Homemade Stain Remover – The First 3 Success Stories
If you have a stubborn stain, it might be worth it to try this easy homemade stain remover that’s a simple mixture of 1 part Dawn dish soap and 2 parts hydrogen peroxide. I’ve got three stories to inspire you for how this handy DIY mixture has come to the rescue and worked great!
Stain Story #1 – Wine on a sweater
The first story is when my son came to me with a spot on a sweater and telling me, “I think it’s set for awhile, and oh yeah, I think it’s wine”. Not good to hear when it comes to a stain. But I made up my Dawn and peroxide stain remover mixture and rubbed it onto the stain. And then I had patience and let it sit for a few hours before washing. No more stain!
Stain Story #2 – Oily stain on a coat
The next story and photo was shared with me by a friend who also has a son who came to her with a stain. It was an oily stain and she was told, “and oh yeah, I think it’s shaving cream”. But she had remembered reading about my Dawn and peroxide treatment and gave it a try, also letting it set for a while to soak in and do the trick. She also had success and no more stain!
Stain Story #3 – The Cat Story
I don’t have any photos for this next story that was sent to me by a reader, but it’s quite a stain success story so I’m including it here:
The item that I was attempting to remove blood stains from was a mattress cover that had many blood stains of various sizes because my cat had a wound that could not heal and he ended up staining several different areas. He was dying so I didn’t have the heart to stop him from sleeping on the bed since he had been doing it all his life. Honestly it was so icky that I crammed it away in the closet after he died with the intent of eventually throwing it out. The stains were very set in the fabric by the time I got to them.
I figured all was lost but I was curious about the peroxide cleaner so figured I had nothing to lose and I expected it not to work.
I fixed up a batch of the solution and applied it to the mattress cover with a paint brush. It helped extract the liquid from the cup and provided a way to gently rub the solution into the fabric. I left the cover overnight and washed it the next day (about 12 hours later). Because there were so many stains and I used a LOT of the solution I was concerned about the dishwashing liquid creating a ‘foam-monster’ if I just threw it in the washer as is.
I lightly rinsed the mattress cover in cold water, wrung it out and washed it using the Regular/Normal cycle (Warm Water) with the regular amount of laundry detergent. The item came out spotless. I can hardly believe it. I just saved myself from having to purchase a brand new one. I’m going to try this now with some white towels knowing that they’re going to come out just fine.
Try it for yourself too!
If you also have some kind of stubborn stain, and even if you’ve already tried some other solutions, you really have nothing to lose by giving this little mixture a try before you give up.
Most of the time when I make this I use 1 teaspoon of Dawn with 2 teaspoons of hydrogen peroxide that I mix together in a small bowl. But remember – you can make this in any size batch by just following the formula of using twice as much peroxide in the mixture as you do Dawn dish soap.
You can find my most current stain removal story, along with the printable recipe here: My Favorite Homemade Stain Remover.
What do you use to remove pee stain from dark colored sweatpants? Thank you.
Vinegar is usually said to be helpful in removing urine stains. You could try washing the item with a cup of vinegar added to the washing machine (with no soap), and then do a final wash with the soap added.
Hi there! I found your blog about a year ago while searching for a stain remover. I love it! It does work almost every time. I am curious though, I let the remover set in, and on a couple of occasions, after I wash the item, the article of clothing has come out blotchy and took out the color of the shirt (almost like I bleached it). Any ideas why this might happen? Both times it was on a shirt that my toddler did a number on…so maybe I used too much? Any input would be great. I am a bit hesitant to use this solution now.
Can this be used on colored items? Because of the peroxide, I’m thinking, not.
Carrie – I have used this stain remover on colored items with no problems. The peroxide isn’t potent enough to take out the color, and yet it does help in reducing the stain.
Can you use it on carpet stains like grease
You could certainly give it a try on carpet. Here’s a link to an article where they tested some DIY carpet stain ideas too. They say they had success on greasy stains using the vinegar/water/soap mixture they tested: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/we-tried-8-diy-carpet-cleaning-tricks-heres-what-worked_55a67bcce4b04740a3de8f2d
I have applied to carpet stains. How long does it have to sit and what is best way to clean up?
I would let it set for at least a half hour, and maybe even an hour. Then I would blot it up with wet towels to clean it away.
I, like many people am on a tight budget. I’m wondering, will this combination (on a larger scale of course) work to clean the dirty grout on my kitchen floor? I’m thinking it might! If I let it sit and then brush with a stiff brush?
Yes, it might work for that Angela. It might also be helpful to add some baking soda to the mixture for a little scrubbing power.
Update: Houston, we have lift-off!!! Works like a charm! Even after only 5 minutes of soaking, I sprinkled a little baking soda, as you suggested, brushed it with a toothbrush, and the dirt and grime lifted right out! I’m so excited! Yay! =D
That’s awesome! I love a good DIY success story 🙂
Will this fabulous cleaner work on colored and printed fabrics, too, or only on whites? How about on carpeting?
I have used this stain remover on color and print fabrics with no problems. I think it would work on carpet too, but the challenge would be rinsing it out again because the usual method is to place the item in the washing machine for the final cleaning. But if you were able to rinse most of the mixture away from the carpet, it would be worth a shot.