How to Get Rid of Grass Stains

Grass stains are both tough and annoyingly common. The stains come from a mix of chlorophyll, xanthophylls, and carotenoids that stick to our clothes and are hard to scrub out, but hope isn’t all lost — in this small instance, we can beat nature. Here’s how to get rid of stubborn grass stains for good.

Soak your clothes to remove grass stains

Ideally, you want to treat the stain as soon as possible. If you have a spot remover — say, something like OxyClean — apply it to the spot as soon as you can. Spot treating with a remover right away won’t remove the stain completely, but it’ll loosen it before it sets in and make it easier to get rid of when the real cleaning begins.

Instead of an over-the-counter stain remover, you can mix two parts of water and one part vinegar and soak the clothes for 15 minutes right after the stain is made. You could also use banana oil on the area and let it sit for five minutes to loosen up the stain before washing.

How to keep grass stains from getting worse

Once you’ve spot treated or soaked the area, it’s important to not rub the stain in. Scrubbing regular dirt off of clothing may be effective, but rubbing stains like grass will only dig the particles and chlorophyll into the fabric even deeper. Instead, you want to take a clean cloth and blot the area before laundering.

How to wash your clothes to get rid of grass stains

Detergent with enzymes is perfect for breaking down organic material. Bibbentuckers Dry Cleaning even suggests cleaning with digestive enzymes to eat away the grass particles from the fabric. There are several enzyme-based detergents to choose from — just add to your regular laundry and wash in warm or cool water. Hot water can set the stain into the fabric further, so tepid water is best. Remember that heat can set the stain into the fabric, so before you throw it into the dryer, let your clothes dry naturally. Once they’re dry, check the area for any lingering green streaks and repeat the process as needed before you toss anything in the dryer.