CHOICE reveals the best stain removers

Consumer group CHOICE has tested over 30 stain remover powders and sprays, revealing the best options to banish blemishes and destroy dirt.

CHOICE tests stain removers against 10 common types of stains, including olive oil, makeup, sweat and mud. 

“Many of the top-scoring stain removers in our testing come from big brands such as Vanish and Sard. However, our experts discovered a number of cheaper stain removers perform just as effectively as those from the well-known brands,” says CHOICE household expert, Chris Barnes. 

“If you’re looking for a stain remover that is gentle on your wallet but effective on your stains, we recommend Aldi Di-San stain removers. They were among the cheapest products we tested, and scored the same or more than a lot of the expensive products. This goes to show that price doesn’t always equal performance,” says Barnes. 

“The Aldi Di-San Pro Ultra Degreaser with Enzymes is less than a sixth of the cost of the top performing spray, at only 28 cents per 100mL. It also outperformed or equalled the performance of the Sard product in some tests on stains such as grass and mud, tomato and mineral oil,” says Barnes.

The best performing stain remover sprays in our test were: 

Sard Super Power Stain Remover Toughest Stains 

• CHOICE Expert Rating: 74%
• Price per 100mL: $1.90

Aldi Di-San Pro Ultra Degreaser with Enzymes 

• CHOICE Expert Rating: 73%
• Price per 100mL: $0.28

Coles Ultra Pre-Wash Stain Remover

• CHOICE Expert Rating: 72%
• Price per 100mL: $0.43

The best performing stain remover powders in our test were: 

Sard Whiter & Brighter Stain Remover Major Stain Types AntiBacterial Soaker 

• CHOICE Expert Rating: 74%
• Price per 100g: $1.10

Vanish NapiSan Oxi Action Gold Pro Advanced Crystal White Stain Remover 

• CHOICE Expert Rating: 74% 
• Price per 100g: $1.90 

Sard Power Stain Remover Major Stain Types AntiBacterial Soaker

• CHOICE Expert Rating: 73%
• Price per 100g: $1.10