One of the biggest concerns when switching from commercial to homemade stain remover and cleaning products is, “Will this work?”
If you want to create simple, homemade cleaning supplies that don’t contain many of the detergents, parabens, and other problematic ingredients, you need recipes that prioritize natural ingredients.
For simple, homemade recipes for specialized cleaning products using basic, commercial cleaning products you already buy, look for basic “two-ingredient” formulas that offer to “use ingredients you already have.”
What We’ll Cover:
Commercial vs. Homemade Stain Remover Efficacy
When I first started homemaking early in my marriage, I was ready to make my home perfect. Pretty glass bottles lined the windowsill, filled with homemade cleaning solutions. Homemade laundry soap, stain removers, and dried herbs filled my pantry.
The years went on. We moved off-grid, had babies, and I started buying commercial products. What started as a quick, temporary fix turned into a lifestyle change. But this past year, I took stock of my home. I looked back on old photos, flipped back through old notebooks, and began reclaiming my old intentionality.
One of the first changes I made was in my cleaning supplies. I purged my commercial products. I replaced each with one of my old recipes. Now, I have a row of beautiful, old bottles, neatly labeled and full of healthy, homemade cleaning supplies.
Commercial stain removers are backed by millions of dollars in advertising and publicity. Homemade products, on the other hand, might only be backed by the good word of a few people.
When you don’t have marketing images in your mind, it can be hard to trust a homemade product to work.
With laundry stain removers in particular, it’s easy to see whether a product works by trying it out. When you do, don’t forget to try it out alongside other stain removers, not just trying it against the image you have in your mind of how a commercial stain remover works.
I’ve found no actual difference in efficacy between commercial stain removers and homemade stain removers. In fact, it can be exciting to mix up specialty solutions to treat some specialty stains, like cloth diapers or perspiration.
All Natural Ingredients or Conventional Ingredients
Of course, not all homemade stain removers are created equal. Some recipes prioritize all-natural ingredients, while others focus on using other commercial products you already have to make specialty products.
Depending on what sort of homemade stain remover you’re looking for, some recipes may not fit your purpose.
I’ll include a few different recipes for a basic laundry stain remover here. We have some using basic household cleaners and others using natural ingredients without detergents.
Try them all out. They all work well, so play around with your homemade stain remover and see what works best. They’re all just as effective on my stains as commercial stain removers, so you can’t go wrong.
1. Easy, Two-Ingredient Stain Remover
If you have a degreasing dish detergent (for handwashing dishes, not dishwasher detergent) and hydrogen peroxide in the usual 3% solution, then you can make this stain remover.
It’s a simple, effective blend that you can spray on stains to lift them from the laundry. Once mixed, just spray this stain remover onto a stain and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes.
Simply pour one cup of hydrogen peroxide into a dark glass bottle (I like blue or green glass bottles). Use a funnel to make sure the full cup ends up in the bottle.
Then, still using the funnel, pour in a half cup of degreasing dish soap (like Dawn). Use an ice tea spoon or chopstick to gently stir the mixture in the bottle.
This is not a formula that you can shake to combine. Shaking will cause the mixture to foam up too much. Instead, mix it gently every time you notice it separating.
Don’t forget to label the bottle. I have made some awful mistakes because I failed to label my cleaning solutions – once even mixed up bread with laundry soap because it was unlabeled and stored in a similar jar to my flour!
Always label your cleaning solutions. Try to include the date it was mixed up, an expiration date, and some ‘how to use’ advice.
This mixture will last for about six months, after which the hydrogen peroxide will start to lose its cleaning ability.
2. All Natural Stain Remover
If you want to keep your cleaning supplies free from commercial cleaners altogether, then your recipes will have to be a little more complex. But it’s still a simple, effective recipe made up of things you can usually find at the grocery store.
This natural stain remover is very gentle on dyes and especially good a food stains.
For this recipe, you will need to gather a few more ingredients.
- ¼ cup castile (or vegetable oil-based soap)
- ¼ cup glycerin
- 2 Tbs borax
- 10 drops of peppermint or tea tree essential oil (optional)
- 1 ¾ cups water
Add all of the above ingredients to a dark glass jar and shake well. You can and should shake this mixture well before you use it. Spray this stain remover generously on your stain, let it sit for about 5 minutes, and then wash as usual.
The essential oils do actually provide a little bit of stain-lifting help, so if you can use them, do. But be careful to find actual essential oils on their own, not mixed in carrier oil. Carrier oils will cause oil stains.
3. Tough Stain Remover
If you need a heavy-duty homemade stain remover that can tackle those tougher stains, this is it.
- 1/2 cup dish soap
- 1 cup hydrogen peroxide
- Baking soda
Gently stir together the dish soap and hydrogen peroxide. Add enough baking soda to make a thick paste.
When you’re ready to use it, smear the paste on both sides of the fabric on the stain. Rub it in well and let it sit for five minutes. Toss the laundry in the wash.
4. Spot Treatment Paste
- 2 Tbs cream of tartar
- 2 drops peppermint or tea tree essential oil
- Water (to mix)
Make a thick paste with these three ingredients and spread it on the stain. Let it sit until the paste dries, and then wash your laundry as usual.
This is a great little paste for stubborn stains or sudden spills on your favorite clothes. You can really pile it on heavy stains as well to really pull out the stain from your favorite.
5. No Bleach Laundry Whitener Presoaking Solution
This presoaking stain lifter is for white clothes or very light clothing. I like to use it for diapers, perspiration stains, socks, handkerchiefs, and dish towels.
- 1 cup vinegar
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 6 drops of tea tree essential oil
Add this recipe to a washing machine full of clothes and warm water. Let the clothes soak for an hour or two. Then, wash your clothes as usual.
This is not a good option for dark clothes or bright colors. For serious stains, add a tablespoon of borax to the wash as well.
Notes on Using Natural Stain Removers
Remember that when you use a natural stain remover, you don’t have a marketing team to complain to. Commercial stain removers come with a list of compatible fabrics.
When you use a homemade stain remover, it’s important to test it out on various fabrics before using it. Fabrics like silk and some wool can be sensitive to stain removers.
If you have a silk shirt, be incredibly careful. First, try testing the stain remover on a small portion of the fabric. Then, send your silk to a specialty cleaner to remove stains.
With sturdy, cotton clothes, especially whites, you can usually treat and retreat clothing to remove stains.
Don’t forget to use one of our DIY fabric softeners once you’re ready to toss everything in the dryer.
A Caution on Color
Hydrogen peroxide can be a little harsh on color. If you’re using this stain remover on dark or brightly colored clothing, be careful. Try testing it out on an inconspicuous area of fabric first. I usually avoid using this stain remover on darker close altogether.
Vinegar vs. Hydrogen Peroxide
Both vinegar and hydrogen peroxide work well on stains. In many cases, you can switch the two out and replace one with the other. But if you are treating oily stains, vinegar will be less effective than hydrogen peroxide.
If you’re mixing up any of the vinegar-based stain removers for an oily stain, try swapping out the vinegar for hydrogen peroxide or adding a splash of hydrogen peroxide to mix as you apply your remover.