How To Get Fabric Softener Stains Out Of Clothes
We’ve all been there: we’ve got a date coming up so we go a little heavy on the fabric softener when washing our laundry. Instead of coming out smelling fresh and clean, however, our clothes come out with stains on them and an overpowering smell of softener!
As frustrating and unsightly as these stains are, they’re not the end of the world. In fact, you can get these fabric softener stains out of your clothes pretty easily.
To remove fabric softener stains, you just need some soap, water, and a little bit of elbow grease.
Removing Light Fabric Softener Stains
Sometimes you don’t have super heavy-duty fabric softener stains but just have a couple of light dabs here and there. If this is the situation you’re in, you can follow a few simple steps. Here’s how to get light stains out of clothing.
Step One: Wet The Stain
The first step to getting rid of fabric softener stains is to wet the stain with a little bit of lukewarm or hot water. Make sure that you check the tag on the clothes and check the maximum water temperature it can take!
If you’re treating a delicate item that says to use cold water only, go ahead and use cold water. Even though it might not be as effective as hot water, it won’t warp your clothing.
Step Two: Grab Plain Soap
The next step in the process is to grab a bar o soap. You’ll want to find a soap that doesn’t include any additives—just plain soap.
If you don’t have soap on hand, you can use a few alternatives, such as:
- A few drops of dish soap
- A couple of drops of unscented body wash
- A couple of drops of unscented shampoo
Step Three: Remove The Stains
The next step is to firmly press the soap onto the stain and rub it back and forth. Make sure that the soap gets into the fibers of the clothing.
If you’re using shampoo, body wash, or dish soap, use your hand to work the soap into the fabric. That way you can get the stain to lift up more quickly.
Step Four: Wash The Garment
After you’ve scrubbed the soap into the stain, it’s time to wash the garment. Place the clothing into the laundry machine with your preferred plastic-free laundry detergent.
Make sure that you use the appropriate wash setting so that you don’t damage the garment. Also, don’t add fabric softener to the machine this time!
Step Five: Dry The Garment
Once your clothes come out of the washing machine, it’s time to dry them as normal. After the clothes are fully dried, you should notice that the fabric softener stain is gone.
Removing Stubborn Fabric Softener Stains
Every now and then you might have a stain that seems to be especially stubborn. If you’re in this boat, you’ll start by wetting the stain with warm or hot water, but then you’ll change course a little bit. Here’s what to do for stubborn stains.
Step One: Rub Liquid Detergent Onto The Stain
After you’ve wet the stain using the hottest possible water for your garment type, it’s time to rub liquid detergent onto the stain. Concentrated liquid detergent is very strong, so make sure to only use it for stubborn stains.
Step Two: Soak The Stain
Once you’ve rubbed the detergent into the stain, it’s time to soak the garment. Allow the garment to sit for a few minutes so that the detergent gets deep into the stain and pulls out the fabric softener.
Step Three: Wash The Garment
Wash the stain in the hottest water that’s safe for your garment. Just keep in mind that if your clothing’s tag says to only use cold water, you’ll have to use cool water to avoid damage.
Make sure to use the same liquid detergent you used for soaking the fabric when you wash the garment. After washing and drying the garment, you should notice that the stain is gone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have you got a few lingering questions about getting fabric softener? Check out these answers to a few frequently asked questions!
Is fabric softener necessary?
The short answer is no. As opposed to laundry detergent, fabric softener is not essential to obtain clean clothes.
How to get fabric softener stains out of white clothes?
If you’re trying to get fabric softener stains out of white clothes, you don’t need to do anything special. Simply follow the light stain method outlined above to remove the fabric softener residue.
How to get fabric softener stains out of clothes that have been dried?
To get fabric softener stains out of clothes that are already dry, you can follow one of the above processes. You’ll just need to be prepared to re-wash your clothes in order to get rid of the stain.
