It’s not difficult to rescue your favorite clothing from a chocolate catastrophe.
It happens to all of us: you’re enjoying a favorite chocolate treat, only to look down and have that enjoyment drained in an instant.
You got chocolate on your clothes.
But luckily for you, it’s a simple process to get out a chocolate stain. You probably have everything you need right in your home, and when you’re done, you won’t even know anything happened.
It’s a pretty straightforward process of scraping the chocolate off, rinsing the stain, rubbing in a cleaning agent, and giving the clothing a wash.
The first part of the procedure will probably take 20 minutes or so, and you’ll spend most of that waiting while the cleaning solutions do their work. Then, it’s up to your washing machine to determine the fate of your favorite stained garment.
Below is an easy four-step process on how to rescue your favorite pieces of clothing from their chocolate-stained fate.
Page Contents:
Step One: Scrape Off the Chocolate
First, remove as much chocolate as you can by scraping it off with the smooth side of a butter knife (or something similar).
This will make the rest of the job easier.
If you’re having trouble with chocolate that’s too soft to scrape off, you can put the stained clothing in the freezer for a few minutes until it hardens.
Step Two: Rinse the Clothing
Most food stains should be rinsed with cold water…
And chocolate is no different.
Rinse both sides of the stain under cold water, and see how much of the stain you can send down the drain before you really get to work.
While cold water is best for this, the more important factor is time. Get water of any temperature on the stain quickly, and you stand a good chance of removing it. Get the right temperature water on it too late though, and you could be in for a tougher job than you anticipated.
Step Three: Treat With Soap or Chemicals
Now, you’re finally ready to treat the stain.
Your standard laundry detergent, or liquid dish soap, should work just fine to cut through the oils that are making the stain stick. Gently rub the product into the stain. After you’re done, let it sit for at least 5 minutes.
Then, without rinsing anything off, soak the stained area in cold water. Rub the stain every few minutes, and once 15 minutes pass, rinse it completely.
For extra-thorough results, repeat this step until you don’t see an improvement.
Step Four: Put Clothing into Wash
Wash the clothing as you normally would. Give it some time to air dry, because if the stain isn’t completely gone, the heat from the dryer could make it set.
If the stain is stubborn, you can still try a stain remover product or give the whole process another go.
Also consider adding some oxygen bleach into the wash… especially if it’s a white fabric that got stained.
Is Chocolate Hard to Get Out of Clothes?
Chocolate stains can be difficult to remove if you have allowed them to set.
Stains can set in fabrics due to heat or time, so it’s best to address them as early as possible — and especially before they go in the dryer.
But if you take care of it promptly, a chocolate stain is nothing to fret over. The supplies you’ll need are readily available and probably already somewhere in your cabinets.
And while the whole process can be a little time-consuming, it’s pretty straightforward, and you’ll spend most of the time waiting.
Does Vinegar Remove Chocolate Stains?
Yes. If it’s what you prefer or have on-hand, white vinegar is a safe and down-to-earth stain treatment.
Try creating a solution of white vinegar and cold water at a 2:1 ratio. You can pour that directly on the stain and rub it in with your fingers.
(Just like you can with detergent or dish soap).
After that treatment, you can let the stain soak in the solution. Then, just like the process above, it’s best to follow all of that with a standard wash.
Can Chocolate Permanently Stain Clothes?
If you act fast, chocolate stains are no problem. But the longer you let them sit, the less likely it is that they will come out completely.
Heat can also make a stain set, so make sure you keep the garment out of the dryer until you’ve got it taken care of.
Written By Maurine Emerson
Beyond her exceptional cleaning abilities, Maureen possesses excellent writing skills, making an avid contributor to the cleaning industry online. She treats every client with respect, kindness, and professionalism, ensuring that their satisfaction is her top priority. In her free time, Maureen enjoys staying active and spending time outdoors. She believes that maintaining a clean and organized space contributes to a balanced and harmonious lifestyle.
