ChapStick on clothes are the worst. These greasy stains are hard to remove, whether it melted in your pocket or smeared on the shirt you wear almost once a week. Well, fear not — I have some tried-and-tested strategies to help you solve this problem. Here are a few practical DIY options to help you eliminate that embarrassing ChapStick stain from your clothing.
How Come Chap Stick Stains Are So Tuff
ChapStick is composed of a combination of wax, oil, and — sometimes — coloring. Combined this makes glue quite difficult to get out of something like fabric. The wax will solidify, the oil will penetrate through the filaments and the coloration makes a visible stain. However, with a little bit of effort these stains can be removed and your clothes saved.
Immediate Actions to Take
- Scrape Off the Excess
Therefore, tackle the stain at the earliest. Lightly scrape any surplus ChapStick with a dull blade or the side of your credit card. Rubbing can make the stain go further into the fabric, so it should be prevented.
- Blot the Stain
Soak up the oil with a clean cloth or paper towel as much as you can. Once again, never rub to avoid setting the stain.
Deep Cleaning Methods
It works so well because it breaks down oils effectively — very similar to how you would want to use dish soap if essential oil gets on a surface. The trick for fresh spots and stains is this.
Steps:
- Dish Soap: Say a lot of dish soap onto the stain.
- Gently Rub: Use your fingers or a soft brush to work the soap into fabric.
- Wash With Warm Water: Rinse the stained area with warm water to get rid of any soap residue and loosen up the stain.
- If necessary repeat: Repeat the procedure until the stain goes away.
- Baking Soda and Vinegar
Household items such as baking soda and vinegar can remove ChapStick stains from clothing.
Steps:
- Baking Soda: Cover the stain with baking soda and give it a few minutes to work.
- To add vinegar: Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on and then pour white vinegar over the top. It will fizz and bubble.
- I. Scrub: take an old brush and scrub the mix into your fabric.
- Rinse and Wash: Rinse with warm water, follow by normal washing.
- Rubbing Alcohol
The oils limit the easy removal, but rubbing alcohol can dissolve and help strip the ChapStick out.
Steps:
- Rubbing Alcohol Instead of vinegar, soak a cotton ball or cloth with rubbing alcohol and use it to blot the stain.
- Blot the Stain — Blot out the area using a clean cotton cloth or towel to lift off the stain.
- Rinse & Wash – rinse out with warm water and wash the garment.
Advanced Techniques
Since oils are organic stains, enzymatic cleaners are effective at breaking them down.
Steps:
- Use Cleaner Apply the enzymatic cleaner on the stain.
- Wait: Give it the instructed time on those tabs.
- Machine Wash Warm: Another way to put it is to have a warm wash.
- Rub a paste of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda on the tray by using your fingers.
It might prove to be a combination very good for tough stains.
Steps:
- Mix: Combine hydrogen peroxide and baking soda in a mixing bowl.
- Paste It Up: Use the mixture directly on the spot.
- Rub: Carefully rub the paste into the fabric.
- Rinse in warm water and launder as usual.
Tips for Success
- Be Quick: The quicker you attend to the stain, the higher your chances of it coming out.
Test First — Always test any kind of cleaning solution to an unseen part of the fabric.
- One More Time: For those more difficult stains that still remain sit there, try repeating the process.
- No Heat: Do not dry the garment until this stain is fully eliminated; as heat can end up setting a stain.
Conclusion
Getting ChapStick on your clothes might seem like the end of the world at first, but you can usually get most of it off. Even if a dirty stain hits your expensive clothes, do not get worried; it can be removed with little patience and some right techniques to make it look like brand new. Freeze or flush red wine out; put white wine, club soda, vegetable oil, corn starch or dish soap on the stain and blot quickly; soak coffee stains in cool water and clean with baby powder (thanks for that old wives tale); act fast(“The longer a spot sets into fabric, the harder it will be to remove”); apply and reapply the chosen cleaner as many times as necessary. Do you have any other stain removal tricks up your sleeve? Share them with me! Seems we should try to keep ourselves looking slick, no matter what life throws our way.
