You’ve tried to wear white clothes before, but the inevitable always seems to happen: Ketchup, coffee, and the whole gamut somehow end up on that cute white top you told yourself to just keep in the closet. Or even worse, you’ve stained a friends white carpet and can’t imagine the cost to get it out. This happens, and if it hasn’t yet to you, be prepared! Once a stain comes, the initial thought is “It won’t come out.” Everyone, let’s breathe together, pause, and take a look at some life-hacks that writer Emily Abbate knows we all need in these dire situations:

• Ketchup or sauce: “Start by removing the excess product from the material with a spoon or knife. Then dab the area with a liquid detergent.”

• Blood: “As quickly as you can, get the garment into a pot of cold salt water. Let it soak in the pot for about 3 to 4 hours, then rub the stained area with liquid detergent and wash as directed.”

• Mud: “This one is very unexpected. Let the mud dry first, then remove as much of the dirt as possible with a toothbrush. Then take the cut side of a raw potato and rub it on the stain, and wash as usual.”

• Coffee: “Soak the stain in a three-part solution of 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 1 teaspoon laundry detergent, and 1 quart water. Then wash normally as directed.”

• Grass: “This one’s a toughie with a few ways to treat it. One way is brushing the stained area with a non-whitening toothpaste directly to the stain (make sure it’s not a gel-based, too). The other? Soak the stain in white vinegar.”

• Ink: “Meet salt, your new best friend. To treat an ink-stained area, pour salt on the wet stain. Then spot a wet paper towel over the area and brush off the remaining salt. Repeat until the stain has mostly vanished, and launder as normal.”

• Sweat or pit stains: “Start by running the area under warm water. Then make a paste out of a quarter-cup warm water and 4 tablespoons of baking soda. Lather the paste onto the stained area, then let it sit for 30 minutes. Rinse off excess, then wash as usual.”

• Wine: “Treat immediately with warm water and then put salt on the area and allow it to sit for 10 minutes. Then rinse the soap out and treat with detergent, laying the garment down on a paper towel. Rinse again and then wash as directed.”