry Clean Only, or a crossed-out wash tub | Blot, avoid heat, take it to the cleaner and say what was spilled | Apply household cleaners or stain sticks | University of Kentucky Extension; GINETEX; DLI |
| Suede, leather or fur | A cleaner that specialises in leather or fur care | Treat it yourself | University of Kentucky Extension |
| Washable, but a large stain, a bulky item or a fragile fabric | Take it to the dry cleaner | — | University of Kentucky Extension |
| Pretest cloth picks up colour, or the colour changes | Consult a professional cleaner | Carry on with that agent | Cornell Cooperative Extension |
Washable garments: the method, step by step
The sequence below is UGA Extension’s perfume method for washable apparel, with a cold first dab from Purex and a final check before any dryer from Clorox.
1. Read the label and pretest
Read the care label before any stain-removal method, do not use a product or procedure the label prohibits, and pretest each cleaning agent on an inconspicuous area to check colourfastness (UGA Extension (external link)).
2. Dab a fresh mark with cold water
On a fresh stain, gently dab with a cloth and cold water to lift as much perfume as possible; hot water can cause the stain to set (Purex (external link)).
3. Cool water, detergent, launder
For washable clothes, UGA Extension’s first step is to sponge or soak the stain in cool water, apply detergent to the stain, and launder (UGA Extension (external link)).
4. Still there? A vinegar soak, then rubbing alcohol
If that does not work, UGA Extension’s next step is a 15-minute soak in about 950 ml (1 US quart) of warm water with 2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) of detergent and 15 ml (1 tablespoon) of white vinegar, followed by a rinse with water. If the stain remains after the soak, sponge it with rubbing alcohol, rinse thoroughly and launder, adding chlorine bleach to the wash only if it is safe for the fabric (UGA Extension (external link)).
5. Air-dry and check before any dryer
Air-dry the garment and make sure the stain is fully out before it goes in a hot dryer (Clorox (external link)).
Four documented methods compared
The steps above follow UGA Extension. Three other documented methods are set out below; each row names its source.
| Method | Sequence | Main agents | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| UGA soak (the steps above) | Cool water and detergent, launder; if the mark remains, a 15-minute warm soak with detergent and white vinegar, then a rinse; if it still remains, rubbing alcohol, a thorough rinse, launder | Detergent, white vinegar, rubbing alcohol | UGA Extension |
| Cornell spot treatment | Flush with water; detergent solution with a dropper, tamped only if the fabric is strong enough; alcohol on an absorbent pad, changed as it picks up the stain; flush with water | Detergent solution, alcohol | Cornell Cooperative Extension |
| Clorox pretreat for a mark left after washing (coloured items) | Dish detergent on the dry fabric, 5 minutes, warm rinse; wash in the warmest water the label recommends with detergent and Clorox 2 for Colors | Hand-dishwashing detergent | Clorox |
| Purex route for an older, dried mark | Sponge the whole area with vinegar and water, then wash; if still visible, more detergent for five minutes and wash again | Vinegar and water, detergent | Purex |
Cornell’s spot treatment
Cornell Cooperative Extension’s perfume procedure: flush the stain with water; apply a detergent solution with a dropper, tamping it in only if the fabric is strong enough; apply alcohol with an absorbent pad, leaving it as long as the stain is being removed and changing the pad as it picks up the stain; then flush with water. Cornell’s detergent solution is 5 ml (1 teaspoon) of mild liquid hand-dishwashing detergent in about 240 ml (1 US cup) of warm water (Cornell Cooperative Extension (external link)).
The same guide sets the handling rules. Pretest each agent with a few drops on an inconspicuous area, rubbed gently with a clean white towel: if colour transfers to the cloth or the colour changes, consult a professional cleaner. Do not rub or brush, and do not overwet: place an absorbent pad under the stain, blot often, and feather liquids unevenly around the stain to avoid a ring (Cornell Cooperative Extension (external link)).
Clorox’s pretreat for a mark that survived the wash
If a little stain remains after washing, Clorox reads it as residual oil that the wash did not remove. Clorox’s pretreat: on dry fabric (do not rinse it first), apply a little liquid hand-dishwashing detergent to the stain, wait 5 minutes, then rinse with a little warm water. Then machine-wash in the warmest water the care label recommends, with detergent and, on a coloured item, Clorox 2 for Colors (Clorox (external link)).
Rubbing alcohol: strength, pretest and four fibres to protect
Common 70% isopropyl alcohol is sufficient for most stain-removal jobs, a stronger 90% denatured alcohol can also be used, and alcohol with added colour or fragrance should be avoided. Always pretest alcohol before using it: it will fade some dyes (UGA Extension (external link)).
Alcohol will damage acetate, triacetate, modacrylic and acrylic fibres; if you must use it on these fibres, dilute it with 2 parts water (UGA Extension (external link)). The fabric care guide has a card for acetate.
Alcohol is one of the solvents Cornell’s guide says to use in a well-ventilated room and never near an open flame or pilot light (Cornell Cooperative Extension (external link)).
Wool and silk
Wool
Many stain methods found online are aimed at cotton or synthetics, and not all are suitable for wool. On wool, pretest any treatment in an unseen area, apply small quantities of liquid and blot well, and work from the edge of the stain to the centre. Rinse water-based treatments thoroughly out of wool and then, if the care label allows, hand-wash the whole garment in neutral or wool detergent↗; a solution left in to dry can leave a coloured ring. If a wool garment’s label says it can be dry-cleaned, tell the dry cleaner the nature of the stain and any treatment you have already applied (Woolmark (external link)). The full wash routine is in how to wash a wool sweater without shrinking it.
Silk
On silk, blot rather than rub, avoid heat, and bring the garment to a cleaner as soon as possible: rubbing silk while wet can cause chafing or light spots that cannot be corrected. Even silk labelled “washable” may not perform well in water (DLI (external link)). For silk you do wash, the routine is in how to wash silk without ruining it.
Dry-clean-only garments
Crossed-out wash tub — do not wash 
Circle — professional cleaning A crossed-out wash tub means the article must not be washed: it may be sensitive to any kind of wet treatment (GINETEX (external link)).
Before a garment goes to the cleaner: blot gently with a clean cloth, do not rub, avoid heat (no hot water, dryer or iron), and do not apply household cleaners, stain sticks or “miracle” products, which often make stains harder for professionals to remove. Bring it to the cleaner as soon as possible and tell them what was spilled, even if you can no longer see the stain (DLI (external link)).
Not sure what the label allows?The decoder reads each symbol on the care label, including the wash tub and the bleach triangle.
Decode the labelOld marks and marks that appear later
Some perfume stains do not appear until later, after the garment has aged for a while (Purex (external link)). The Drycleaning & Laundry Institute (DLI) says spills that include oils can dry without a visible mark; later, with time or heat during cleaning, a yellow or brown stain can appear, caused by oxidation. It also lists perfume among the personal care products that can affect dyes (DLI (external link)).
On an older, dried stain, Purex’s pretreat is to gently sponge the whole area with a mixture of vinegar and water before washing; if the stain is still visible after washing, apply a little more detergent to it, leave it five minutes and wash again (Purex (external link)). Some stains respond slowly, and the procedure may need to be repeated several times (Cornell Cooperative Extension (external link)). For other marks that have already been through heat, see how to remove set-in stains.
Bleach: the label triangle decides
Empty triangle — chlorine and oxygen bleach allowed 
Two oblique lines — oxygen bleach only, no chlorine 
Crossed-out triangle — do not bleach On the care label, a triangle with two oblique lines allows oxygen bleach but not chlorine bleach, an empty triangle allows chlorine and oxygen bleach, and a crossed-out triangle means no bleaching — use only bleach-free detergent (GINETEX (external link)). Do not use chlorine bleach on wool, silk or spandex (Cornell Cooperative Extension (external link)); the fibre-by-fibre chart is in what fabrics can you bleach.
Mistakes to avoid
- Rubbing or brushing the mark. Blot instead (Cornell Cooperative Extension).
- A hot dryer before the check in step 5. Air-dry first (Clorox).
- Undiluted alcohol on acetate, triacetate, modacrylic or acrylic. It damages these fibres (UGA Extension).
- Stain sticks or household cleaners on a dry-clean-only garment. They often make stains harder for professionals to remove (DLI).
- Chlorine bleach on wool, silk or spandex. Cornell's guide rules it out (Cornell Cooperative Extension).
Prevent the next mark
To avoid perfume stains, spray perfume before getting dressed and let it dry completely first (Purex (external link)). Let perfume dry before dressing in silk (DLI (external link)).
Related reading
- How to remove set-in stains — marks that have already dried in or been through heat.
- What fabrics can you bleach? — the fibre-by-fibre chlorine and oxygen chart.
- How to wash silk without ruining it — the silk routine for garments whose label allows washing.
- How to wash a wool sweater without shrinking it — the wool routine after a spot treatment.
- How to remove makeup and lipstick stains — cosmetics with pigment and wax.