This homemade DIY stain remover works better than any of the store-bought sprays I’ve ever tried! Believe it or not you only need 2 ingredients to make it: vinegar and dish soap!
I used to be the kind of mom who followed her kids around when they were eating dessert in their “good clothes” making sure they didn’t get chocolate on their outfits. Because honestly I could not get it out!
The only thing that seemed to work well for me, was soaking their chocolate dribbled shirts in a bucket of water and borax powder. That was my go to, till the time I ran out of it!
Vinegar has always been my go to cleaner for basically everything. I mixed it with some blue dawn dish soap (works on my dishes so why not on our clothes?) and voila! The best stain remover I’d ever tried.
Have you checked out how I clean shower mold with vinegar?
I’m going on 10 years and 6 more kids since switching to homemade stain remover. It’s just that good! I’ll never buy the expensive store-bought sprays again.
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what you need to Make DIY Stain Remover for clothes:
ingredients
- vinegar – white vinegar is one of the best natural cleaners! Because it’s mildly acidic, it can help remove tough stains without damaging your clothes.
- blue dawn dish soap – dawn ultra cleans dishes like no other and it can work just as well on greasy spots and oils from your skin that collect dirt on your clothes. Make sure to use the blue dish soap.
- distilled water – to top off your spray bottle and make the stain remover more sprayable.
- essential oils (optional) – essential oils like lemon, orange, eucalyptus, peppermint, thieves and lavender are known for their disinfecting and deodorizing properties can be added to boost the cleaning power of this stain remover.
Check out how I use vinegar to clean my kitchen sink, shower grout, carpet, toilets, windows, leather furniture, hardwood floors and even fruits and veggies!
supplies
- spray bottle – any kind of spray bottle will work. I like to use these amber glass spray bottles since I add essential oils to my spray and the dark glass keeps the oils nice and strong.
How do you make DIY Stain Remover for Clothes?
Combine – Using a funnel, add dish soap, vinegar and essential oils (if using) to a 16 ounce spray bottle. Fill the bottle the rest of the way with water.
Shake Well – Replace the lid and shake well to combine.
FAQ About dIY stain remover for clothes:
What does 1 to 4 parts mean?
It means for every 1 oz. of blue Dawn dish soap you use you will need 4 oz. of white vinegar.
Does Homemade DIY Stain Remover Spray Work on Grease Stains on Clothes?
Yes! Dawn dish soap is known for cutting grease like no other and that’s exactly what it does on your laundry!
What if an Entire Clothing Item is Stained?
Rather than spray the entire piece with homemade stain remover spray, I like to have a bucket of warm water in my laundry room for soaking bad stains til I can wash them. Just squirt in some Blue Dawn Dish Soap and add a scoop of Borax or Super Washing Soda to keep the stain from setting.
This will help the satins to wash out more easily when you do laundry next. Just check the item again after it has been washed and spray and stains that still haven’t come out.
Marisha from Midwest Makings has an awesome 3 ingredient laundry detergent recipe you’ll love!
Laundry Tips and Tricks:
- Stain remover spray works best on clothes that are wet or at least damp.
- Instead of checking for stains to spray before starting the washing machine, go ahead and wash the clothes and check for stains after they’ve been washed (not dried). This saves time since you would already be checking to make sure stains came out anyway. And the spray works better on wet clothes anyway! If you see a stain, just spray it and stick it back in the hamper to wash next laundry day! This gives the stain remover plenty of time to soak in and do its job.
- If you are changing your child after a messy situation, just go ahead and throw their stained clothes into a bucket of warm water mixed with a scoop of borax or super washing powder. This will hold it over till you get around to doing laundry and the water will keep the stain from setting!
Check out this post for more ways to keep up with your laundry.
More Cleaning Help and Ideas:
- 10 Ways to Keep up on Your Laundry Pile
- How to Clean a White Enamel Sink
- How to Clean a Black Stove Top
- Homemade Toilet Cleaner Bombs
- Cleaning Checklist For Your Entire Home
If you try making this homemade laundry stain remover spray, I would love it if you use the 5 star rating in the comments below! It helps me so much!
Pin these steps to try later. Tag @athomeontheprairie on Instagram to share what you’ve made with us!
The Best Homemade Stain Remover for Clothes
This simple two ingredient laundry stain remover spray works as well or better than store bought!
Materials
- 1 part blue dawn dishsoap
- 4 parts white distilled vinegar
- a spray bottle
Instructions
- Pour 1 part Blue Dawn Dish Soap to 4 parts white distilled vinegar into a glass spray bottle. Shake well.
- Spray directly onto the stain.
- Rub the fabric together to work the spray into the fibers.
- Let soak for at least an hour.
- Launder as usual.
Notes
Works best on wet or damp fabric.
Do you think this would work with a less toxic version of soap like castille soap or thieves soap?
Thats a good question! I haven’t tried those but I’m sure there is a recipe out there for a more natural version!
I haven’t found anything for my dishes that works as well on grease as daen dishsoap.
A better alternative is Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds instead is Castile soap.
Nice!! I’ve always rubbed some dawn on my stains but never thought to make a spray with it. Thanks for the great idea!
Me, too! I love this idea. I’m trying it out for the first time today.
This is what I need in my life. We have a bottle of spray n wash but I never use it. It’s so harsh and I want something more gentle especially for my kiddos. I will definitely be giving this a try.
Awesome!!! I’m totally gonna give this a try!
These are great tips. I have a 4 yo who likes getting into everything and insists on doing everything herself – so needless to say I am constantly cleaning up after her! I will definitely need to try your homemade stain remover.
I am really excited to try this!
Can I use this laundry stain remover in a empty spray and wash bottle ( plastic) ?
Yes!
Under ingredients you list distilled water. But never mention how much. Please advise – I have a chocolate milk stain that has set in. I look forward to giving this a try. Thank you!
Hi LaDonna! You just add the ingredients to a spray bottle and fill the rest of the way with water.
Hi, keen to try this as well. I understand it’s a 4 to one ratio of Dawn to Vinegar, then add water, but how much water versus the Dawn/vinegar mixture?
No water in this mixture 🙂