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Morgan's Farmhouse

Creating a Homegrown and Homemade Life

How to Remove Tough Laundry Stains

January 18, 2023 by morgansfarmhouse Leave a Comment

Are you looking to clean up your laundry routine? There’s no point in using clean body products when the clothing that touches you all day is full of chemicals. I can teach you how to remove tough laundry stains naturally, so that your clothes are as clean as your laundry routine. 

The site may contain links to affiliate websites, and we receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website using such links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As a Revive EO Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Cleaner Clean Laundry

For the last few years, I have been cleaning up my laundry routine. From ditching dryer sheets to parting with the bleach I’ve made lots of changes. It hasn’t all been easy, though. We suffered through some rough patches along the way. Stain removal was by far the hardest part of switching over to a natural laundry routine.

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How to Remove Tough Laundry Stains: The Specifics

Grease

Grease is tricky and must be cleaned immediately. Sprinkle a generous amount of cornstarch on the grease to absorb it. Add some borax to the load to help remove whatever is left of the stain. A drop of lemon essential oil might help as well. 

Blood

If years of karate class has taught me anything it’s how to get blood out of clothes and keep whites looking bright. Rinse the stain with cold water. Then use vinegar or hydrogen peroxide to remove the color. 

Grass

To remove a grass stain, scrub it with dish soap. Then use a mix of 50/50 water and peroxide to spray it down. Wash immediately. 

Tea

Lemon juice works really well on tea. It can bleach clothes though so be careful. Start by pouring boiling water over the stain. Then follow it up with lemon juice. If it has already set in, then make a paste of borax and water to apply to the stain before washing. 

Coffee

For coffee stains, immediately rinse with boiling water. Then use some white vinegar. If the stain is still there make a paste of borax and water. Apply it to the stain before washing. 

Wax

Once the wax hardens, scrap off as much as possible. Place a paper towel above and below the stain. Run a warm iron over the paper towel. This will melt the wax and the paper towels will absorb it. 

Tomato

If you want to remove a tough tomato stain try white vinegar. Spray it on and wash immediately. The sooner you treat the stain the better the results will be. 

Mud

Create a borax paste using a bit of water. Apply to the stain and wash immediately. 

Sweat

Lemon juice and vinegar both work great on underarm stains. Lemon juice can bleach clothing, so only use it on whites. White vinegar can be used on colors or whites. Spray the stain and let it soak before washing it. 

How to Remove Tough Laundry Stains

How to Remove Tough Laundry Stains

In order to switch to using natural solutions to remove tough laundry stains, you will need a few tools in your laundry basket. Chances are you already have most of these laying around the house. 

Lemon Essential Oil

Lemon essential oil is my favorite stain remover because it works on just about everything. It can work on stains that sat in the laundry hamper for a week or those that just happened. Plus it doesn’t have to sit in order to work. Just put a drop or two on the stain immediately before washing. If you leave it on to sit, it can turn the clothing yellow. 

White Vinegar

Is there anything vinegar can’t do? Seriously, I use this stuff to clean everything. Vinegar works on most stains. The severity of the stain determines how long it needs to sit. Plus, vinegar works as  a natural fabric softener. I will often add a cup to every load for the stain fighting and fabric softening powers. Just go ahead and buy this stuff in bulk if you are switching to natural cleaning. 

Peroxide

There is really only one time that I pick peroxide and that is for blood. It will take it out of white or colors. Just be careful because it can cause bleach spots on colors. Pour it on the blood stain and let it bubble. Then rinse it off with cold water. Repeat this process until the stain is gone or the peroxide no longer bubbles. 

Borax

This is the harshest natural cleaner I use. Although natural it can irritate the skin. You’ll find it in most every homemade laundry soap recipe because of its cleaning power. This works as a paste on a stain or added to the machine for anything you missed. 

Bluing

Bluing is the trick to bright whites. It may not remove stains, but it does keep the dingy yellow color away. 

Cornstarch

Cornstarch will absorb grease. Now this only works on fresh stains. If you don’t have any on hand then baking soda or salt will work.

Alcohol

Alcohol works on ink stains. Although it will not always do the trick oftentimes it will remove the stain. Ink is a tricky one. 

How to Remove Tough Laundry Stains

The site may contain links to affiliate websites, and we receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website using such links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As a Revive EO Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Filed Under: Cleaning, Laundry Tagged With: cleaning, essential oils, laundry, stains

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Morgan's Farmhouse

Hi, I’m Morgan, wife, teacher,  and wannabe homesteader. Follow along for recipes, tips, and tricks as we learn how to go from city living to homesteading heaven. Read more about me here.

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