Spilling soda on your clothes can leave stubborn, sticky stains. But don’t worry – with the right techniques, you can get even set-in soda stains out of any fabric. This guide will walk you through all the steps and ingredients you need to banish soda stains for good.
Why Soda Stains Are So Hard To Remove
Before jumping into stain removal methods, it helps to understand why soda stains can be so pesky. There are two reasons for this:
Sugary Residue
Soda contains a lot of sugar. When spilled on fabric, the sugary soda leaves behind a sticky, syrupy residue that binds to fibers. This residue is difficult to fully wash away.
Dye Deposits
Many sodas, especially darker ones like cola, contain artificial coloring and caramel coloring. These dyes can leave lingering stains even once the sugar is gone. The dye molecules bond tightly to fabric fibers.
So to get rid of soda stains, you need to break down both the sugary residue AND separate dye pigments from the fibers. It takes a bit of work, but it’s totally possible with the right stain fighters.
Act Fast for Fresh Stains
When soda is freshly spilled, quick action can help prevent a permanent stain:
Blot Away Excess:
Immediately start blotting away as much liquid as possible with a clean towel. Don’t rub, which can grind the sticky sugar deeper into the fabric. Gentle dabs are best.
Flush With Water:
After blotting up what you can, run the fabric under cold water. This stops more of the sugary soda from setting into fibers.
Apply Stain Stick:
Next, apply a stain-fighting stick or gel, like OxiClean or Shout. These contain enzymes and surfactants tailored to break down food and drink stains. Let it sit for a 3-5 minutes.
Wash Promptly:
As soon as you can, pop the garment into the wash according to care label instructions. Use the warmest water safe for the fabric. Hot water will dissolve more residual sugars. Launder with an enzyme-powered detergent.
This quick response can lift fresh soda stains out before they set. But what if you don’t discover spots until days later when they are stuck on? Keep reading…
Removing Set-In Stains
If a soda stain has set into fabric for days or weeks, removing it takes a little more work. But don’t lose hope – even old, set-in stains can be conquered with the right removal methods.
What You Need:
- Dawn dish soap
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Laundry pre-treatment spray
- Old toothbrush
- Washcloth
- Towel
- Water
- Bucket or sink basin
With the right supplies gathered, you’re ready to start attacking stubborn soda stains!
Step 1: Mix Cleaning Solution
One of the most powerful mixtures for set-in soda stains is Dawn dish detergent, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and vinegar. Here is the simple recipe:
Dawn and Peroxide Solution
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1 tbsp Dawn dish detergent
- 1 tbsp 3% hydrogen peroxide
Baking Soda and Vinegar Paste
- 3 tbsp baking soda
- 3 tbsp white vinegar
- Mix into thick paste
Be sure to make both mixtures separately prior to application.
Step 2: Apply to Stain
Using an old toothbrush, liberally scrub the Dawn cleaning solution directly onto the soda stain. Let it soak in for 2-3 minutes. Follow up by scrubbing the baking soda paste over the top.
Step 3: Let Sit
Once you’ve worked both solutions into the fabric, let them sit for at least one hour. Over time, they will break down the stain molecules so they can be flushed away.
Step 4: Flush and Repeat
After 1 hour (or longer), hold the clothing under cold running water while scrubbing with your toothbrush. Check to see if the stain has lifted – you may need to repeat this entire process twice for tough set-in stains.
Step 5: Launder Immediately
As soon as the stain is gone, launder the item with laundry detergent and oxygen-based bleach if safe for fabric. Air dry in sunlight.
With a bit of patience and those strong cleaning solutions, you can break down sodas stains and restore clothing good as new!
Preventing Future Stains
Once you’ve conquered soda stains, you of course want to avoid more in the future. Here are handy tips to keep clothes spotless:
- Wipe spills quickly with a napkin or towel, don’t rub in
- Always place drinks on a coaster instead of fabric furniture
- Use a splash-proof straw when drinking soda
- Keep stain remover stick in purse/backpack for accidents
- Choose darker colors when soda drinking is likely
- Apply a stain-resistant spray to clothes prone to spills
Staying prepared and acting fast can help ward off stains down the road.
The Bottom Line
Removing soda stains takes a bit of work, but with the right methods and products even old, set-in stains can be conquered. Blot fresh stains immediately then pretreat. For stubborn stains, break out the cleaning solutions – Dawn, peroxide, vinegar and baking soda make an amazing team. With some scrubbing and patience, you can get back to clean, stain-free clothing once more.
References
How to Get Stains Out of Clothes by WikiHow
https://www.wikihow.com/Get-Stains-out-of-Clothes
How to Remove Cola Stains by Tide
https://tide.com/en-us/how-to-wash-clothes/stain-removal/how-to-get-cola-stains-out
Stain Removal by laundrycare.biz https://laundrycare.biz/stain-removal/
How to Remove Soda Stains from Fabric by One Good Thing by Jillee https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/remove-soda-stains-fabric/
Laura has had an enthusiasm for laundry ever since she was a teenager experimenting with wash cycles. She went on study textile science in college before working in product testing.
Soon, Laura found friends and family constantly asking her laundry advice, realizing she had become an unofficial laundry guru. The questions kept coming in, so Laura decided to start sharing laundry tips online to help more people. The enthusiastic response led her start the blog “Laundry How”.
Now in her late thirties, Laura uses Laundry How to tackle all kinds of laundry topics – stains, fabric care, detergents, and more. She provides advice from both her studies and experience testing techniques out firsthand. Laura continues to grow an engaged community of laundry learners, feeling fulfilled empowering people to make laundry an easy, confidence-building ritual rather than a dreaded chore.