How to Remove Clothing Stains With Vinegar

Thank you to freelance writer, Julie Kennedy for these great tips!

If your favorite top has a stain on it that your normal wash routine can’t remove, you may feel that you have no option but to buy expensive stain removal products to get your clothes as good as new again. However, you do have another option for many stain types: vinegar.

Vinegar is an all-natural, effective and - best of all - affordable stain treatment that will save your stained clothes from the rubbish bin. Nearly every kitchen pantry has vinegar in it so check your cupboards to see if you can fix up your stained clothes without spending a penny. If you don’t have vinegar at home already, it’s very cheap to buy, long lasting and it’s multipurpose so it is definitely worth the investment if you like to keep a chemical-free or thrifty household. As well as the stain removal tips we’ll share with you here, vinegar can also be used to remove bad smells, clean up bathrooms, loosen a rusty screw and much more!

Vinegar is an effective stain removal against some of the toughest stain; read on to find out how to tackle your problem stain:

Blood
To treat blood stains you need to act quickly. Pour undiluted vinegar onto the mark and leave it to soak for about 15 minutes. Then, rinse the stain with cold water. If the stain is still noticeable, repeat the process. Once the stain has gone, put the item of clothing straight into the washing machine on your usual setting.

Crayon
Use a small brush or an old toothbrush to to rub undiluted vinegar into a crayon stain. Then simply wash the garment as normal.

Vomit
To remove a vomit stain from your garment, rinse it in cool water to remove as much of the vomit as possible. Next soak the stain in undiluted vinegar and put it through the wash. This process may need to be repeated depending on the severity of the stain.

Iron scorches
If you’ve left the iron on a shirt too long and the shirt has scorched, it can be saved! Soak a cotton ball or a rag with undiluted vinegar and dab the scorch. Blot the excess vinegar away with a clean rag and the mark should begin to lift out of the shirt. You may need to repeat the process a few times for the best results.

Ink
Ink can be removed from clothing by first spraying it with hair spray and then using a rag or cotton wool to dab it with undiluted vinegar.

Grass
Soak any grass stained clothes in undiluted vinegar for about 30 minutes and then put them in the washing machine. If the stain is still visible after washing, you can make a paste using vinegar and baking powder and scrub the stain with an old brush. Run the garments through the washing machine again and the stain should be completely lifted.

Sweat
Remove sweat stains by pouring undiluted vinegar onto the affected areas and rubbing salt into the stains. Leave the garment in the sun until completely dry and then run the item through the wash.

Coffee, tea or juice
Coffee, tea or juice stains can be removed by soaking the garment in a mixture of 1 part vinegar and 2 parts water. Leave the garment to completely dry and then wash as normal.

Tomato
Soak tomato stains in undiluted vinegar and run the garment through the washing machine as normal. Simple!

Treating set-in stains
If you have old, set-in stains on clothes you would like to save, try soaking the affected garment in undiluted vinegar and then rubbing the stain with a paste made of vinegar and baking powder. If the stain is persistent, you can leave the garment to soak overnight in a bucket filled with a couple of tablespoons of vinegar before running it through the washing machine.

There you have it, some easy tips for removing stains using vinegar! It wont remove every stain but it is certainly worth a shot. If you have a stubborn stain its worth using a professional dry cleaner such as Master Dry Cleaners to take care of it for you.

Bonus Tips
You can also use vinegar to brighten up faded colored clothes by soaking them in a gallon of water and 1 cup of vinegar. Rinse the garments thoroughly in cool water and your clothes should be much brighter!
You can also use vinegar to remove the build up of hard water around the home. You can read more about it here: How to Remove Hard Water