The combination of the applied friction and the formula itself works wonders on every substance we tried it on.

Zout was the preferred at-home stain remover of SPY Senior E-Commerce Editor Taylor Galla before completing this test and it stood up to the competition fiercely. We’ve all been there: you’re out and about enjoying a nice burger, salad, and glass of red wine when all of a sudden one, or all three, decide to spill on your favorite t-shirt and you’re suddenly in desperate need of the best stain remover. When a mess does occur, simply uncap the device, and apply firm pressure to the tip to release the formula onto the stain.

These were stain removers we weren’t as impressed with, or didn’t have any standout qualities like the ones previously discussed, but were worth including in the piece nonetheless. We’re also continuously improving and fine-tuning our testing process, including weighing the pros/cons of design, weighing convenience against effectiveness, and considering which product, out of many, we’d want to use in our real lives. Method scored rave reviews for its scrub-brush applicator, which lets you tackle tough stains without having to get your fingers dirty. While it lacks the name recognition of the best stain sticks, we’d recommend this over the ubiquitous Tide Stain Stick.

We measured both based on the same criteria, taking into account that they’re not made with the exact same objectives in mind. They often dry up before we can ever use them and seem to smear the stain more than actually remove it. That said, I also tried a few squirts of the stain remover on a months-old white stain on my black Zara leggings that I had been dousing with regular Shout every time I put it in the wash.That’s why we gathered a team of editors and had them test out the top stain-fighters on the market, sharing before and after photos of the very best ones so you can choose the brand that’s right for you.