Fresh flowers are instant mood boosters. We love them; we love having them, growing them, or receiving them. They are all the positive feelings and emotions wrapped in the prettiest colorful package. Unfortunately, thorns are not the only unwelcome items plaguing our flower experience; pollen is also. And they can stick to clothes, unfortunately.
7 Ways to Get Pollen Out of Clothes
How frustrating is it to inhale the most beautiful soothing scent only to find orange, blue, or green stains on your clothes later? Luckily, removing the stains is uncomplicated, and with the correct preventative measures, you might never have to encounter this problem. Let’s go over the nature of pollen stains
Pollen Stains
Pollen is vital in the life cycle of flowering plants. It is how they reproduce by carrying the male gametes to the female. Unfortunately, pollen can be a real pain because the beautiful colors that attract people to flowers in the first place can end up being the bright color of stains on clothes.
Most stains are water-based or oil-based; pollen is a powder that affects how it stains clothes and how to remove them from the clothes.
The stain remover chosen to remove pollen stains depends on the offending flower. Flowers like fuchsia, the beautiful violet flower, produce pollen that is soluble in water, while flowers like lilies produce pollen that is soluble in oil.
The pollen from fuchsia will be easier to remove than pollen from the lily flower because water-based solvents can easily wash away the stains, unlike the lily pollen, which can be semi-permanent.
Steps to Follow in Removing Pollen from Clothes
- Shake off the Pollen
Avoid touching the pollen stains with your bare hands; your body’s natural oils will cause them to set on the clothes.
Instead, lift the stained cloth and shake it thoroughly till the pollen comes off. You can also use a handheld vacuum to remove the pollen.
- Lift the Remnant Pollen
Pollen attaches to its host; so shaking it off will not remove it.
Cut a piece of tape – scotch or masking – and place the sticky side on the stain. Pull the tape off, and the pollen should follow; continue until you’re satisfied.
- Soak the Stained Clothes
Turn the clothes inside out, and rinse the back of the stain with cold water for a few seconds. Then, soak the clothes in a bucket or bowl of cold water for 30 minutes. This process will encourage the stain to exit the clothes and reduce the circumference of the stained area.
After soaking, rinse the back of the stains again with cold water.
- Use a Stain Remover
The stain removal process is vital in removing the pollen from clothes. Select a suitable stain remover – and there are many powerful enough to remove pollen stains from clothes.
Perform a patch test on the cloth first to ascertain the cloth’s reaction to the stain remover.
If there is a favorable reaction to the stain remover, place the recommended amount on the stained area and let it sit for ten minutes.
- Wash the Clothes
Follow the clothes’ care label to know the correct wash settings. However, the required water temperature to wash pollen stains off of clothes is hot because it aids the stain remover better.
Wash the clothes with a mild laundry detergent, preferably one that produces little suds to reduce rinse time.
Check for stubborn remnant stains and repeat the removal process if you find any.
- Dry the Clothes
It is better to air-dry the clothes, especially if you are still checking for remnant stains. Hang them on a drying rack in a well-ventilated cold room.
7 Items Suitable for Removing Pollen from Clothes
As previously stated, there are many suitable stain removers capable of cleaning pollen stains; however, these are some of the best.
Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol is a powerful cleaning and degreasing agent capable of removing the toughest stains from clothes.
Using rubbing alcohol to remove pollen stains creates a dilemma; you need to use 99% rubbing alcohol for a better chance of successful stain removal, but you don’t want to damage the fabric.
Perform a patch test on the cloth to see how it reacts.
Procedure:
- Place the stained cloth on a flat surface to better expose the stains.
- Dip cotton balls in the rubbing alcohol and gently dab it on the stains.
- Leave the rubbing alcohol to sit on the clothes for five minutes.
- Rinse the stains with cold water and wash the clothes in the washing machine.
OxiClean Max Force Stain Remover
This stain remover from the OxiClean brand is perfect for removing pollen stains from clothes, especially if you are worried about damaging the fabric.
It produces a thick foam that penetrates the fabric to remove the toughest stains without being harsh.
Procedure:
- Place the stained clothes on a flat surface to expose the hidden stains.
- Pump a generous amount of foam onto the stains and let it soak for 20 minutes on durable fabric and 10 minutes on delicate ones.
- Place the clothes directly into the washer without rinsing off the stain remover, and wash the clothes following the care label.
Sunlight
The sun has natural bleaching properties rivaling heavy-duty bleach – and it’s free.
After the rinsing portion of the stain removal process, hang your clothes outside to dry under the hot sun. The sun’s rays will aid in further removing the stains.
This procedure can seem counterintuitive as drying the clothes can set the stain, but you can get away with it if it is minute.
Zout Triple Enzyme Stain Remover
Decades ago, Zout started as a stain remover for doctors’ and nurses’ clothes. Over the years, they redesigned and evolved the product with the triple enzyme formula targeting tougher and more specific stains.
This stain remover meets the requirement for removing water-soluble pollen stains from clothes, even long after the stain sets. It is suitable for many fabric types, except silk, leather, and cashmere.
Procedure:
- Lay the stained clothes on a flat surface to expose every stain.
- Pour a generous amount of Zout to saturate the stains and scrub gently with a soft brush.
- Allow it to soak for five minutes, then wash the clothes in the washer with a suitable laundry detergent.
Woolite At-Home Dry Cleaner
A dry cleaning solvent is perfect for removing pollen stains from clothes that are dry clean only. However, the solvent might seem arduous to novices, leading many to the dry cleaners and their expensive costs.
Woolite’s at-home dry cleaner is a great alternative; it is simple, safe, and gentle on the fabric, removing the stains while protecting the clothes.
Procedure:
- Place the stained clothes on a flat surface to expose the hidden stains.
- Gently dab the stains with the stain remover pad provided along with this product.
- Toss the clothes into the dryer with the Woolite dry clean pack (follow the instructions on the product).
Tide Ultra Stain Release
Tide is the number one most trusted detergent in the country. They improved the previous offerings to produce an even more powerful stain remover in the Ultra Stain Release.
Although this stain remover is safe for fabrics, perform a patch test to prevent surprises.
Procedure:
- Place the stained clothes on a flat surface to expose the hidden stains.
- Pour the stain remover directly on the stains, completely covering them.
- Leave the liquid to soak for five minutes on the clothes.
- Place the clothes to wash in the washer with the stain remover as the laundry detergent.
Vinegar and Baking Soda
This combination is a proven powerful stain remover, and it also works to remove pollen stains.
Procedure:
- Place the stained clothes on a flat surface to expose the hidden stains.
- Mix ½ cup of vinegar and one cup of baking soda to form a paste.
- Pour the paste on the stains, one by one, till you pour on all of them.
- Allow it to soak for 15 minutes, then rinse the stains with cold water.
- Wash the clothes in the washer with a suitable laundry detergent.
How to Avoid Pollen Stains
The best way to avoid pollen stains is to stay away from flowers; the horror! So, you need to follow the second-best way of avoiding pollen stains, which is to cut off the stamens from the flowers.
You can ask the florist to remove them for you or carefully cut them off with sharp scissors. Be careful not to stain your clothes in the process of trying to avoid stains on your clothes.
If you have a flower garden, plant the flowers that produce pollen in a mildly inaccessible location to avoid frequent contact.