Tips For Removing Chocolate Stain From Clothes

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A chocolate stain can be one of the toughest ones to remove, because it is what is called a "combination stain."


There are many ingredients within the chocolate which can cause the stain, and sometimes there is more than one, so you have to deal with many stain removal issues at once when dealing with these stains.

How to remove a chocolate stain from clothes, with tips and home remedies {on Stain Removal 101} #StainRemoval #ChocolateStain #RemovingStainsuse this Pin it button to save to Pinterest
On the other hand, since chocolate has been around a long time, so are the stains it leaves behind, and over the years people have figured out lots of different ways to remove them.

There is no right or wrong way to remove stains, just what works and what doesn't. Therefore, below I've gathered up lots of tips for removing these stains from your clothing and other washable fabrics.

This article is a complement to my main article, within my A to Z Stain Removal Guide, all about chocolate stain removal. That article provides step by step instructions for removing these messy stains, while this one focuses on tips and home remedies that other readers, or people have shared that worked for them.

If you've used a tip or trick successfully for removing these stains, and you don't see it listed already though, I would love it if you shared it with me. You can share your tip for how to remove a stain from chocolate here, or read other tips which have already been submitted, including for other surfaces such as carpet.

In addition, I'd love for you to share any other stain removal clothes tips here, if you've got great tips for any other stain!

So, without further ado, below are the tips and tricks I've already gathered together for removing these tough stains.

How to remove a chocolate stain from clothes, with tips and home remedies {on Stain Removal 101} #StainRemoval #ChocolateStain #RemovingStainsuse this Pin it button to save to Pinterest

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Chocolate Removal Stain Tip For Washable Fabric

Below are some alternate chocolate removal stain tips and home remedies for washable fabrics.

Fight The Cream Stain In Chocolate With Cream

The first of these home remedies is to fight a chocolate stain, which has cream in it, with cream.

You may heard of the idea of fighting like stains with like items before, and that is where this home remedy comes from.

First, rub some heavy cream onto your chocolate stained fabric with a toothbrush, and then let the chocolate stained fabric soak in the cream for about twenty minutes.

Then, launder as usual and often the stain will be gone. (Make sure to check the stained area before throwing it in the dryer, because if it is not completely gone you don't want the dryer's heat to set the stain.)

Another reader also shared this tip about using milk or cream below, and there is more information and ideas about it there.

Make Your Own Chocolate Stain Remover Solution

The best homemade laundry stain remover recipe
You can also make your own stain remover for removing the stain.

This recipe below is actually one of my favorite homemade stain removers, and works on a variety of stains! (You can learn more about it in this article.)

Here are the ingredients:Just coat this solution on the stained area, let sit for 10-15 minutes (check first in an inconspicuous area of the fabric to make sure it does not harm or discolor the fabric first), and then run through the wash as normal.

Do you make your own stain removers? If so, I would love for you to share your own homemade stain removal recipes here, or read over 55 other recipes already submitted.

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Stain Removal Chocolate Tip For Clothing - For Dark And Milk Chocolate

Here are some tips for removing chocolate from clothing, and the first is that you should differentiate between dark chocolate stains and milk chocolate stains.

Both types of chocolate can be treated in much the same way, but there are some differences in treatment because of the difference in the ingredients within the stain.

For both types of stains, first try to remove it with a cleaning solution of 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid.

Then, if that does not work alone, if it's a milk chocolate stain add a few drops of ammonia into the dishwashing liquid solution, while for dark chocolate instead add two tablespoons of white vinegar.

For dark chocolate you can also use hydrogen peroxide for removal.

Finally, the most aggressive stain removal method is to cover the chocolate stain on the fabric with borax, and then pour boiling water over it to remove the chocolate stain.

After using any of these stain removal methods, you'll need wot wash the clothes to get out all the stain removal solutions.

Below you can see even more ways to remove these stains from your clothes and other washable fabrics.

Photo by Rachel from Cupcakes Take the Cake

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How To Get Set Chocolate Stain Out Of Clothing

I came across a blog entry recently from The Diaper Diaries (***update - the blog has since shut down ***end update) about how she removed a set chocolate stain out of her white jeans.

This chocolate stain removal tip is even more awesome because her husband had accidentally run the jeans through the dryer, meaning the stain was much more difficult to remove.

What she did was to get a product from the store, in the laundry aisle, called a "water softener," such as Calgon water softener, and then soaked the chocolate stain in a solution of the water softener and water.


She also used pressure to manually loosen the stain and get the water softener solution all through the fabric by pressing on the stain with her hands.

Finally, she washed the jeans again, in cold water, using the stain cycle on her washing machine.

For those of you without such a cycle (such as myself) you can get a similar result by just presoaking the stained item in a tub of laundry detergent and water, or by stopping the washer while it is full of water (and detergent) and let is soak for a while before restarting it (if you have a top loader).

One of the reasons I believe this worked so well for her is that water softener binds with the metals and other items in your water that make it "hard" and which keep detergents from working as well as they otherwise would.

Therefore, the advantage of using a water softener with your laundry is to allow the detergent itself to work more effectively.

Photo by alisdair

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Beat A Chocolate Stain With Dairy

by Julia
(Victoria, BC)

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Julia sent in this tip for how she removed a chocolate stain with heavy cream.

Julia says:

It's actually the FAT in the milk that soaks the chocolate into the fibers.

I found a suggestion online somewhere to simply soak these stains in high fat milk (I used Creamo).

Seems the milk fats combine and the stain's fats are diluted, so it simply loosens up and floats away.

When I went in to see if it had worked on my (white!) cushion cover, the stain was simply gone. And it was several weeks old.

I gave it a little scrub in the cream at the end, then washed normally. Miraculous.

I wish I could remember where I read it, so I could thank them, and give them the credit for this amazing remedy.

Taylor says:

Thanks so much for sharing what worked for you in removing this particularly tough stain Julia.

I'm not sure where you originally read this tip, but I actually have shared that tip on this same page (see above) for how to remove a chocolate stain from clothing and other washable fabric! I'm glad it worked for you.

***Update: There is some disagreement about why, exactly, this tip works, but many people have shared it with me, which must mean it really works well! Here's another reader, Nancy D., who told me something quite similar. Nancy said:
Milk has an enzyme in it that removes chocolate from clothing or fabric.

Simply pour the milk on the spot and rub until the spot it gone, then launder as usual.

(If there is a large amount of chocolate, remove any excess and then pour the milk on it and begin rubbing.)

You may need to repeat more than once.

This can also be used for set in chocolate stains depending on how deeply set in they are.
***End Update

Of course, there are times when milk and cream themselves can cause stains. If this happens check out these instructions for removing cream stains to help with that issue.

You might be surprised to hear that there are lots of unusual uses of milk around your home. Click the link to find more that I've added to the site, or to share your own with me as well!

In addition, has anyone else tried some home remedies for removing stains caused by chocolate and had success? If so, I would love to hear what you did too, so share your tips here, and I'll feature the best ones here on the page.

In addition, don't miss my chocolate stain removal guide here for even more instructions for removing these stains.

Chocolate stain removal guide


Top photo by Kyle May, from Flickr CC

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Comments for Beat A Chocolate Stain With Dairy

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Candy bar stain - how can I rewash whole load?
by: Heidi

I dried a candy bar that was in a pocket of a pair of shorts. Is there anyway to rewash the whole load? I will do each stain if needed but would like to be able to soak the whole load.

Chocolate syrup
by: Anonymous

How do I remove chocolate syrup from cotton clothing?

how to remove from a quilt and duvet cover?
by: Anonymous

How do I remove a chocolate stain on a polyester quilt and a duvet cover? I've already used SHOUT which has helped considerably but not totally. I haven't machine washed either one as yet.

Dark chocolate stain - how I got it out
by: Dorothy

I found this site on Pinterest and put a little bit of white vinegar on a dish with a few drops of dish washing liquid. I rubbed the mixture on the chocolate stain and rubbed the fabric together, then rinsed in cold water. The stain is completely gone!

The fabric is polyester and Lycra. Color is lime green. So happy the spot is gone! Thank you for the tips!

Saved my top
by: Anonymous

I have pre treated and soaked, and tried my normal go to stain remover (shaving cream) but nothing removed the chocolate stain on my favourite blue cotton long sleeve button shirt. Today I tried hydrogen peroxide and dawn dishwashing liquid and scrubbed it with a toothbrush for a few minutes. I just rewashed it and there is only a slight blemish left (which I will retreat tomorrow). Thank you for saving my shirt.

Heat set chocolate stain on brand new quarter zip
by: Melissa

My chocolate loving husband stashed a few Andes mints in his quarter zip to enjoy later... then forgot and I do laundry! I should have checked his pockets but alas No! As I was faced with his "ruined new favorite" ..naturally I thought it was a loss! Guess what Pinterest lovers ? You helped solve the dilemma! I used the half and half and an old toothbrush! Not all came out! So between Dawn liquid and ,Greased Lightning, and good old peroxide it’s back from the "dead" Whoo hoo! Yeah! Thanks for all the good tips! Greased Lightning is my usual "go to" for any stains.... even it needed so extra Help!

Chocolate cake stain on daughters baptism rubberpants
by: clarice a

Our 14 year old daughter was baptized at Easter mass yesterday and wore the traditional white, poofy, sleeveless top of the knees dress with a matching bonnet, lace anklets and white shoes. She had the standard white cloth baptism diaper with white rubberpants over it.She sat on some spilled chocolate cake on a chair and got a big stain on the back of the rubberpants! She has to wear the diaper and rubberpants again under her communion dress next month. How can we get the stain out?

Chocolate Stain on Green Hemp Bag
by: LauraGrace

While indulging in a chocolate ice cream bar some of the hard chocolate coating dripped on my green hemp bag. It took about 20 minutes to get upstairs and the stain sat on the bag during this time. Even though I had a napkin with me I didn't touch the stain. When I returned home I removed everything from the bag. Then I wet a white paper towel with cold water (no soap) and I gently patted the stain. I did not rub, just gentle pats. Immediately the stain became lighter. I tossed the used paper towel, and using a new clean paper towel did the same thing. It only took 3 or 4 times with clean paper towels and cold water and the chocolate stain was completely gone.
I hung the empty wet bag up to dry and an hour later it was good as new.

Hope this helps.

Warm water
by: Emme

If it's not a large chocolate stain, just wet the stain with warm water, add enough dish soap (any kind that does NOT contain bleach) add a few more drops of water, and then scrub the spot. continue until the spot is no longer visible. Let the garment air dry before laundering (especially using the dryer) to make sure the stain is gone. If not, repeat above.

Old Chocolate Stain Removed
by: TS

I've tried many things, many times, to remove an old chocolate stain and I have never been successful. I've learned that, if you don't get to the chocolate stain before it goes thru the washer and dryer, you're out of luck.

I have two yellow cotton T-Shirts with chocolate stains that are set-in from going through the washer and dryer. This time I declared war and resolved to get rid of the stains or ruin the shirts trying, whichever came first. I believed there must be a way to get rid of old chocolate stains and I just needed to find it. I tried nearly everything I read about and everything I could think of. These included Oxi Clean, Biz (left over from an earlier time), Spray and Wash, Shout, and a number of other commercial solutions and other approaches that include vinegar, carpet cleaner, dish washer soap, etc. I soaked the shirts for days at a time and spent weeks to find a solution to the problem. Nothing fazed the stains, they seemed to only become more set. But this time, after searching the internet I finally found this website and the idea of using milk or cream to get rid of a stain. That was something I hadn't tried and it seemed worth a try. This time I soaked the spots on the two shirts in Half and Half for a couple of days, then I soaked the shirts in a mixture of Oxi Clean and Calgon water softener. Finally, I put the shirts back in the washer and included more Oxi Clean and Calgon along with the usual detergent, using cool water. After the first washing the spots were much lighter, but still detectable, so I didn't dry them but went back through the same process again, soaking with Half and Half for a couple of days, and then another Oxi Clean and Calgon soaking, and washed them again. The key learning is that the cream works, and it may take multiple times through the process to get the stains completely out, but each time the stain is reduced. MUCH THANKS TO THOSE WHO POINTED OUT THE MILK/CREAM SOLUTION!IT WORKED FOR ME. I don't know if it works with every kind of chocolate stain but it will be the first thing I try the next time, aside from trying to catch the stain before the garment gets washed and dried in the dryer.

Chocolate milk off white dress
by: Candice

I tried dish soap and nothing happened. Tried vinegar and nothing. Went for the white Oil of Olay hand soap bar, rubbed it into the spot, and scrubbed it together with another spot. Worked like a charm. Dress was saved. Thumbs up!

Dish Soap with Oxy and Peroxide for Chocolate Stain removal
by: Donna B

The two parts peroxide to one part dish soap (I used Palmolive with Oxy) worked like a charm to remove the chocolate stains on my white cotton pants!

homemade chocolate stain remover with hydrogen peroxide worked
by: Maggie

This one worked beautifully. The stains that I thought had ruined my brand new white blouse came out without any trouble at all in half the time quoted.

Thanks for saving a favorite shirt.

used dairy and it worked
by: Kristie

I just used half and half (all I had on hand) on a stain of chocolate frosting on my white cotton shirt, and it worked! I brushed off excess, then poured a little milk and let it soak a few seconds, rubbed it in, and saw it disappear. I then used a couple drops of Dawn dish soap to wash out the stain and half and half.

Was it Dairy or Water Softener?
by: Anonymous

After trying to remove chocolate stain on khaki pants (90% cotton & 10% spandex) using Clorox2 & Oxi-Clean Gel stick found your site as the stain was still there. Used heavy cream and washed w/water softener, the stain was lighter, repeated cream & water softener and it is GONE!!! Thank you.

Chocolate milk stain on white jeans
by: Carmlee

Best to treat the stain before you wash and dry the item. Once washed and dried the stain is usually set in for good. I soaked chocolate milk stained white jeans in "Vanish NapiSan Oxi Action" for about 2 days. On day 3 there was only a light chocolate stain left. I then used "Exit Stain Remover Soap" on the remaining stain - that removed the remaining light chocolate stain. Then I washed the jeans in the wash machine on the cold water setting. I dried them in the direct sun so that the sun would further bleach them. They are as good as new - no sign of any of the chocolate milk stains.

response re Rose's question
by: Taylor

Hi Rose, there are some tips above, in the article, suggesting to use water softener, such as for the laundry, to remove such stains, specifically on white jeans. However, I will admit I don't know what you mean by removers removing the white color from jeans. If they're white, it won't remove the dye, there isn't any. If you mean lighten though if they are not completely white, I suppose I understand that. If you are worried about uneven spots from a pretreater I would suggest testing whatever product you choose first, in an inconspicuous spot first, to make sure that won't be an issue. Good luck!

spot on white jeans
by: Rose

How do I get chocolate stains out of white jeans without using stain removal products (which take the white color out of the jeans)?

It worked!
by: Anonymous

My granddaughter got chocolate on her new white shirt. My google search to remove the stain brought me to your site. I was pleasantly surprised when the stain vanished. Thank you.

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Taylor

Hi, I'm Taylor, a busy mom with 3 kids, so I have lots of hands on experience with house cleaning, laundry and my fair share of spots, spills and other messy catastrophes. Thanks for visiting my site.

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CAUTION: This website is provided for informational purposes only. It is provided as is, without warranties or guarantees. Some stains and messes just won't come out, and are permanent. Further, some cleaning methods can harm your item, so if what you want to clean or launder is sentimental or expensive call a professional. See disclaimer of liability for more information.