Provided is a smear-removing method that can remove smear of a manufactured thin-film magnetic head. The method is performed to a thin-film magnetic head including an MR effect element for reading data having two electrode layers sandwiching an MR effect multilayer as a magneto-sensitive portion therebetween. The method comprises the step of applying a stress voltage less than a breaking voltage of the MR effect element between the two electrode layers to burn off smear. In the method, it is preferable that the stress voltage is applied while an electric resistance or an output voltage of the MR effect element is measured, and the stress voltage is increased until the value of the electric resistance or the output voltage reaches an upper limit specified value specified from a value of an electric resistance or an output voltage in a normal case where smear is not present.