A Tide To Go pen is a small portable stain remover you can carry in a bag or keep in a drawer. It is made for fresh spills such as coffee, wine, tomato sauce or juice, and works best before a stain has a chance to set. The sections below cover the maker's method, the fabrics it lists, and the points where it is not the right tool.
Press the tip onto the stain to release the solution, then rub gently across the mark. Add more liquid as needed, and wash the garment later per its care tag. The maker says ink, grease, blood and grass are not its strength, so those stains need pretreating and laundering.
What it is
The Tide To Go Instant Stain Remover is a portable stain remover pen, sold in 1 and 3 count packs as well as Mini and JUMBO sizes. It contains water, dipropylene glycol butyl ether, hydrogen peroxide at 1 to 1.5 percent as a bleaching agent, sodium lauryl sulfate, ethanol, lauramine oxide, magnesium sulfate, citric acid, sodium hydroxide and fragrance. The maker also sells Tide To Go PRO and LUXE pens, along with Tide To Go Wipes.
According to the maker
What to use it on
Fresh food and drink stains
The maker lists tomato juice, ketchup, BBQ sauce, grape juice, coffee, wine, tea, chocolate syrup and soda as the stains the pen targets. Use it as soon as you can after the spill, while the stain is still fresh.
Work from the edge of the stain toward the middle so the mark does not spread. Follow up by washing the item per its care tag.
Stains away from home
The pen is designed to be portable, so it suits a restaurant table, a car or a bag you carry every day. Keep it handy for the moment a drink tips over or sauce lands on a sleeve.
Once you are home, wash the garment as the care tag directs so any remaining residue is removed. Do not rely on the pen alone for a stain you cannot treat straight away.
Tide To Go Wipes
The maker sells Tide To Go Wipes as a second option for food and drink stains such as coffee, wine, ketchup, sauce and juice. The maker says they are safe to use on most fabrics and contain no bleach.
Remove any excess stain first if needed, then blot the stain with a wipe, working from the outside toward the center. Rinse your hands after use.
Non-food stains need pretreating
The maker says the pen works poorly on non-food stains such as ink, grease, blood and grass. For these marks, pretreat the spot and launder the item as usual rather than relying on the pen.
Check the care tag before washing, since it sets out the right temperature and cycle for the fabric. Treating the stain promptly still gives it the best chance of coming out.
Fabric check before use
The maker says the pen is for all colorfast washable and dry-cleanable fabrics. If you are unsure whether a fabric is colorfast, test an inside seam first.
Apply a small amount, let it sit briefly, and check for any change in color before treating the visible stain. This quick check takes less time than repairing a fabric that has faded.
5 steps
How to use it
- 1
Test an inside seam first
If you are unsure about the fabric, try the pen on an inside seam before treating the visible stain. Colorfast washable and dry-cleanable fabrics are the ones this pen is made for. Use this check to confirm the fabric will hold its color.
- 2
Remove excess residue from the stain
Begin by clearing away any excess residue sitting on the surface of the stain. This gives the solution a clean area to work on. The maker lists this as the first step in its directions.
- 3
Press the tip onto the stain
Press the pen tip onto the stain so the solution is released into the fabric. Hold the pen steady for a moment so the liquid soaks in. The maker's method starts with this press before any rubbing.
- 4
Rub the tip gently across the stain
Rub the tip gently across the stain, adding more liquid as needed. Keep the motion light so you do not push the stain deeper into the weave. Continue until the stain has been fully worked over.
- 5
Wash the garment per its care tag
Once the stain has been treated, wash the item per its care tag. The maker's directions say to wash later, so do not skip this step. Check the stain before drying, because heat can set any mark that remains.
Where not to use it
The maker does not list any fabric exclusions for the pen, so the inside seam test is the main check before use. The maker says the pen works poorly on non-food stains such as ink, grease, blood and grass. For those stains, pretreat the spot and launder the item as usual instead.
Safety
The safety data sheet carries the signal word WARNING, and the product causes skin irritation and serious eye irritation. Wash your hands after handling the pen. If the product gets into your eyes, rinse cautiously with water for several minutes.
Never mix chlorine bleach with vinegar or other acids, ammonia or rubbing alcohol. Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222.
Versions the maker sells
Where to buy
Tide To Go Instant Stain Remover Pen
Sponsored links: as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Product facts come from the maker's own instructions and labels.
Questions
Does a Tide To Go pen work on old stains?
The maker describes the pen's targets as fresh food and drink stains, so it is aimed at spills you treat quickly. The product details do not give a result for old stains. Treat an old stain as a first attempt, test an inside seam, and wash the item per its care tag.
Does Tide To Go work on coffee stains?
The maker lists coffee among the fresh food and drink stains the pen targets. Remove any excess residue, press the tip onto the stain, and rub gently across it. Wash the item later per its care tag.
Does Tide To Go work on oil or grease stains?
The maker says the pen works poorly on grease, which it places among the non-food stains. Pretreat the grease stain and launder the item as directed. The pen is not the maker's recommended first step for oil.
Is a Tide To Go pen safe on all fabrics?
The maker says the pen is for all colorfast washable and dry-cleanable fabrics. It lists no fabric exclusions, but it advises checking an inside seam if you are unsure. Check the care tag before washing the item.
Is there a review of Tide To Go?
The information here comes only from the maker's product details and directions. It explains what the maker says the pen is for, how to use it and where it falls short. Use it as a guide to the product's stated method.
How do Tide To Go Wipes differ from the pen?
The wipes are for food and drink stains such as coffee, wine, ketchup, sauce and juice. The maker says they are safe on most fabrics and contain no bleach. Blot from the outside toward the center, then rinse your hands after use.
What is the hydrogen peroxide in the pen for?
The pen contains hydrogen peroxide at 1 to 1.5 percent, which the maker lists as a bleaching agent. If you are unsure about the fabric, test an inside seam before treating the visible stain. Wash the item later per its care tag.
What should I do if the pen gets in my eyes?
The safety data sheet says the product causes serious eye irritation. Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes. Wash your hands after handling the pen.
Where it shows up in our guides
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How we know this
Every use, amount and warning here comes from the maker's product pages, labels and safety data sheets.