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!
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You might want to add that the mixture should not be set in the light..as the mixture contains hydrogen peroxide. Always a dark bottle or as I did.. Saved one of my bottles from another DIY project and used the empty bottle.. You can just screw on an extra sprayer for use.
Why shouldn’t you put it in a clear bottle??? I’m not very “scientific” and am curious about the reason??? I didn’t see this advice until after I stored some in a clear squirt bottle… Should I throw it away???
hydrogen peroxide keeps best in a dark bottle to ensure that it retains its chemical properties. Light causes oxidation and reduction reaction
What you stored in the clear bottle, just wont be as effective for very long.
Does it have to be 3% peroxide?
I used this instead of resolve and the stains came off my husbands work shirts, He an electrian so has dirt, pipe glue and other oily stains, the pipe glue has faded a bit but other wise i have to wash his work clothes twice in the heavy duty load.
Thanks for this great and cheaper cleaner.
yay!! so glad it worked for you!
I have seen this recipe all over Pintrest and no.. It doesn’t need to be 3%.. All of the other ones just state hydrogen peroxide
would it takeout waterstains in a motorhome ceiling?
this is for clothing
Hate to admit this, or maybe not, but when I first saw this recipe I did not have an extra spray bottle and I needed it right then to get the red clay out of my son’s baseball pants. Soooooo, I just sqirt a little dawn on the areas then splashed some hydrogen peroxide, rubbed together, and viola! Perfection!
I have to say that I thought that I had seen everything in the line of cleaning. I had a ground in carpet stain on light tan carpet. I just BARELY touched this MAGIC on the spot and it was GONE!!!!!!!! I am in AWE!! I will NEVER buy stain remover again!!!
So I’m lookng for a pre-soak for all of my babies’ clothes (5mo twins and 18mo) because spot cleaning all of the stains is getting to be a bit much. Could I use this basic recipe and dilute with water as a pre-soak or do you know of another better recipe option for that kind of use?
Hello, does it have to be dawn soap or can it be any dish soap? Thanks!!
This really works! I’ve been using it for almost 8 months now and it is the absolute best. This will get stains out that others do not. One of my children spilled pomagranate juice on beige carpet the other day and this “miracle spray” was able to remove the stain after it had set for several hours. Thank you so much for sharing… Just a tiny side not make sure you have a spay nozzle that streams instead of mists.
I was wondering if this would work well on a microfiber couch?
Thanks so much for this DiIY stain remedy ! Can’t wait to try it on our whites
This really does work!!!!! Soooo very glad I found this article earlier today! Desperate to save a white blazer that had already been sent to cleaners- with no luck! I was just about ready to throw it out! This solution saved my blazer! Thank you so much!
I need my daughter’s light blue DriFit softball jersey and socks to come clean. Do I need to soak them or just spray them and wash as normal? Thank you!
just spray and wash – sometimes I spray and let it sit a few minutes if I have time. For really tough stains I’ll rub the fabric together to work it in a little.- Good luck!
Anyone use dawn that’s not blue? Does that matter?
Do you think you could use this mix to clean you carpets in a carpet shampooer?
Can I used this on my baby, kids color clothing?
Hi, is this something you have to mix fresh every time you use it, or can you just keep a bottle on hand for when you need it?
either way – but if you mix it to keep, it should be in a dark bottle (not clear)
I mixed up this stain remover a while back and it has worked great, but I just gave it the biggest test I’ve come across to date . I came home from running errands to find that my 3-year old had colored all over on a cushion of our year old couch! I sprayed the solution and gently rubbed a toothbrush over the crayon and WOW…totally gone!
AWESOME!!!!!
Brilliant!
Hi,
I tried using this stain remover in a spray bottle, but it doesn’t come out like spray. It spits out. I tried adjusting the nozzle, but no position worked. Has anyone had this problem? Is there a remedy?
it always sprays for me, but sometimes I just mix up a little in a cup and use an old toothbrush to scrub into stain.
Hi have used this on whites but, have you found it to be color safe?
Single strength Dawn, not 2X, right? Do we dilute the 2X?
i would use either with the same recipe
Has this been used on silk? My daughter has hydraulic oil on a silk skirt. She took it off immediately and washed with dish soap but it didn’t work. Just wonder if it would be safe to try on this skirt.
I would spot check somewhere on the skirt first. But my theory is usually, the garment is already ruined with the stain, so why not try 😉
I don’t know what type stains others have, but used on white shorts that were stained from golf bag while carrying and solution didn’t phase it. Had such high hopes?
Try using it a few times. I’ve had a few items I had to treat more than once, even after it had been through the dryer, and it eventually came out 😉 Also you could try scrubbing the solution in with an old toothbrush
I work with raw steel and spent a fortune on spray and wash. I am so going to try this.
Wow, not sure how this works so well for others! I had a laundry basket full of items with various stains – not one came out or even made a difference. I have scrubbed with a toothbrush, added baking soda and repeated all to no avail. Happy this worked for others tho.
could your peroxide be old? or not stored in a dark bottle?
Omg! Thank you! My son had chocolate milk stains all over his white shirt! Left it in the closet for about 4 months and decided to try again and get the stains out. Googled and stumbled upon your website! Tried it and it really is a miracle cleaner! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I pulled it out of the washing machine! Sounds like an advertisement but it really works!!!
I have a mystery stain in a pair of shorts of my husbands that I washed, I have done everything to get this one stain out, I have tried Grandma’s secret too nothing worked!!!!!! I gave to a friend who swore she could get out anything and this stain spread every were!!!! I dont know what it is if its a color bleed or a mold stain, oil stain or what?? My husband love these shorts I tired this mixutre of dawn baking soda and peroxide and it still didnt work!!! HELP
I used this mixture but I liberally sprinkled corn starch on a huge tractor grease station that was already set in because of three prior washes. I let it sit over night then I dabbed av little more dawn soap and scrubbed the stain with a toothbrush then laundered as usual and BINGO I got it!! Must use corn starch not baking soda though!!!
Have u used this on old stains, not just baby formula stains?…..such as marker, dirt, etc…..these stains have been on my kids clothes for a while….
Thank you!
I use dawn! Its great to know how you can mix it up.
I just mixed some up after reading this blog for the first time ever. I added baking soda and shook the bottle. It foamed up and ran out over the sides. I am leaving the top off for a while and am so excited to see if it works. I have also made some stain remover from ammonia and dish wash. That works well too as well as using homemade laundry soap from Fels Naptha, borax and washing soda as a stain remover. Thanks for this tip.
Can i use other things than dawn
This is so random but I spilled an entire thing of vitamin e oil on my brand new $400 snowboarding jacket. Do you think this will take it out? I am seriously bummed about it. I already washed and dried the coat in hopes it would come out right away but it’s still a very large discolored splotch.
For the first time in my life( quite possibly any mom’s life ) I am wanting my children to stain their clothes so I can try this … thank you to everybody for all of the advice and feedback not sure how I would survive without the Internet -you guys are awesome !!!
Has anyone in australia used a detergent we have here??? I really want to try it but don’t know if dawn has particular properties
I open a packet of hot sauce yesterday and as I tried to squeeze the sauce into a bottle of V8 it instead sprayed all over a favorite shirt. So that’s how I found this post yesterday.
Went to the store in search of peroxide, a dark bottle and Dawn. My store had peroxide already in a brown spray bottle. I emptied 1/3 of the peroxide out and added the Dawn.
And now the shirt has been saved. Along with 3 others I had given up on. So far it’s removed hot sauce, coffee that had sat for 4 days, a mystery stain of forgotten age, and restored a white fishing shirt of my husband’s that had been stained yellow from sunscreen last year. I had tried everything on that sunscreen stain. Nothing even touched it until this. I’ll be sharing this post today.
What do you mean when you say 1 part and 2 parts? Do you mean pints? I’m confused.
any measurements you want the peroxide will be double the amount of Dawn – so if you do 1 cup Dawn, you will do 2 cups peroxide. Or 1/4 cup dawn and 1/2 cup peroxide. 2 tablespoons Dawn and 4 tablespoons peroxide. and so on
Does it work on odors too? I’ve been using stain spray to help with my tween’s lingering underarm shirt stinches.
Add some baking soda for smells
I use powdered oxi for smells right in with the laundry detergent. Works everytime
Love your tips and advice.
I have quite a few clothes I would love to save from stains but is it safe to use that remover in high efficiency machines???
i’ve been using it in mine for years
I am definitely going to try you recipe then! Thank you!
This is the best stain remover I ever tried. Believe me I’ve used all different types of stain remover. I can’t believe it really does my dog is in heat and got it you know what all over my bed. It took it all out. I didn’t even have to wait an hour. This is really amazing stain cleaner tell everyone. Don’t buy store-bought brands anymore. They never worked for me. Thank you so much for this tip! PS I usually don’t write reviews.
Hi TidyMom! The recipe looks great! Is it safe on colored clothing, or just whites?
it’s a stain remover – stain removers are for colors and whites. 😉
Why does it have to be blue dawn? I use the power clean kind and wondering if that will work? There are very few dishsoaps I can find that I don’t get all itchy from is why I ask
I can’t say with certainty – but if you try something else, let us know if it works!
Blue dawn has bluing in it bluing has been a whiting agent for years
I use Dawn Ultra Platinum. Works great! We get some pretty greasy stains around here. 🙂
I’ve used the power clean it works great But you have a higher chance of your colors being lightened so I only use that kind for my whites. Hope this helps.
The dawn platinum works the same way. I’ve used it before. Just make sure you don’t have bleach in the soap.
Does this solution work on bed bug stains?
how did you use it on the carpet how did you rinse it out?
I had underarm stains from self tanning cream and antiperspirant deodorant. The stains have turned yellow from trying to remove them with products
including bleach. I have tried hydroperioxide.
What do you suggest?
use this same solution but scrub it into the stains using an old toothbrush and let it sit about 30-60 minutes before washing
I’ve been using this for a few years and I swear by it. I tell people all the time about it because it has gotten every stain, old and new out of items for me. It’s truly amazing and so simple!
HELP I have the weirdest problem with your spot remover,Used it on the back of a duvet cover which had some stains,and washed in the usual way.when it come time to remove from the washing machine the duvet(which was a cream colour) had turned a pale mauve.It was the whole duvet not just the backing,I have washed this duvet many times before and used my usual wash liquid,I double checked and nothing else was in the machine apart from the duvet.Any ideas please as to what had happened and any ideas on how to remove the color Many thanks
WOW WOW WOW, Is exactly what I have to say, It really works I cleaned our gross fryer stainless gress stained coated lid and some other pots with it, I had to da a few of them twice, but they’re shinning now get it and do this it’s a true blue (turns clear white after it sits) cleaner. Thanks I want to try it on my blood stained heated bed comforter. Wish I’d of taken before and after pics of the lid. Thanks, Kattzz
I typically spray any stains before tossing the garment into the hamper, where it may sit several days before I do laundry again. Is this safe to leave on that long? I obviously don’t want to bleach my clothes with the peroxide.
Household Hydrogen Peroxide is 3% – Concentrations of hydrogen peroxide at 6 percent or higher are strong enough to cause bleaching, while lower concentrations can be very effective cleaning agents without a bleaching effect.