White shirts are the height of sophistication… except when marred by a massive stain. Once you get something on these shirts, they can be a real pain to clean. Luckily, learning how to get stains out of a white shirt doesn’t have to be complicated. How you approach this domestic chore depends mainly on what the stain on the shirt is.
We’ve got you covered. In the following guide, we will look at how to get a stain out of a white shirt, no matter what you’ve spilt on it. We will also be covering some of the best tips and advice when it comes to stain removal. Read on to learn the inside scoop.
How to remove chocolate stains
If you want to know how to get stains out of a white shirt, let’s start with one of the number one problems: chocolate. Whether you accidentally left a Snickers bar in your shirt pocket or dropped chocolate down you in hot weather, it can leave a nasty mark. However, getting a chocolate stain out of your white shirt doesn’t have to be as stressful as you imagine.
The following stain-removal trick will help you get the shirt looking as good as new. It’s important to note that you have to act fast when you want to remove chocolate stains. The longer the sweet stuff is on the fabric, the less chance you have of recovering the colour. Need to take action? Follow these steps on how to get a stain out of white clothing below:
Step 1: Get rid of that excess!
The first thing you must do here is to remove any excess chocolate. For example, if any chocolate bar is stuck to the exterior of your white shirt, you need to get rid of it. If you skip this step, you risk rubbing the chocolate deeper into the material. Unfortunately, you could have even more chocolate stains than you started.
Step 2: Use a stain remover
For this step, you can use an all-purpose stain remover. You may already have a product that you trust. You will find that most of the leading stain removers out there will remove chocolate stains. You should isolate the area where the stain is and spray the product onto it. You should see that the chocolate disappears when you use the spray.
Step 3: Soak it overnight
Next, you should put the white shirt in a cold water bath overnight. Add some baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to the water if you find the stain hard to remove. In the morning, take the shirt out of the water and put it on a gentle wash.
The red wine stain removal trick
Red, red wine… While it might go to your head, if you spill it on your white shirt, it can be an absolute nightmare. Red wine stains are notoriously hard to shift. However, that doesn’t mean that you have to throw the shirt out. Believe it or not, a handy red wine stain removal trick can help you salvage your white shirt completely. Here’s what to do:
Step 1: Dilute the red wine
You need to act quickly when you spill red wine on your shirt. First, grab a damp cloth and wet the area. The idea is that you dilute the potency of the red wine so that it is weaker. If you use a cotton cloth, it may also absorb the wine.
Step 2: Make a DIY stain removal solution
Next up, you want to make your own stain remover. Combine lukewarm water with a few drops of lemon essential, an oil-based soap, and ¼ cup of hydrogen peroxide. You can spray the product directly onto the red wine stain and leave it to sit. You should leave the white shirt for around 15-20 minutes before you start to see the stain disappear.
Step 3: Rinse with cold water
When the time is up, rinse the white shirt with cold water. You might find that the stain has gone entirely at this point. However, if you can still see it there, you should leave the shirt to soak in cool water overnight before putting it on a gentle wash. This simple process is a real winner when it comes to getting a stain out of a white shirt.
How to get rid of grease stains
Are you a mucky pup when you’re cooking or eating? If you’ve managed to get grease all over your clean white shirt, don’t panic. While these stains may look bad, they are easier to remove than you imagine. Once again, speed is everything here. The faster you act when you notice the grease stains, the more likely you will get rid of them.
Step 1: Blot away as much as you can
When you have got grease on your white, the first thing you want to do is get a high-quality paper towel and get blotting. The idea is to get rid of as much of the excess grease as possible before you move on to the next stage of the stain-removal process.
Step 2: Use an ammonia-based product
Ammonia is the best ingredient when it comes to getting rid of grease. The alkaline solution helps to combat the grease and may allow you to cut through tricky stains. In addition, you can spray the product directly onto the stain and leave it to work its magic for 10 minutes.
Step 3: Rinse and wash
When you have followed all of the above steps, the next thing you need to do is rinse. Cool water is the answer whenever we talk about how to get a stain out of a white shirt. So make sure you use cold water when rinsing your shirt. Next, you should put your white shirt on a light wash and hang it to air dry naturally.
Removing sweat stains from shirts
Did you find yourself running for the bus this morning? Sweat stains happen to the best of us — and they are nothing to be ashamed of. However, you don’t want these nasty marks to ruin a perfect white shirt. So if you have noticed some sweat stains on your shirt, there’s a simple stain removal process you can give a go.
Step 1: Make a simple stain remover
Before you get started, you should make a simple stain remover that you can use here. Mix 1/2 cup of water, four tablespoons of baking soda, two teaspoons of oil-based soap, and a cup of hydrogen peroxide. You can put the stain remover in a spray bottle.
Step 2: Massage the mixture into the stain
Spray the product onto the sweat stains and gently massage it into the material. It’s wise to wear some plastic gloves while doing this process. The chemicals that you have put in the product can be potent. You don’t want to hurt or agitate your skin.
Step 3: Use a cold washing cycle
When you have prepared your white shirt, you can put it in the washing machine for a cold water cycle. That way, you won’t put too much pressure on the shirt and will find that the stain comes out well. Should you find that this process doesn’t work, repeat it once.
This guide has covered some primary ways to get stains out of a white shirt. However, there are loads of approaches out there. For example, you may want a high-quality fabric cleaner to do the heavy lifting or use different washing techniques. Keep in mind that white shirts are easier to clean than many people tend to give them credit for.
Looking for more? Find out how to get hair dye out of clothes in our other article.
Q&A
Do you have a question that we missed in our guide? Don’t worry — check out our frequently asked questions section below for your desired answers.
How do you get a stain out of a white shirt fast?
The first step is to treat the stain with some cold water. After that, you can use a DIY stain removal solution to combat the mark quickly. The sooner you take action, the more likely you are to get rid of the stain completely.
Is lemon juice good for removing stains?
Lemon juice has a natural whitening property, which some people believe means it can help to remove stains in the fabric. However, since this ingredient is highly acidic, you should be careful when using it on the material. You might find that it does more damage than good.
If you're wondering how to whiten bras, we swear by lemon juice for that, too!
Are old stains impossible to remove?
The longer a garment is stained, the harder it will be to remove the mark. However, that doesn’t mean you should leave it. Instead, try taking the piece to a laundrette and asking them if there is anything that they can do to help recover the white shirt.
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