Homemade Stain Remover {VIDEO}
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I have tried many methods of removing stains from clothing over the years. This homemade stain remover aka “miracle cleaner” really does the job, it is inexpensive and easy to make.
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My Favorite Homemade Stain Remover
Tackling stains just got a whole lot easier! With just 3 simple household ingredients you probably already have, you can make your own DIY stain remover that will remove just about any stain! I’m not kidding!!
The other day when I was mixing up a fresh bottle of my favorite homemade stain remover, I realized I have never shared it here on the blog.
Probably in part because it’s been all over Pinterest for years and I assumed everyone already knows about it. Yet I’m surprised every time I tell someone about this homemade stain remover and they had never heard about it. Which made me think, I would be doing an injustice to my readers who have NOT heard about it if I didn’t share this life-changing formula we call….. The Miracle Cleaner.
Back in 2008 Glamour magazine shared an article
The Only Stain Remover You’ll Ever Need
The story tells a tale of a favorite dress and a glass of red wine. After thinking the dress was completely ruined, a friend let her in on a little stain removal secret that she has sworn by ever since…………….
The Recipe for Homemade Miracle Cleaner Stain Remover
(printable version at the end of this post)
For Laundry Stains:
1 part blue Dawn dishwashing liquid
2 parts 3% hydrogen peroxide
Mix and pour or spray directly on the stain, launder as usual and watch it disappear like MAGIC.
What does 1 part to 2 parts mean?
You can mix however much of this homemade stainer remover you need. Whether you want to mix just enough to treat one small stain or a bottle full, you will measure out twice as much hydrogen peroxide than the dishwashing liquid.
So, if you use 1 teaspoon of Dawn, you will need 2 teaspoons of peroxide. Or 1/2 cup of Dawn and 1 cup of peroxide.
Have odor to remove too?
Add a little baking soda for extra deodorizing and scrubbing power. Good for armpit stains, pet stains, vomit and grease stains.
What Can You Use This DIY Spot Remover On?
I keep a bottle of this Homemade Stain Remover in my laundry room to spray on stains, and it has yet to fail me.
Besides usual food and other mysterious stains that appear on my family’s clothes, I have used the DIY Stain Remover to successfully removed set in grease on a favorite t-shirt, yellow armpit stains, chocolate, blood, and tire grease when a white hat was driven over after being lost in the street.
If I’m worried about a really tough stain, like the hat or yellow armpit stains, I will use an old toothbrush to scrub the stain remover into the fabric (you can also sprinkle with a little baking soda to make a paste for a little extra deodorizing and scrubbing power) and let it sit about an hour before washing.
If it’s a large stain, as was the case with the dress, you can mix the formula and add it to a bucket of hot water and soak the entire garment for a few hours.
If the stain does not come out completely the first time, try it a second time, but it has worked the first time on everything I have tried.
As with any stain removers, always do a spot test, but if it’s a garment that’s already a loss because of the stain, what do you have to lose?
Does this Homemade Stain Remover Work on Carpet?
I have used the DIY Stain Remover on carpet with great success as well, and I know others have used it on upholstery, mattresses, grout, and many other items around the home!
For treating stains where it’s harder to rinse, like carpet, upholstery, or a mattress you will want fewer suds so it’s best to use a higher ratio of peroxide (3 or 4 parts peroxide to 1 part Dawn).
Won’t Hydrogen Peroxide Bleach My Clothes?
Household Hydrogen Peroxide is 3% can be a very effective cleaning agents without a bleaching effect. While higher concentrations of hydrogen peroxide at 6% or more are strong enough to cause bleaching.
The brown bottles at the drugstore are generally 3% Hydrogen Peroxide.
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I would love to hear if you have tried this DIY stain remover, and what results you had!
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HOMEMADE Stain Remover
I have tried many methods of removing stains from clothing over the years. This homemade miracle cleaner stain remover really does the job, and it is inexpensive and easy to make.
Materials
- blue Dawn dishwashing liquid
- 3% hydrogen peroxide
- baking soda (optional)
Tools
For Multiple Uses
- Colored/Dark spray bottle
- funnel
For one time use or larger items:
- bowl
- old toothbrush or brush
Instructions
- Mix 1-part Dawn dishwashing liquid and 2-parts hydrogen peroxide in a *dark spray bottle or bowl. (Use a funnel if pouring into a bottle)
- Spray or pour Miracle Cleaner directly on the stain, launder as usual and watch it disappear like MAGIC.
- FOR REALLY TOUGH STAINS: use an old toothbrush to scrub the stain remover into the fabric (you can also sprinkle with a little baking soda to make a paste for a little extra deodorizing and scrubbing power) and let it sit about an hour before washing.
- FOR A LARGE STAIN: you can mix the formula and add it to a bucket of hot water and soak the entire garment for a few hours.
FOR LAUNDRY STAINS
If the stain does not come out completely the first time, try it a second time.
As with any stain removers, always do a spot test, but if it’s a garment that’s already a loss because of the stain, what do you have to lose?
FOR CARPET, MATTRESS AND UPHOLSTERY STAINS
- For treating stains where it’s harder to rinse, like carpet, upholstery or a mattress you will want fewer suds so it’s best to use a higher ratio of peroxide (3 or 4 parts peroxide to 1 part Dawn).
Notes
WHAT DOES 1 PART TO 2 PARTS MEAN?
You can mix however much of this homemade stainer remover you need. Whether you want to mix just enough to treat one small stain or a bottle full, you will measure out twice as much hydrogen peroxide than the dishwashing liquid.
For Example: if you use 1 teaspoon of Dawn, you will need 2 teaspoons of peroxide. Or 1/2 cup of Dawn and 1 cup of peroxide.
*WHY STORE IN A DARK BOTTLE
If you want to keep a spray bottle of this homemade stain remover in your laundry room, it should be kept in a colored or dark bottle. If Hydrogen peroxide is stored in a clear bottle then light will pass through and decompose Hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. Colored bottles do not allow the light to enter the bottle.
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Hi there, I'm Cheryl!
As a wife, mom, and caffeine enthusiast, my journey has taken me from bustling mornings with my family to sharing delicious recipes, home care tips, and heartfelt decorating insights with wonderful readers like you. My love for baking, photography, and tidiness shines through every post I craft. Dive into my world and discover the art of homemaking, one tidy moment at a time. Read more...
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I’ve always used 1:1 so I’ll have to try the 1:2. I first learned about it with my first baby…perfect for diaper explosions and later, food stains.
I have a grease stain (sun screen) on my leather purse. I’ve tried other things that didn’t work.
Any experience using this on leather?
i don’t think I would use it on leather
Has anyone successfully used anything other than blue dawn. I can’t stand the smell of it.
Mine turned out just like yours, but the next day it was white, not blue. Do I have to make a fresh batch every time I need it in order for it to work? Thanks,
Cris
I always make a whole bottle of it and the next day, it’s clear instead of blue….but it still works. There is no way I’d throw out a batch because of the color. I figure it’s probably due to my nit using a dark bottle…but I prefer the spray bottle so I use it anyway. Try it…you have nothing to lose other than a few stains!
I bought a new white, 100% cotton quilt that daily takes on some form of pet stains 🙁
Since I obviously have no desire to wash it every day, I tried dabbing the stains with a “NON-CHLORINE” bleach. The stains came out but left a yellow tint. Do you think this concoction would restore the white color?
Hi,
If I need to restore something to white the best thing I have used is Rit Color Remover. It comes in a small box and can be found in the laundry section of the grocery store.
Warning it is stinky…sort of a sulfur type odor.
– Put the item in your washer and run it on a rinse cycle.
-Set the wet item aside.
Rit works best in really hot water. So, I boil large pots and dump them in with the hottest water my machine will load.
-Pour in the Rit and agitate it in the washer for 1 minute.
– Add the fabric item to the washer and agitate for 1-2 minutes.
You can then follow package instructions from there. I have let things I needed to whiten sit over night.
Finally, plan to wash your item one additional time to remove the Rit smell from your fabric item.
Long before all the great info on whitening was available on the internet, this is how I whitened up nylon slips, bras and lingerie.
Best of Luck
First, a question…can your formulation remove coffee and chocolate stains on a burgundy industrial quality flat-pile carpet?
Next, a comment…if you don’t have, or can’t find a brown spray bottle to store the peroxide mixture, wrap the spray with aluminum foil. It will keep your mixture for some time, but as always, test a hidden area to be cleaned first.
ANY suggestions/ideas/etc would be greatly appreciated…… I also have HE & have also used as a spray like this for a long time now but recently my OCD side used too much of the spray & the washer kept shutting down saying “too many suds” have you ever tried to do a soak like a large batch soak of multiple items since HE’s don’t allow this like old machine used to let you just stop load & soak so as to not encounter this problem ? I have only seen mention of just mixing it into a bucket of water but that doesn’t tell me how much stain mixture, how much water, nor if use hot or cold water nor how long to soak…like I said OCD for sure !!! LOL
Are you supposed to add this to a hot water base? Thanks
you will still launder by following the care label on the article of clothing
Ok, thank you! But if using on upholstery, do you add to hot water, or just use the peroxide/dawn in full concentration? Thanks
For treating stains where it’s harder to rinse, like carpet, upholstery or a mattress you will want less suds so it’s best to use a higher ratio of peroxide (3 or 4 parts peroxide to 1 part Dawn).
So this doesn’t bleach at all? ( my only worry,with the peroxide) Is it because, as you stated earlier, the ratio of peroxide is diluted with the dawn? I would hate to use this on one of my husbands shirts and have a white spot when I’m done. Thanks in advance.
nope – I’ve used it on all sorts of fabric, carpets, rugs and colors – it does not bleach it.
Using the 3% H2O2 from drugstores won’t bleach clothes.
Most of the advertised oxygen stain removers contained this peroxide and it even brightens the color.
This is an amazing find. I use it on all my laundry stains. It always does the job.
Fathers day 2018. I am getting my daughter baptized and my mother wants me to wear my wedding suit. Pull out the closet stains everywhere. I use woolite no different. I found your blog and wow!!! Stain gone!!! Thanks
For me, one of the things people overlook is how effective your cleaning is!
It’s also about the efficiency and how it will affect your daily schedule. I believe the more effective you are and organized the better.I myself found that most people who clean properly and regularly believe in that and know how important it is.
Yes, you can use any kind of detergent other than dawn and it is effective. With a heavy grease base stain the Dawn does a BETTER Job
(because that is why dawn was developed to remove bio oil from animals that were affected from oil spills).
for carpets I also used baking soda on stain let it sit for about 15 min or even over night to absorb oil base and then used this solution and rubbed area with wet cloth to rinse then followed up with vacuum when dry. Had a huge area in carpet that did not come up with other cleaning agents and this formula removed it with two applications and it looked like it was brand new carpet.
Have bought used baby clothes from yard sales and used this on it and was able to regift them later along with bottle and recipe of solution to new mothers.
Thanks for taking the time to share
Hi Cheryl, I’m desperate to get out dried latex wall paint out of my favorite dragonfly tshirt. It’s a cotton shirt. Can this solution possibly work on latex paint? It’s not a really dense streak of paint though…. it looks like a subtle brush of paint from when I got too close to a wall with wet paint…. but the area is about the size of a baseball. Any helpful hints?
Pam
laytex is water-based, so this technique should work. You can always do a spot test, but if the shirt is ruined already with the paint, what do you have to lose?! Best of luck and keep me posted
How do you keep your H2O2 from degrading to H2O?
keep it in a dark place, or dark bottle
I can’t wait to try this homemade stain remover. How long does this solution last? Is is shelf stable for a week, a month, …?
it will last longer if you keep it in a dark bottle (like peroxide comes in. I try to keep our bottle in a cabinet or closet since my bottle is not that dark. And I only mix about 1/2 a bottle at a time, and I give it a little shake before using. So basically, you are best to just mix a small batch at a time.
Just want to say I have been using this miracle spray for over a year now. I love it. I especially use it on Arm Pit stains and Dress Shirt collars. Works great. I have told a lot of people about it. Thank you again for your tips.
yay!! so glad to hear it’s working so well for you too!! Thanks for sharing!
What did u mean by 3 or 4 part peroxide to 1 part dawn
you will measure out 3-4 times more hydrogen peroxide than the dishwashing liquid.
So, if you use 1 teaspoon of Dawn, you will need 3-4 teaspoons of peroxide. Or 1/2 cup of Dawn and 1 1/2- 2 cup of peroxide.
Hi cheryl !
I am from india.
The dawn dishwashing liquid is not available here..!
So please can u give me any alternative for that?
No Amazon? Maybe try shampoo…
You have shared some great cleaning tips. This handy cleaner helped me to clean the coffee stain oh my shirt. Now thanks to your tips, it will help me to clean the deep chocolate stain after reaching home.
Thanks for this, Tidy Mom. I am going to use Sal’s Suds (which is a concentrate) in lieu of dish liquid. Any thoughts on what proportions to use?
Most spray bottle tops will fit onto a hydrogen peroxide bottle if you can’t find a separate dark bottle to use.
Great idea!! thanks!
This worked great on a coffee stain in my carpet from Christmas!!!
Any advice on getting rid of the ammonia smell left in the carpet??
Carpet Fresh or baking soda
This stuff is amazing I found the recipe about 2years ago or so ,now if there is ANYstain of any kind I grab my container with this awesome stain remover from under the sink( witch is always made up) now even my boys know about it and use it in there homes..
A lady gave me some brand new baby items that was in her storage that had mildewed will this get the mildew out as well?
Has anyone tried this with that Mrs Myers dish soap? Honeysuckle
I really had my hopes up when I read this spot remover had never let anyone down! Unfortunately I haven’t been able to get motor oil out of my sons clothing after he’s worked on our farm equipment. I used the blue dawn and hydrogen peroxide plus also used baking soda to make a paste… also really scrubbed with a brush and let set for several hours before washing. Have repeated several times and the stains remain. Any other ideas? Thanks.
shoot I’m sorry. The only other thing you could try is mixing up the solution and letting the clothing soak in it for several hours. Has it been washed and dried? Even though I’ve been able to get some set in stains out with the solution, I imagine some may not, and motor oil might be a hard one to remove once it’s set in. Keep us posted!!
This cleaner did not work for me at all. Had a few white tablecloths from my wedding with stains that didn’t come out in the normal wash. A variety of BBQ sauce, light footprints, some mildew from a wet cloth that got packed away before drying, etc. Made the recipe as called for, even used some baking soda with an old toothbrush on the stains, and all 6 of the tablecloths came out of the wash with the exact same level of stains as they went in with. I guess it’s back to the corporate chemical cleaners.
Hi! I can´t find blue Dawn in Estonia, may I replace it with some other dishwashing liquid or is it something special? Think I´ll try my ordinary dishwashing liquid and hope it works 🙂
I love this solution! It works for me every time Wal-Mart sells an 8 oz. bottle of Peroxide in a brown spray bottle. I make up the solution and keep it in this bottle. I have 1 for the laundry area and another in the kitchen.
I feel like I did something wrong? I mixed this exactly as your instructions. Sprayed it on a large pile of stained clothing. Maybe some of it were “set” stains but I didn’t consider any of them tough. Out of the 10 or so items I washed only 2 came out clean. What happened? Should I try scrubbing it and washing again?
Another thing, I used this same formula for my daughter canvas shoes. I scrubbed the solution in with a scrubber I got at Walmart and I don’t think it took hardly any of the stains out. These are almost brand new shoes but I’m trying to keep them clean so they look nice for school. Advice? Tips?
I’ve been using your stain recipe for years with any dish soap I have on hand (I typically use 7th Generation), hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda. Has removed every stain I put it on! I’ve even used in on silk and wool garments and they turn out perfectly every time. No bleaching ever – just fantastic stain removal.
Thanks for sharing!
If I want to soak it in a bucket of water how much water and how much of the solution do I use?!
Hello hun. Like you I have used this hack for years. I make a large batch and keep in my laundry room. I also add a cup to each load of laundry. For my tougher stains I do make a past and scrub wit brush. Love it.
It is really a miracle cleaner. I love it. Thanks for sharing.
Can you use green dish soap
I’ve used this formula consistently for several years with no problem until yesterday. It took the color out of an expensive Lacoste sweatshirt. I’m so mad. Just an FYI…..
it’s always best to spot test first.
I was stumped, I don’t know why I didn’t think of this sooner! It works great!
Will soaking the clothing in the solution and water hurt or damage desires and decals. I’m trying to get a stain that came from nowhere out a new sweater and am worried about damage.
you should do a spot test before trying any treatment.Also, if the sweater is unwearable with the stain, I always figure what do I have to lose if I try it and it doesn’t work.
Absolutely love it, worked on everything 💯💯💯
Didn’t work at all.
I am having a real issue with my husbands clothes. He works outside alot and everything from his jeans to his socks have red clay( we live in MS) on them. I’ve tried everything I know clothes are expensive and at times he forgets to change into work clothes wearing his good ones. Will this work on it?
Does it have to be Dawn specifically? Or can it be any dishwashing soap?
Can you let this sit on cloths for a few days like store bought or do you need to launder same day?
Same question as above👆🏻Will this work with the green Palmolive brand? I’m not able to get Dawn currently (no income issues) and still have that in my cabinet—
I have not personally used anything else, but it shouldn’t hurt to try it.
It discolored a pair of pants. I used this numerous times with no problems, then on a customer’s (I do people’s laundry) pair of joggers it took the color out. It seems to be fine for some fabrics but not others. The stain that was on the pants was pretty significant, but I made it worse. I won’t be using it again. Definitely spot test!