Whether you’re snacking on chocolate in bed or you’ve got a little one running amok in your home, odds are you’ve come into contact with a chocolate
stain before. The tasty treat is a delicious component of many sweets and treats, but it can be a death knell to any fabric. If your favorite shirt, bedding, or couch has fallen victim to a big, dripping stain of chocolate, don’t worry- not all is lost. For as long as chocolate has been staining clothing, carpet, and upholstery, people have been coming up with solutions for removing the chocolate stains from your fabric, helping you skip the stress of trying to deal with your chocolate stain and focusing right on the tried and true solutions to your sweet catastrophe. Our expert cleaning team has researched all the best ways for how to remove chocolate stains on clothes, carpet, and upholstery and put together this handy guide with the best ways to treat and remove chocolate from your favorite places in your home.
Understanding Chocolate- Why Does It Stain?
One of the first things you’ll need to understand about chocolate stains is what they’re made of and what exactly causes it to stain so deeply. Chocolate is actually a highly deceptive food. It comes from the cocoa plant and sugar cane plant, and seems as though it’s a basic plant-based stain that should lift off easily with treatment and work. However, chocolate is unique in that it also has an oil-based component that leaves behind the signature oil stain that we recognize with chocolate. For many people, even if you’re able to soak off the chocolate or the brown residue of the sweet treat, the remaining oil stain is what proves impossible to lift off. They also set with heat and time, so the longer a chocolate stain can rest in a fabric, the harder it becomes to remove.
Removing Chocolate From Your Clothes
Materials Needed:
- OxyClean Liquid Detergent
- Stain Removing Spray
Removing chocolate stains from your clothes is a complex process that’s almost entirely governed by time. Chocolate stains set with time, so the faster you can treat a stain, the easier it will be to remove without leaving behind permanent residue, damage, or stains.
If you notice a chocolate stain on your favorite blouse or pair of sweatpants, the first thing you’re going to want to do is change immediately. Take the soiled garment and rub a powerful laundry detergent like OxyClean into the stain, working in thoroughly, then soak the affected or stained piece of clothing in a bowl of ice cold water for a minimum of half an hour. Once you’ve soaked it, put the entire piece of clothing into the wash machine and use a color-safe bleach to try to take out the remainder of the stain.
If you discover a chocolate stain a little later on and the chocolate has already caked its way into your fabric, take a butter knife or spoon and slowly remove any bits of chocolate that remain on the outside of the fabric. Be careful not to cut or further damage the material but do scrape off any outer residue. Next, work stain removing spray into the stain and allow to rest in cold water for half an hour before washing with cold water and a heavy-duty laundry detergent to remove any remaining traces of chocolate.
Removing Chocolate From Your Carpet
Materials Needed:
- Butter Knife
- Vacuum Cleaner
- Paper Towel
- Stain Remover
- Clothing Iron
Removing a chocolate stain from your carpet can be a bit more of an odious task, but it’s important if you want to keep your carpet in top condition and avoid further soiling or damaging it. Begin by scraping off or removing any and all external chocolate from the stain area. Next, take a vacuum and begin vacuuming carefully over the stain to remove any other excess chocolate floating around the stain area. This should help remove the remaining chocolate. In order to soak out the remaining oil and adhesion, place a paper towel over the stained area and plug in your clothing iron. Once warm, rub the iron over the paper towels over the stain to soak up excess oil and draw out other removing stain materials. End by spot treating with a stain remover and vacuuming once dry to return the grain of the carpet to normal.
Removing Chocolate From Your Upholstery
Materials Needed:
- Club Soda
- Ice Cubes
- Dish Soap
- Sponge
- Cornmeal
Removing chocolate from your upholstery is a slightly more detailed process that requires careful effort and attention in order to master. For chocolate stains that are still in the process of hardening and settling, begin by rinsing the affected area with club soda, something that will soften the bonds of the chocolate and help the stain dissolve more quickly. Next, grab an ice pack or some ice cubes and rub it over the stain to help any leftover chocolate residue that’s not immediately visible to the eye harden and become more easy to remove. End by putting dish soap on a sponge and soaking up the stain as much as possible before rinsing the sponge and blotting carefully. Sprinkle dry cornmeal over the affected area to absorb any remaining oil.
A Natural Treatment to Chocolate Stains
Materials Needed:
- Lemon Juice
- Vinegar
- Dishwashing Detergent
The perfect natural treatment for chocolate stains is actually a lot closer than you think!
Begin by soaking the stain in either lemon juice or vinegar to help weaken the strength of the chocolate stain. Next, rinse with water to make sure the acidity of the lemon juice doesn’t damage the quality of your garment. Flush out the stain with a tablespoon of grease dissolving dishwashing detergent and three parts warm water to help diminish any existing stains. Machine dry as normal.
Removing chocolate stains might feel like an impossible task, but it really doesn’t have to be! These easy solutions mean anyone can help clean their homes and prevent chocolate stains from setting in no time and avoid lengthy cleaning of old stains that have set.
