How to remove beet juice stains from fabric?
Hands up if you've ever managed to spill a little bit of beet juice on your shirt or lap? If you're like the rest of us, you'll want to know how to remove the beet juice stain from our clothes.
Follow these three steps:
- Rinse the spot. The faster you can flush the beet juice stain with cold water the better. If you have to wait until you get home, give the stain a quick blot with a baby wipe or paper towel, working from the outside in to avoid spreading the stain. Refrain from rubbing the stain because it will just push the dye deeper into fabric fibers. When you get home rinse it thoroughly.
- Working from the back of the stain, flush the stain with cold water until the water runs clear.
- Soak the garment overnight in water that's as hot as your fabric permits.
If the stain persists, treat the area with a stain remover. A heavy-duty detergent that contains stain-removing enzymes is an effective alternative, gently rub it into the stained area. Let it sit on the fabric for at least fifteen minutes and then rinse in cold water. This will remove any oily components of beet juice from the fabric as well.
Again, if traces of the red color remain, mix a solution of oxygen-based bleach and cold water. Follow the package directions as to how much product per gallon of water. Mix enough solution so that the garment can be completely submerged. Allow the fabric to soak for at least eight hours. Check the beet stain. If it is gone, wash as usual. Repeat the process one more time if it remains.
Dry Clean Only Garments
After you’ve pre-treated the beet juice stain with cold water, it’s suggested to take any dry-clean only garments straight to the professionals. Sometimes you have to admit defeat and move on.
As a last resort try an ammonia mixture.
Mix 1 tablespoon of ammonia with ½ cup of water. Gently dab the solution onto the stain with a clean white cloth and repeat if necessary.
Because ammonia can be very tough on fabric it is not usually recommended as a safe cleaning solution for garments or upholstery. However, it does remove beet juice stains.
With that being said, it is wise to check the fabric by dabbing some of the solution on a hidden area of the fabric to make sure it doesn’t cause harm to it.
Lastly, never use ammonia and bleach together because the combination can produce toxic fumes.
