Enzyme cleaner

What It Means

An enzyme cleaner is a stain remover, presoak or detergent that uses enzymes to break stains into smaller pieces the wash can carry away. Each enzyme works on one kind of soil: according to the American Cleaning Institute (ACI), protease handles protein, amylase handles starch and lipase handles fats and oils. University of Illinois Extension's stain advice pairs these products with a soak before the wash, at least 30 minutes for grass.

How It Sounds at Home

• "Spray the enzyme stuff on the grass stains first."
• "Let it soak overnight before it goes in."
• "Don't put that on the silk blouse."

The Breakdown

Match the enzyme to the stain (ACI)

ACI singles out protein stains as the ones enzymes remove especially well.

How to use one

1. Check the fabric. Leave wool and silk out, since those fibers are made of protein, the material protease breaks down.
2. Treat the stain as soon as you can.
3. For blood, start with cold water, because hot water sets the stain.
4. Apply the product, or soak the item in cool water with it. For grass, Illinois Extension suggests at least 30 minutes and up to overnight, and several hours for an old stain.
5. Wash the item the way its care label says.
6. Look at the spot before the item goes in the dryer, and treat it again if it's still there.

Try it today. Take one stained cotton or polyester item, soak it for 30 minutes in cool water with an enzyme product, then wash it as usual.

Good to Know

Persil's advice for washing silk is a detergent with no enzymes or bleachChlorine bleachHousehold bleach made with sodium hypochlorite that whitens, removes stains and disinfects, but can fade colors and damage some fibers. See more, and its detergent for silk and wool is made that way, so check both the product label and the garment's care label before you treat anything delicate. Use one cleaning product at a time unless a label tells you to combine them. Poison Control warns that some household mixes release toxic gas, including bleach with ammonia, which makes chloramine, and bleach with an acid such as vinegar, which makes chlorine gas.

Related Terms and Categories

• Laundry sorting

  Dividing dirty laundry into loads that can be washed together safely, by color, how dirty it is, lint and the care each fabric needs.

• Oxygen bleach

  Laundry bleach that uses hydrogen peroxide or a similar oxygen-releasing ingredient instead of chlorine, sold as color-safe or non-chlorine bleach.

• Chlorine bleach

  Household bleach made with sodium hypochlorite that whitens, removes stains and disinfects, but can fade colors and damage some fibers.

• High-efficiency detergent

  Laundry detergent made to clean with low suds in the small amount of water a high-efficiency (HE) washer uses, marked "HE" on the package.

• Hand washing clothes

  Washing garments in a basin or sink with gentle detergent and slow, careful handling, for items whose care label says hand wash or that a machine could stretch or damage.

Chores, cleaning and home care