Spending more time outdoors is one of the many things to look forward to during the warmer months. It’s also a time where many of us switch out our wardrobes to make the most of lighter fabrics and colours that aren’t always appropriate during winter, but these items can also be magnets for dirt and stains.
Simply sitting on a patch of damp grass can leave you with a stubborn grass stain, and if you have young children, you likely dread doing laundry at this time of year. More time spent in the local park or even your back garden can see the laundry basket quickly become full of clothes covered in bright green stains. From a white vinegar solution to trusty Elbow Grease, there are plenty of tried and tested methods for removing grass stains from clothing, but this one homemade mixture will get the job done in just 30 minutes.
Head of Buying at Suit Direct, Nicola Barker has shared a simple formula for removing grass stains from clothing that will save clothes from being ruined and you having to replace any school uniforms.
It’s important to act quickly with grass stains, however, as chlorophyll, which is found in grass, can quickly bind to fabrics and become stubborn.
The faster you’re able to apply product to the stain, the better, and this expert-approved mixture only requires two ingredients that you likely already have lying around in your home, meaning you don’t have to waste any time looking for it.
While other stains picked up from being outside, especially mud, can be more easily brushed off and removed from clothes, Nicola explains that grass stains “require a little more attention”.
Instead of simply chucking a stained piece of clothing into the washing machine and hoping for the best, you should instead pre-treat the stain with a mixture of washing up liquid and water.
Washing up liquid is often used to remove stains, but works particularly well for grass stains as the surfactants in it disrupt the bonds formed between the grass pigments and fabric.
If you’re out of washing up liquid, you can also mix baking soda with water, and then leave the mixture to sit for half an hour before popping your clothes in for a cold wash.
Another cleaning essential, baking soda’s crystals create a gentle scrub when mixed with water, neutralising the acidic pigments in grass that make it tough to remove.
Whichever mixture you use, it’s essential to make sure you use cold wash as “grass stains are protein based which means they can be set permanently into fabric if they come into contact with heat”.
If you notice the stain hasn’t completely lifted after washing, Nicola explained that you can simply repeat the treatment or “try an oxygen-based stain removed such as Vanish Oxi Action before washing again”.
It also helps to leave your clothes out to dry in sunlight, as this will help fade and remove any lingering marks that might be left.
