About a year ago, I had a little incident involving my favorite Chloe dress, a glass of red wine, and a party guest who might have been feeling a bit too festive. I was convinced the dress was completely destroyed, until most Martha Stewart-like friend let me in on a little stain removal secret that I've sworn by ever since (Thank you, Elizabeth!). Keep reading to find out what it is...

Red wine spilled from glasses

Mix one part Dawn dishwashing liquid (the plain old blue kind, in the big bottle that usually sits on your sink), with two parts hydrogen peroxide (available at any drug store), pour it directly on the stain, and watch it disappear like MAGIC. If it's a big stain, as was the case with my dress, you can mix the same equation and add it to a bucket of hot water and just dunk the entire garment in there. When I first set up the little stain removal lab in my kitchen, I was hesitant but figured things couldn't get any worse, so I just crossed my fingers, closed my eyes, and dropped the whole thing in there. When it emerged sparkling clean, I tore through my closet like a madwoman in search of stained items I hadn't had the heart to throw away. And it worked on every single one of them: chocolate, red wine, barbecue sauce, etc.

What are some of your best secrets for keeping clothes looking great? Do you use home remedies, too?

Photo: Istock