We eat a lot of strawberries in our house; in fact, we even grow some in pots out on our deck. When you mix kids and summer and strawberries, you end up becoming an expert on how to get strawberry stain out of clothing (yes, even white clothing), carpets and chair cushions! I’ll show you my foolproof method on how to remove strawberry stains with very little effort.
How To Get Strawberry Stain Out
Fresh strawberry stains should be immediately removed when possible, never put a strawberry stain directly in the washing machine and dryer; you may inadvertently set the stain.
- Turn your stained clothing inside out and rinse it in your bathroom sink with cold water, let the sink drain and wring out the shirt.
- Turn the shirt right side out and place it back in the sink.
- Fill the sink with cold water, and add ⅓ cup of white distilled vinegar and about one tablespoon of Dawn dishwashing liquid.
- Let the shirt sit for about 15 minutes.
- Drain the vinegar water solution and pour a little rubbing alcohol directly on the stains.
- Let the alcohol sit for another 30 minutes, and then place the stained clothing in a washing machine on a normal cycle.
- After the wash is completed, remove the clothing and repeat steps 3-6 until the stains finally release; it may take three or four rounds, but the method will work.
General Strawberry Stain Removal
Now that you have my favorite method (vinegar/rubbing alcohol/dish soap) for removing strawberry stains, here are some additional tips, tricks, and general guidelines.
Remember, the longer the stain remains on the clothing or fabric, the harder it is to get out.
Importance of the Initial Rinse and Quick Action
I’ve been through issues with a stubborn stain enough times that I now make my kids change as soon as they get fresh strawberries on their clothes.
The quicker I can rinse the stained area with cold water, the better. This is really important when dealing with a white shirt.
Stay Away from the Dryer
Regardless of what type of berry stain you are attempting to get out, stay away from the dryer. In fact, when getting stains out of clothes, hot water, and the dryer should be avoided.
My go-to stain removers are cool water, white vinegar, and in the case of strawberry stains, rubbing alcohol.
Fresh Strawberry vs. Strawberry Jam Stains
Strawberry Jam doesn’t have nearly as much strawberry in it as you might think! The main ingredient is usually sugar.
Strawberry jam is packed with sugar, so a stain remover like OxiClean Laundry Stain Remover should be sprayed before placing the garment in the washing machine.
I would still avoid the dryer until you ensure the jam stains have been released.
Different Stain Removal Techniques
Before I found my favorite method to get strawberry stains out, I went down a major rabbit hole, trying anything I could find.
What I needed was a method that worked on any color and was more of a home remedy solution. Some of these were effective. Here are the ones I have tried and my recommendations.
Boiling Water: place the stained fabric on the bottom of your bathtub, boil a kettle of hot water, and pour the water from a few feet up onto the stain.
Boiling water is a bit of a dangerous method at times, and if you don’t have the water hot enough it sometimes spreads the stain instead of dissolving it.
Ammonia Solution: submerge your clothing in warm water and add a drop or two of ammonia solution to help with stain removal, be careful with this method on delicate fabrics.
Chlorine Bleach: an option to use on white only, mix chlorine bleach (just a few drops) into a sink filled with water and let the stained clothing soak; check the care label on your fabric before doing this.
Shaving Foam: spray shaving foam directly on the stain, let it sit for 30 or more minutes, and then wash on a regular cycle.
Lemon Juice: squeeze fresh lemon juice on the strawberry stain as a pre-treatment before placing it in the wash; I had better luck with rubbing alcohol than lemon juice.
Use lemon juice at a restaurant. It’s always easy to find a lemon around.
Glycerine: mix liquid glycerine and lukewarm water and let soak for an hour before placing through the washing machine.
Denatured Alcohol: works very similarly to rubbing alcohol to remove strawberry stains; use it after a cold rinse.
Laundry Detergent: fill your sink with cool water and a bit of laundry detergent; in my experience, most strawberry stains need something a bit more than just detergent when it comes to stain removal.
Strawberry Stain Removal Using Peroxide
When testing different ways to remove strawberry stains, it dawned on me that hydrogen peroxide does such a great job on blood that it may work on strawberries.
The hydrogen peroxide was successful in removing the stain. I like having a little spray bottle of hydrogen peroxide around, and I use it often on various stains.
Peroxide works really well on any plant-based stain.
Keep some with you when you head to a summer BBQ; that strawberry shortcake can be a real problem!
Removing Strawberry Stains from Upholstery
To remove strawberry stains from upholstery, first, use a spoon or a clean white cloth to take away any excess strawberries just sitting on the fabric.
Then take a clean white cloth and put a little vinegar and water solution on it. Wipe the stain and then blot dry with another cloth.
Always test your vinegar water solution in an inconspicuous place on the upholstery to make sure it doesn’t remove color.
Removing Strawberry Stains from Carpets and Rugs
The same method follows for removing strawberries from carpets and rugs. Get strawberry stains out quickly by blotting the area, then use a cold water and vinegar solution to release the stain.
Finally, take a clean sponge or rag and ensure all excess liquid is absorbed and the area is dry.
When working on an area rug, I like to place a towel under the rug so there are no issues with bleeding over into the floor.
Are Berry Stains Permanent?
Berry stains should not be permanent if you have not put clothes or fabrics through the dryer.
If you rinse the stain quickly and work with vinegar, cool water, and a little rubbing alcohol, the stains should come out.
Will OxiClean Remove Strawberry?
OxiClean can do a good job of getting strawberry out of clothing. My kids love strawberries, and I use OxiClean as a final stain remover.
Prior to using the OxiClean, I like letting the shirt soak in cold water and vinegar and then seeing if it needs additional OxiClean to flush the stain before putting it into the washing machine.
