The first and best step is prevention. If you can protect from stains before they happen, you're way ahead of the game. For example, if you're buying a new couch, you will probably have the option to have the couch treated with Teflon stain protection. My wife and I recently got a couch, and the store treated the couch for a small price. We considered it a good investment to protect our wonderful new couch from potential stain disasters.
Of course, you can't protect everything. In cases where you spill some terribly staining substance on unprotected fabric, the most important thing is to act quickly. Take care of the stain as soon as possible, so that is doesn't have a chance to set in. The longer you wait, the worse your chances are.
The next key point is to use a stain remover and follow the directions exactly as they are written. Also, make sure that your stain remover is not going to ruin your fabric. That would defeat the purpose of removing the stain.
When you are using the stain remover, put the fabric on a towel to soak up the stain, and apply the stain remover at the back. If you apply at the front, it may actually push the stain further into the fabric. The idea is to move the stain out of the fabric, and clear as much as you can with the towel.
Also keep in mind that using bleach to remove a stain may cause uneven color removal. If your garment is colored, make sure you are using the right kind of bleach.
If at first you don't succeed, you can try multiple rounds of stain removal. It may take patience, but often you can see results with multiple applications. Again, be sure to follow the directions exactly as you do this. You may need to be patient and wait for the stain remover to do its work.
