Laundry Stain Pretreater Recipes
52 Comments 
This is a great pretreater for stained items and it makes up nicely…keep a jar handy in the laundry room and you’ll never need to buy harsh chemicals.
Grate A Bar Of Soap To Make A Useful Soap Jelly
DIY Soap Jelly
Glass Jar
Laundry soap bar (or non-perfume bar like Ivory soap)
Hot water
- Shave the bar of soap until the shavings fill half of the jar.
- Fill the rest of the jar with hot water (boiling if the glass can handle that hot without shattering). Cover with lid.
- Allow the water to soak into the soap a bit to soften it up then shake hard until it is dissolved (or stir well).
- Once dissolved, allow to cool completely. The soap & water mixture will form a jelly that is ideal for using on laundry stains.
Troubleshooting Tip: If the mixture doesn’t gel nicely, it’s still useable…you can reheat mixture and add more soap shavings. If it’s too thick, add a bit more hot water.
Directions for use:
- Soften stubborn soil with soap jelly on a soft brush. Scrub gently to avoid damaging cloth.
You can also make this using leftover bits of bar soap:
Save pieces and leftover slivers of bar soaps and collect in a jar. Those little hotel soaps are ideal for this too (cut them down to small pieces).
When jar is filled half way with soap chunks, add boiling water. Mix soap bits and water until soap is melted.
Once cooled this will make a soap jelly. Use to pretreat laundry.
*Handy to gob onto stained items and toss back into the dirty laundry bag for pieces that you can’t wash right away.
Quick Tip: I’ve also used just straight liquid dish detergent successfully. Squirt a bit onto stain, rub in gently with your fingers, then toss the garment in the laundry pile to be washed later. This is an especially easy one since you can apply the soap as soon as you notice the stain and leave the garment sit until laundry day.
Stain Removers
#1
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide
Directions:
- Mix ingredients then store in spray bottles. Spot treat stains then soak overnight.
#2
2 quarts water
1/2 cup ammonia
2 TBS laundry detergent
Directions:
- Mix ingredients then store in spray bottles. Spot treat stains then soak overnight.
- Do not use with bleach.
Methods & Guidelines
Fundamentals of Stain Removal
- Treat stain as soon as possible, a fresh stain is easier to remove.
- Test treatment on a hidden or unseen area of the clothing, test for color fastness before treating stain in a visible spot.
- Avoid hot water on the following stains: blood, egg and milk.
- Follow directions of commercial cleaners, be aware of any precautions noted.
- Do not dry garments in a hot dryer until you have removed the stain, this can set the stain and makes it harder to remove.
Tip: Check clothes as you place them in the washer and check again while placing them in the dryer. Catching stains before garments are washed and dried can help prevent permanent stains.
Should Stains Be Treated With Hot Or Cold Water?
- Many stains come out quickly when flushed or soaked in hot water, but some will be set permanently. When in doubt, soak in cold water. Stains that are: Blood, Milk, Eggs should never be exposed to heat, always work with cool water for these.
Removal Method: Greasy Spots
- Place the garment stained side down on a clean white towel.
- Sponge the back of the stain thoroughly with treatment, working from the center of the stain out.
- Air dry. If stain still appears, repeat.
Quick & Dirty Method
(use only if heat will not damage garment and not on stains that are blood, eggs or milk)
- Place a large bowl in the kitchen sink, position garment across the bowl with the stained area in the middle. Pour boiling water through the cloth (and directly over the stain) from a height of 1 1/2 to 3 feet. This method works best on stains that are fresh.
Basic Removal Method
- Wet stain with cool water.
- Rub with bar of soap (laundry soap or bar of Ivory soap). Rinse.
- If stain persists, rub with bar of soap again then soak garment in a mixture of cool water & detergent. Soak for about an hour or overnight. Rinse.
- If stain persists, rub bar soap into it then gently scrub with a scrub brush until stain is removed. Do not do this if the garment is delicate or will be damaged by the brush. Rinse & launder as usual.
- If stain persists, try a more aggressive removal method by soaking in a commercial cleaner or bleach solution. Some recipes are found below
General Recipe
1 tsp Liquid Dish Detergent (no bleach)
1 tsp Ammonia
- Soak stain under cool running water then apply treatment by dabbing area with a sponge. Let sit for a few minutes then launder in cool water. Check stain before putting garment in dryer. Reapply treatment if needed.
All-Purpose Bleach Soak
(for items that are bleachable)
- Soak garment in a solution of 1/2 cup bleach per gallon of hot sudsy water (except for blood, egg or milk stains–use cool water instead). After soaking launder as usual.
More Stain Busters
- Tip Sheet For Laundry Stains
- This list for ink stains is handy: 10 Ink Stain Removers – Laundry Tips.
I’m a big fan of spot removal books. A solution I’ve found for just about every fabric and problem is a squirt of dish washing liquid, along with a spill of white vinegar in a gallon of warm water. The enzymes in the dish detergent help break down a number of things, and the white vinegar boosts the process.
I have a question on this post. there is a differance in Dish washing soap and dertgent . . which do you use. hard to find ‘dish dertergent’ anymore
Use dishwashing liquid. I like to use Dawn with no extras like bleach or oxy.
Sounds very effective with those ingredients, thanks very much for that info Sheryllyn
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Be Careful! Liquid detergent (FOR washing machines, not for hand washing dishes) contains bleach and WILL bleach your colored clothes.
that is so cool!
I like the homemade pre treatment of equal parts water, ammonia, and dish soap. It gets out almost everything!
Sometimes if my grand daughters shirts are dried with pasta sauce I have to soak it in Oxi-Clean first but otherwise this combo gets out kool-aid, grease, mustard, I have had great success
Dimita,
I just tried making this solution and it has a VERY strong odor…is that normal? I just sprayed a bunch of it on my clothes that had stains and it was so strong I was getting a headache. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Please, note that mixing ammonia with chlorite (that many laundry detergents and dishwashing machines have) gives very harmful gas!
Thank you all for sharing your recipes!
To remove berry stains:
1. Boil about a quart of water over high heat.
2. Place stained garment in sink.
3. Pour boiling water over berry stain.
4. Watch the stain dissolve.
5. To remove blackberry or blueberry stains, apply powder stain remover that has been rendered into a paste. Apply the paste on the stain and rub. Rinse in the hottest water safe for the fabric. Also try bleach alternative detergent. Apply directly on stain. Let sit then rub. Rinse. Repeat until stain is gone.
Tips:
* This works best if you move quickly. Apply the boiling water as soon as possible after the garment becomes stained.
* It is possible that this method will not work with all berries, however, it generally works with most red staining fruits.
* You can also use dish liquid along with the boiling water!
Another good use for those little bath soap pieces that are no longer big enough to use.
Make a little bag out of common nylon net. The nylon net can be purchased for very little at any fabric department or store.
Put a handful of little soap pieces in it and tie it off, sew it up, or secure with an elastic band.
Not only will it contain your soap chips,
but it acts as a nice little exfoliant scrubber. You can use it at the sink for
handwashing, or in the shower for an extension of the life of your soap.
a knee high panty hose will work great too or the tip of a panty hose cut off put the soap pieces in it and tie a knot. i use it in the back yard by the water hose to wash our hands, I tie it to the spigot so it doesn’t walk away and it keeps the soaps dry
I use a version of recipe #1. Straight hydrogen peroxide works wonders as well. It’s especially good on set in tea and coffee stains on my rug.
Make sure when you use straight hydrogen peroxide that it doesn’t sit for very long on your laundry, or it will eat a hole in the material.
IHAVE BEEN USING THIS RECIPE FOR YEARS AND IT WORKS WELL.
1/2 CUP WHITE VINEGAR
1/2 CUP AMMONIA
1/2 CUP LIQUID DETERGENT
1/2 CUP WATER
PUT ALL INGREDIENTS IN A SPRAY BOTTLE AND USE AS NEEDED.
Is this laundry detergent or dish detergent??
Thanks,
Sherri
I think what Sherri was asking is whether the liquid detergent in the recipe refers to the laundry detergent or a dishwashing detergent. I would appreciate a clarification also. Thanks
I’m wondering what kind of liquid detergent to use in this laundry stain treatment receipe?
(dish washing, dish washer, laundry detergent, etc.)
I think she was saying Not to use dishwasher powder or liquid, because it will bleach your clothes, You Can use Dawn or any other brand Name dish detergent
*Dish Washer powder or liquid meaning -Cascade etc.
Sherri it looks like a laundry stain treatment to me.
I forgot to ask, is this recipe good on all fabrics? Thanks again
To get grape juice stains out of clothes, rub with salt and water or add salt to the wash.
For those worried about using Borax or Washing Soda on diapers, don’t be. My children on in their mid to late 40′s and that’s what I used to soak their cloth diapers in before washing them to remove stains and it did it’s job very well.
It’s also the reason your homemade laundry detergent works so well, it’s an excellent laundry booster. Fels Naptha & Castile soaps have been around since before the turn of the last century so you know they work well too.
Anyone worried about no suds, don’t be, suds don’t do the cleaning it’s for looks only.
Hi,I am a mother of three,a husban thats a truck driver so i know dirt an grease very well,my grandmother taught me about the vinger a long time ago,and another thing to whiten your clothes is lemon juice if you can’t use bleach an vinger you dont have lemon juice is the man for the job,an realy works good if you can put your clothes on a line outside in the sun is even better,she told tells of laying clothes on a quilt in the sun when younger,an said it would really makes socks an underclothes white,she said younger people just don’t know how to do it, we may have not known but we are learning,maby because times are getting hard as it was for her,so lets help each other, may god bless all who read this,good luck in the laundry room.
Today, I was washing sweaters. When the cycle finished, I discovered there was paper in the washing machine and now this paper is all over my sweaters. My question: How can this paper be removed or should I just throw the sweaters away.
You could try putting them in a dryer with NO heat with a couple damp towels and dryer balls. The paper should come out. Good luck.
Ugh! The paper on the sweater is a hard one. I would say try to remove as much as you can with sticky tape. Just roll it over you hand a few times and then dab the sweater. It might take long time, but it works.
Does homemade soap work in cold water wash?
I’ve never had a problem with it. I put an extra capful(from an old liquid soap bottle) in with a really dirty load or for the whites.
A great deal of these instructions involve applying the treatment and then soaking the clothing overnight. What exactly are you soaking the clothing in? Is it water, the treatment or else? If someone could answer that question, I would appreciate it.
I wondered the same thing. I think I’ll prefer the ones that you can treat and not worry about till you wash.
Hi, does anyone know how to get grease stains like taco grease, fried chicken grease stains out of clothes especially after it has dried or been washed already? I would appreciate any info. Thanks Shara
Coconut oil. It takes grease stains out of clothing even after they have been washed. It also takes grease stains out of my wooden kitchen counter top. Rings of oil from my olive oil cruet will stain my counter if I forget to put it on a trivet, but the coconut oil takes it right out. It also is a wonderful makeup remover and facial cleanser, I even use it to clean out my makeup brushes.
When looking for cocnut oil, is it an actual oil, or something thicker. I see lots of containers online that appear to be something thicker? Any suggestions about where to get the best (most reasonably priced) coconut oil?
where do you get coconut oil?
My husband tries to help by doing the laundry before i get up but he doesn’t check the clothes for stains and all the dirt, oil, blood and ink stains are set in how can i get them out i like home made stain removers but i don’t remember which one gets out set in stains please help
I have always pretreated using dish detergent (with grease remover in it) for food spots on clothes, so it makes sense to me to used it as an ingredient in spot remover.
Since rubbing alcohol gets ink out of laundry, I buy cheap
(really,it works best) aerosol hair spray just for that purpose.
Hydrogen peroxide gets blood out so– it makes sense to keep a squirt or spray bottle of it handy,too. Otherwise I waste too much trying to pour it from the bottle.
I love this site. I feel I have found kindred spirits!
Can I mix dawn dish soap with tide laundry detergent? I have noticed that Tide with Dawn scrubbers is very hard to find…if they even make it anymore. I loved that brand of tide! I don’t want to have to wash something twice to get it clean.
Washing Soda is great for cutting grease, deodorizing and softening hard water – 1/2 cup per load is recommended along with detergent. I found it worked better in the wash than Baking Soda. Washing Soda is stronger but still safe for clothing and the skin that clothing comes in contact with – but because of it’s very high alkaline content (11) gloves are recommended when hands are immersed in the solution. It’s the best for cleaning my sweaty, dirty, outdoor bootcamp workout clothes! I also use it as a floor cleaner on my ceramic tile floors! Don’t overuse it or it will leave a little film behind – even on the grimiest (big dog) floors 1/4 cup is plenty mixed with 1 gallon hot water with 1 cup of vinegar and 2 tablespoons Castille Soap, adding 15 drops of tea tree oil will deter those little bugs from creeping around too (“The Naturally Clean Home” by Karen Siegel Maier). Baking Soda is used for deodorizing and not as high in alkaline (8) – plus the compound is different. Borax is used for whitening in addition to deodorizing – again a different compound.
What works well to get set in formula stains or baby food stains out? First daughter had acid reflux and her clothes look awful and I need to reuse them for daughter #2 which is due any day! Thanks a million!!
I was given a bunch of baby clothes (from a child that was 6 years old) that had a lot of formula stains. I didn’t think there was any hope for some of them, but I found that soaking in a bucket of hot water and 1 cup of Biz did wonders. I left the clothes soak for 2 – 3 days then laundered as usual.
You can also mix a little meat tenderizer with some water to get formula stains out. The enzymes that tenderize meat basically do the same to formula stains and they should come right out.
Wow! This is such a cool site. Im going to be a grandma again soon and wanted to make some organic laundry soap and hit the jack pot here. This went straight to favorites. This will be so cool for anything I need at home to because I want to get away from the stores and more to my cupboards for my cleaning.
I live in the red clay country. Does anyone know of a stain remover, either home made or one you can purchase that will remove red clay stains? I’ve tried everything I can think of, with no luck once the stain has set in.
I have a bottle with a mixture of water, Dawn, borax and washing soda. I use it for spots in the carpet or any other fabric that can’t be stuffed into the washer. I’ve tried using that as a pretreater. Seems to work pretty well. I also use homemade laundry detergent (Ivory soap, borax, washing soda & baking soda). My boyfriend cooks for a living and getting blood from meat out of his birch grey shirts has ALWAYS been a problem. Now, even the OLD stains are gone!
” Goop” works well on oily stains . Try not to let it dry leave on for about 15 mins and then wash.
Good luck,
Denise
I Have come to a dead end. I have my daughters White sheers that haven’t been washed for years 10 or so and they are now completely yellow. I have tried bleach, vinegar, soda, borax, lemon, bluing,White brite,Oxi clean,sunlight soap, and I have put them in the sun for a couple of hours. Should I just give up and through them out or is there something else I missed trying??
When I finda a deal on old linnens that are a bit yellowed, I soak them overnight in hot water and biz. Run the cycle the next morning and lay them out on the GREEN grass to dry. The cloraphil in the grass whitens the cloth. Worth a try, huh?
What can I use on a cashmee coat to get a stain out?
URGENT, URGENT HELP NEEDED !! PLEASE!!
I have a white cotton callared black sweater and This sweater was Washed with a non like color garment which the color ran and is on the white callard portion of my sweater…………
I NEED TO GET THIS OUT ASAP,,,, PLEASE HELP ME!! P L E A S E !!!
The coconut oil ive been buying is a solid until about 74 degrees, when it turns into a liquid. When my room temperature goes down,it returns to a solid. Hope this helps.