How to Remove Detergent Stains From Clothes

Did you wash your clothes with powder, liquid, or bar soap, and some pieces were stained? For soft or tough detergent stains, our recommendations will be to, first of all, remove the excess detergent with a paper towel.

Types of Detergent Stains And How To Remove Them

Soap Stains

This type of stain happens mainly because we make a mistake in the amount of soap content we put in the machine. Excess soap cannot be completely dissolved by water, generating whitish stains on black and colored fabrics. On white fabrics, the stains appear colored and bluish.

Washing Powdered Soap (Detergent)

Detergent residues are the most common due to the difficulty of dissolving the product in water, this also occurs when you’re using a high chemical-based detergent.

Soap Powder on White Clothes

Soak the garment in plain water for about 30 minutes. Then gently rub the stain with coconut soap or white soap, rinse and dry in the shade.

Laundry Soap On Colored Clothes

If the stain is small, try to remove it under running water and let the piece dry in the shade. Now, how about when the clothes were very stained, the ideal thing is to wash them again.

If you’re in a hurry and don’t have time to wash and wait for it to dry, use a brush to remove excess soap.

Soap Powder On Black Clothes

The first step in washing black clothes is to turn them inside out, which helps prevent soap from accumulating on the surface and fading.

In the case of already stained clothing, you have two options:

  • Use a brush to remove excess residue.
  • Dampen a cloth with water and gently wipe over the stain.

It is important to never let black clothes soak for a lengthy period in soapy water as this speeds up the fading process of the fabric.

Using Liquid Soap

Liquid soap is unlikely to leave residue on your clothes. Precisely because of its state, it dissolves quickly in water.

In addition, this type of soap is a great ally for the elimination of other types of stains. Just apply a little on the stain, let it act for a few minutes, and remove it under running water or in the washing machine.

Bar Or Coconut Soap

Bar soap residue is the easiest soap-based stain to remove, just rub a cloth dampened with water over the stained area and that’s it!

Treating Tough or Close-to-Permanent Detergent stains

Using Water With Sodium Bicarbonate

To remove tough detergent stains, make a solution of water and bicarbonate to form a paste. The mixture is a good choice for treating even the toughest detergent stains. You can also tweak it a bit by making a solution of two parts baking soda and one part water.

You can apply the baking soda paste to your stained clothes before washing them. The stain is trapped and retained in the baking soda. So, as the paste dries, it removes the stain.

Sparkling Water

In addition to the aforementioned techniques, sparkling water works on some types of fabrics. The liquid can also be used to clean tough detergent stains on your shirt, tablecloth, or bedding.

The carbon dioxide contained in the water brings the stain to the surface. Therefore, dry it afterward with clean towels until the stain disappears.

Using Water And Salt Formula

Sprinkle the stained area of ​​clothing with salt. The salt can absorb the leftover detergent stain, so you can wash your clothes more easily. Wipe the clothing with a napkin or paper towel and then wash it with cold water.

You can also pour a handful of salt on the spot and let it sit for about 10 minutes. That way, the salt dissolves the stain and makes it easy to clean without mess.

Warm Water

Sometimes, Very cold water can be not so effective at removing tough detergent stains. Therefore, use water at the recommended temperature of 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit (32°C) for detergent stain removal.

Ensure you avoid the usage of hot water on detergent stains. This causes the stain to “cook” on the clothing. Some types of stains respond best to cold water and then washing in warm water.

You should also know that there are a lot of kitchen items that can be used to clean and remove stains from fabrics, one of such items is sugar.

Bleach With Sugar

Bleach is an oxidant, which breaks down the molecules of various substances. This makes the product highly offensive and it can take the color out of colored clothes. To dilute bleach, use sugar.

Try to mix the bleach and sugar until they form a good and efficient cleaning agent. Then rub the product over the stain and let it sit for about an hour. Then wash your clothes normally.

Alcohol Removal

Alcohol is a powerful stain removal product and can be effective for detergent stains as well. Apply the alcohol to the stain, wait about 10 minutes, and put the clothes to wash. After that, the detergent stain will probably be gone from the clothes.

However, alcohol is not the best for some materials. The product can cause fading and even damage to fabrics containing some raw mineral compounds like acetate, triacetate, modacrylic, and acrylic fibers.

Aspirin For Cleaning

Aspirin contains salicylic acid, which works similarly to acetic acid found in vinegar. So, take a large bowl and dissolve three aspirin tablets in some warm water. Soak the stained part of the garment in the mixture for at least thirty minutes.

Wet Tissue

Wet wipes can remove detergent stains from virtually any fabric, even the toughest ones. For best results, apply some liquid soap to the affected spot and then wash.

Try to also rub gently and let it dry, so that the stain can disappear appropriately. The wet wipe also quickly cleans away any white deodorant bar residue, keeping your clothes looking nice.

How To Avoid Washing Powder Stains On Clothes

  • If you are washing clothes by hand, dissolve the soap before putting it in contact with the garments
  • If washing in the machine, put the correct amount indicated in the dispenser, this helps in the complete dissolution of the product
  • From time to time, clean the machine to remove any traces of soap stored in the appliance.

Fabric Softener Stains

Fabric softener stains are relatively easy to remove, just apply the several methods we have listed above.

How To Avoid Fabric Softener Stains

The best tip is to dilute the fabric softener in a little water before putting it in the machine. Now, if your machine has a specific compartment, always put the fabric softener in its specified compartment.

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