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Today I want to share with you how to make a homemade laundry stain remover that works! This is a recipe from the eBook, and it works better than most DIY stain removers.

Why does it work so well?

The secret to these ingredients is in the application. When you apply them in separate steps, you get more out of it.

I wanted to share how well this worked on my son’s old bib that has had a deep sweet potato stain in it for months. I have washed this bib many times and even applied a store-bought stain remover.

I used this DIY all-purpose stain remover once and it completely removed the stains.

Here is how you can do it too.

How To Make a Homemade Laundry Stain Remover That Works!

If you would like to see this in action, head to our recent instagram reel! The video shows how well it works. 

You might be thinking, oh I have used something similar before! But did you apply it separately? Be sure to scroll past the recipe to learn more of the science.

This recipe is found on page 23 of the eBook. 

What is a powerful homemade stain remover?

The most powerful homemade stain remover that is all-purpose is this recipe below. Combining hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and dish soap is the perfect trifecta for stains! While all stains are different (food, grease, dirt), this works for just about anything.

Ingredients needed for this homemade stain remover recipe:

• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Baking Soda
• Dawn Dish Soap
• Small Scrub Brush 

How to use this homemade stain remover:

1. Saturate the stain with hydrogen peroxide.
2. Sprinkle baking soda on top, then gentle scrub.
3. Drizzle Dawn on top of this, then gently scrub again.
4. Allow the solution to sit on the stain for 30 minutes to a few hours.
5. Wash in a normal washing machine cycle with laundry detergent.

How This Homemade Stain Remover Works?

The science behind this stain remover is very simple, but powerful. When I was testing out recipes for the eBook almost 10 years ago, I found that the application of these ingredients made a huge difference in how well it removed the stains.

Hydrogen Peroxide

The first key to this recipe is hydrogen peroxide. This household staple has dozens of uses in the home, but removing stains in fabrics is one of the top ways to use it. Peroxide is an oxidizer, so it will work deep into fibers to remove stains caused from foods and dyes. It “bleaches” the coloring of food or dirt, removing it from the fabric. Although this is an oxygenated bleach, it does not work like chlorinated bleach. So, it won’t fade colored fabrics! This makes it a great choice for a homemade stain remover. It is safe to use and highly effective.

For this recipe, using regular 3% peroxide is great!  If you would like to learn more about using hydrogen peroxide around your home, check out this in-depth guide we have.

By applying this first and saturating the stain well, you will have more success even with older stains.

Is hydrogen peroxide or vinegar better for stains?

A common question about stain removal is does peroxide or vinegar work better? It is true that vinegar can be used to remove stains. The acidity of vinegar works great to break down food based stains. However, it doesn’t work as well on things like dirt or even grease. For this reason, I think that hydrogen peroxide makes the best ALL-PURPOSE stain remover. This means, it works better for all types of stains. Vinegar is going to be more specific for its uses. You can check out a fantastic guide on using vinegar here. 

Baking Soda

The second part to this stain remover being successful is the addition of baking soda. Baking soda can help lift stains from fabrics, remove odors, and more. When you combine it with hydrogen peroxide, it enhances the stain fighting ability, but it also makes the hydrogen peroxide work better too. One of my favorite cleaning combinations is hydrogen peroxide and baking soda!

Baking soda is a household staple with so many uses in your house. Check out this baking soda guide for more chemistry and tips on using it around your house.

Dish Soap

The last step to this powerful homemade laundry stain remover is the dish soap, or dishwashing liquid as it is properly referred to. I have used this particular recipe with many different types of dish soap brands, and the Dawn worked better. I made this recipe last month using 7th generation dish soap, and it did not remove the set in stains. Dawn has powerful grease fighting abilities, so it will work into the fabrics to break apart grease, oil, and other food stains.

You can try any dish soap you have on hand, but the Dawn was the most successful for all the stains I have used this on.

Always wash your clothing in a normal wash cycle after treating with stain remover:

The last step in stain removal is always washing your clothes. This does a few things. First, it removes any residue from the baking soda or dish soap that is left on the clothing. It also helps remove anything left of the stain that has been lifted to the top of the fabric.

I have been using Tru Earth Eco Strips since last year, and I really enjoy how well they clean. 

Other Common Options For Stains:

If you like to have other options for stains or want to keep things on hand, here are some other options you can use for stains.

Lemon Juice

Lemon juice is another acid which can be used for fighting stains. If you are in a pinch to treat a stain, you can saturate the stain in lemon juice and let it sit for 30 minutes. This works better on new stains versus old stains, but it is a great tip if you need to do something quickly.

Citric Acid:

I recently finished up about a year of testing out citric acid for different things. You can use citric acid for removing stains! Due to the acidity, it can make a great option for different types of food stains. 

Messy Eater Stain Remover:

If you want to keep a store-bought option on hand, I use this Messy Eater Stain Remover. This is actually a citric acid based stain remover which works on many types of stains. I did a blog post over this product and shared all the ingredients plus how it works. While I love making my own stain remover, I also keep the store-bought version on hand. It works great, and makes a good non-toxic option.

Baby Poop Stain Remover

If you have baby stains that need attention, our DIY baby poop stain remover is awesome for this! This is a more specific stain remover with a few more ingredients, but it works amazing for baby poop…I have used it many times with my two kids lol

Stronger Homemade Laundry Stain Remover

The last option is a stronger DIY all-purpose stain remover also found in the eBook. This one contains more ingredients, but it is going to work deeper and stronger for stains like ink, marker, paint, etc. This option contains borax and washing soda, so I have found it to be more effective for this very tough stains. 

 

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