Jane Clinton, who tried Shout on red wine, commented: “A convenient method as it emits an even spray and does not require excessive rubbing of the fabric.” In general, testers thought this product was good value for money and they liked its smell too.DABITOFFDesigned for dry-clean only fabrics; pounds 1.45 for 100mlOf the stains we tested, this product is suitable only for grease. Sheila Kaufman greeted it with cries of recognition: “Forty years ago, this was the only stain remover. The fact that it’s been going all these years presumably means it works.” In fact, it was the only product that failed to shift the stain, leaving a greasy patch on the fabric. It was also very smelly.***VANISHGeneral purpose gel; pounds l.99 for 150mlThis was one of the best products for grass stains, but the least effective for ballpoint pen. “The only thing to vanish was the gel, not the stain,” said ballpoint pen man Terry Dowdall. Like almost all the removers, it worked well on grease and wine.

Its main advantage was simplicity of use – the gel is squeezed on to the stain, rubbed in with a built-in brush and left for one or two minutes before washing. Ann Francis liked it: “Very nice and easy to use, not a bad smell and good value for money.” Jean Clinton had mixed feelings : “A good product, though the coarse brush could prove harsh on certain fabrics It was also very difficult to squeeze out an even amount. Invariably, too much was emitted, leaving a very soapy patch.”***DIDISEVENGeneral purpose cream; pounds 4.95 for l00gThis product, which combines a solvent and a bleach, was the most successful in terms of effectiveness. It was the only one to get full marks for grass stains, and one of only three to get rid of a ballpoint pen stain completely. But there were major disadvantages, including price, smell and instructions in such tiny print that they could scarcely be read. “Messy to use,” said Ann Francis, “not a very nice smell, and the most expensive – but it left no stain. I suppose it’s worth the mess and money if it does the job.” Depending on the nature of the stain, hot or cold water can be used.

“The instructions say grease needs hot water,” Sheila Kaufman noticed, “so it couldn’t be used on a fabric that can only be washed in cold.” The manufacturers stress, too, that this cream must be used only on colourfast fabrics.**STAIN DEVILSRange of 12, designed for different stains; pounds l.45 for 50mlTo deal with the full gamut of stains, you have to buy several of these products. Each of our testers used the one that was suitable for his or her particular stain. Their results, however, indicate that it’s not worth spending money to buy specific stain removers. While grease and wine were successfully shifted, ballpoint pen only faded rather than disappear completely, and the Stain Devil was one of the least effective at getting rid of grass stains.Some of the Stain Devils weren’t particularly easy to use either (the method varies according to the product). Jane Clinton used the one designed for wine, fruit and jam stains. “The instructions were far too complicated,” she said, “and you need to have a thermometer to check the temperature of the solution; you also have to mix the powder with water and wait for the fabric to soap.

I didn’t think the Stain Devil was very good value, considering its size. Not one for a party, either, as it would mean spending an hour away from the guests.” Terry Dowdall commented that the solution had “a dreadful smell when used in an enclosed area”.***ASTONISHGeneral purpose bar (with or without brush); pounds l.99 for 75g with brushThis product, which looks like a bar of soap and comes with a brush to use on stubborn stains, got rid of wine, grease and ballpoint pen marks completely but left a faint stain of grass. This was a favourite with Terry Dowdall, our ballpoint pen expert “It’s simple to use, and the brush is great,” he said. “After 10 minutes, the stain on the sample had almost completely gone. I also used it to get rid of an ugly stain on a pair of white trousers.”Jane Clinton pointed out that the brush (which could double up as a scrubbing brush) would be unsuitable for delicate materials. “It proved very harsh,” she said, “and affected the fabric sample quite severely.

Otherwise good results, and no need for soaking.” Sheila Kaufman found the instructions confusing.***DYLONRange designed for different stains; pounds l.65 for 75mlThis is another “family” of stain removers, albeit smaller than the Stain Devils clan. We tried out No 1 on grease, ballpoint pen and grass stains and No 2 on wine. They are both liquids, so there was no need to make up solutions. The remover was only moderately successful on both ballpoint pen and grass, though effective on wine and grease. Sheila Kaufman liked it: “Extremely easy to use; the grease came out on an absorbent cloth. Funny smell, though.” Jane Clinton thought the smell was pleasant “Quite a good product all round,” she said.