Whether it's your son's jeans, your daughter's soccer uniform, or your own gardening clothes, grass stains seem to be everywhere in the spring and summer. Grass stains consist of organic matter that has been ground in to clothing. While difficult to remove, they are not impossible.

Acting quickly, pre-treating, and making sure that the stain is gone before putting the clothes in the dryer, can help make sure that you can thoroughly remove grass stains from clothes. Otherwise, articles of clothing that are put through the washer and dryer without special treatment may retain the stain permanently. This guide will help you figure out the best way to know how to remove grass stains. But remember, if the garment is delicate, or labeled dry clean only, do not attempt removing stains yourself; take the clothing to a professional dry cleaner, and let the experts do the job.

Otherwise, get ready to knock out those tough grass stains, and be ready to repeat this process all through the warm weather season--especially if you have children!

Just like any other stain, grass stains should be attacked quickly for best results. They are usually physically ground into the fibers of the item, which means that they will set more quickly. Before beginning, brush off any excess dirt or grass that is clinging to the garment

• Enzyme treatments do a good job of loosening the bonds that the proteins contained in grass stains form with your clothes. Saturate the stain with an enzyme stain remover, and allow it to sit for at east an hour before washing. If the enzyme treatment is a powder, mix it with water to form a tough paste. Rub it into the stain thoroughly with your hands; don't use a laundry brush for this initial treatment as it could damage the garment.

• Place the stained item in the washer with the pre-treatment still applied. Wash it on the hottest setting the care label permits, with the recommended amount of laundry detergent.

• Inspect the garment carefully after it finishes the wash cycle. If the stain is gone, you're all set—put it in the dryer, or line dry as usual. If any sign of the stain remains, you can try these additional steps to remove it. Do not put the clothing in the dryer until the stain is gone or you've given up, as the heat from the dryer will set the stain, making it impossible to remove.

1. Repeat the enzyme treatment you used in step 2, but this time use a laundry brush to work the paste in deeply. Wash again.
2. If the stain is still there, apply undiluted hydrogen peroxide to the stain. While less likely to bleach fabric than chlorine bleach, hydrogen peroxide can discolor some fabrics, so you may want to test it on an inconspicuous place, such as a hem, before using it. Wash again.
3. If all else fails, you can try chlorine bleach, but unless the fabric is white, you will probably remove dye as well as the stain.