With kids you will have stains. It is a given. No sooner do you give birth than you find your nice shirts with stains on them. The amount of stain remover I went through when my children were young was insane, and very costly. Had I know about these 3 Simple Homemade Stain Removers back then, I could have saved my family a lot of money and likely had stains coming out of my clothing a lot better and easier.
Each of these recipes contains different ingredients that may already be in your pantry. I've used all of them at one point or another and believe they all work equally well. The biggest thing you have to determine is if you want to go completely natural or if you want to have a more simple and inexpensive version of what you buy in stores. Regardless of your preference, you should easily be able to whip up one of these stain removers in a few minutes to suit your families needs.
3 Simple Homemade Stain Removers
THE BASIC – this one is the least expensive. You can usually pick up 9 oz (just over a cup) of Dawn for just $0.99 at the by shopping the drug store deals and hydrogen peroxide is equally cheap!)
- 1 Cup Original Dawn Dishwashing Liquid
- 1 Cup Hydrogen Peroxide
- Mix together in spray bottle and spritz onto stain. Let soak for at least 15 minutes prior to wash.
THE NATURAL – if you want a more natural stain remover, this is the one for you. Liquid Castille soap and Vegetable Glycerin used to be hard to find, but now I see it in the natural aisles at my local grocery store and even at Target (although the best prices continue to be on Amazon)
- 1 ½ Cups Water
- ¼ Cup Liquid Castile Soap
- ¼ Cup Vegetable Glycerin
- Mix together in spray bottle. May add 5-10 drops of your favorite essential oil for scent. Spray on before washing.
THE HEAVY DUTY – this is for those heavy duty stains. Use as needed, but remember to never use bleach on loads that have been treated with this stain remover. Bleach and ammonia do not mix safely.
- 1 Cup Original Dawn Dishwashing Liquid
- 1 Cup Ammonia
- 1/3 Cup Baking Soda
- 3 Cups Water
- Mix all ingredients together and store in spray bottle or container out of reach of children.
- Use as needed, but remember to never use bleach on loads that have been treated with this stain remover. Bleach and ammonia do not mix safely.
Whether you have simple stains from a spot of food landing on your shirt or a heavy duty pasta sauce or grass stain you have multiple choices here in these 3 simple homemade stain removers that will allow you to clean up anything you need to from your clothing.
Have you ever made your own homemade stain remover?
Mindi has been blogging since 2008 sharing her best frugal living tips, recipes and more. When she isn't writing, she spends time as an unpaid cook, maid and chauffeur to her 3 children!
