We have some pretty awesome laundry recipes [1], but even the best detergents cannot eliminate all stains. So we developed this stain remover to tackle the worst of it. This Natural Laundry Stain Spray is my first line of defense when dealing with an impossible stain.
This recipe uses lemon essential oil and simple, natural ingredients to wipe out stains. Keep your clothes looking new and bright with this easy Stain Spray!
When I first made the decision to eliminate harmful chemicals from my home [2], I started with the laundry room.
This was an obvious place to start since we all wear clothes (most of the time), and we all want to wear clean stain-free ones.
Babies are the worst offenders when it comes to stains. They are messy little creatures! Somehow a bib never seems to do the job. With my second child, I gave up on bibs and just let him get dirty. I knew I could get the stain out later. Plus, I was a whole lot happier at mealtime not having to worry about clothes. I am a firm believer in hand-me-downs, so this was important!
Other natural ways to remove stains with ingredients you already have:
- The Sun – back when I used cloth diapers the sun was my best friend. It could bleach out the nastiest of stains on a prefold
- Baking Soda – freshens odors and lifts stains
- Hydrogen Peroxide – oxidizes and whitens stains
- Vinegar – eliminates sweat stains and strong odors
- Soda Water – can dilute a stain for easier removal
New to essential oils? Learn more about the brand of therapeutic grade essential oils we use and why you should use them as well. [3]
Natural Stain Remover Spray
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups distilled water
- 1/4 cup unscented Castile soap [4]
- 1/4 cup vegetable glycerin [5]
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 15-20 drops Lemon essential oil [6]
- 16 oz glass spray bottle [7] with a label
Directions
- Dissolve the baking soda into distilled water
- Combine vegetable glycerin, Castile soap, and lemon essential oil. Add to spray bottle
- Slowly add water to the spray bottle
- Shake or stir to combine
- Spray on new or set-in stains and wash with detergent [8]
Recipe Notes
- The easiest stains to eliminate are natural ones or real food stains. This means the food that caused the stain is free of artificial dyes. If a stain does contain dyes, it is much more difficult to remove. Sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach – easy! Concentrated fruit juice, not so much.
- When using essential oils in a recipe, you will want to use a glass spray bottle. Lemon essential oil [9] can break down a plastic bottle fairly quickly due to the acetic acid.
- I try to spray things immediately after taking them off. I have a habit of putting things on top of my washer and never starting it. Mildew is imminent at that point. If you are going to spray it, wash it.
- Be sure that you do not put any clothes with residual stains in the dryer. If stains remain after a wash, lay them out in the sun and that usually does the trick.
- If you are washing whites you can always add a spritz of hydrogen peroxide before washing. I always keep a labeled spray bottle near my machine. This can be used in addition to this stain spray.
More essential oil laundry recipes you might enjoy:
- Wool Dryer Balls [10]
- Liquid Laundry Detergent Recipe [8]
- Natural DIY Fabric Softener [11]
- Musty Laundry Be Gone [12]