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Tired of spending money on expensive stain removers or using natural options that don’t work?Easily remove tough stains with this DIY homemade stain remover.
In this blog, I’ll show you how to make this easy stain remover recipe and remove stains naturally.
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In this blog, I’m outlining the exact steps you’ll need to successfully remove stains.
Key Takeaways
- You only need a few natural ingredients to make multiple bottles of stain remover spray: vegetable glycerin, water, liquid castile soap, hydrogen peroxide, and lemon essential oil. You can easily find these ingredients in the grocery store or online (like Amazon).
- Use this stain remover to remove many different stains on fabrics (including sofas, carpets, and clothing): food stains, pet stains, grass stains, baby stains, and more.
- Store this recipe in a dark amber bottle for up to 1 month in the laundry room.
Before You Get Started: What You’ll Need
First, gather the ingredients you’ll need. You’ll find these ingredients at most grocery stores or on Amazon.
- 1/4cupvegetable glycerin: helps to lift stains easily; however, if you don’t have any glycerin you can skip this ingredient.
- 1/4cupwater: Use distilled water if storing this product longer than a few days.
- 1/4cup liquidcastile soap: a natural, highly-concentrated soap with many uses. A natural dish detergent or Dawn dish soap may be used instead.
- 1TBhydrogen peroxide: Regular 3% strength found in the grocery store.
- 40drops of lemon essential oil: Since fresh lemon juice would spoil quickly, use lemon essential oil. Instead, you may use 1-2 juiced lemons if the spray is used within a couple of days. Learn more about using essential oils.
Equipment You’ll Need
- 1dark amber spray bottle: Due to the hydrogen peroxide, which can’t be exposed to light when stored, use a dark spray bottle. If you’re making a small batch of this recipe and plan to use it immediately, it’s OK to use a clear spray bottle (ormake your own glass spray bottle)
How to Make DIY Stain Remover: Step By Step Guide
You’ll also find a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post, so you can print and save the recipe.
- Step 1 Combine All Ingredients: In a spray bottle, add all the ingredients: glycerin, water, soap, hydrogen peroxide, and lemon essential oil. Place the lid on the bottle and shake to combine.
- Step 2 Use Immeadiately or Store For Later: The spray may be used immeadiately. It may also be stored for later use, at room temperature, in a dark location (like a dark cupboard under the sink or in the laundry room).
Step By Step Recipe Video Guide
How to Use This Spray & Remove Stains
- First, blot a liquid stain with paper towels or a cloth.
- Gently shake the DIY laundry stain remover spray. Spray or pour the solution on the stain (preferably a fresh stain).
- Let the stain remover rest for 5 minutes.
- Scrub the soaked stain with a scrub brush, old toothbrush, or cloth until the stain has been lifted. Repeat again, if needed, until the stain lifts.
- Rinse the garment in hot water with soap or in the washing machine using your favorite laundry soap.
- For a stubborn stain, after using the spray, place the garment in the washing machine with ½ cup washing soda and ½ cup hydrogen peroxide, along with whatever laundry soap you normally use in your laundry routine.
What kind of stains can you remove with this spray?
Here are just a few of the stains and surfaces I’ve personally used this easy homemade stain remover on.
- Carpets: Please test this spray first in a small area to ensure the hydrogen peroxide doesn’t discolor your carpet.
- Couches: Dustin once spilled red wine on my prized white couch. This stain remover was my first defense, then I used my homemade bleach alternative to finish the job.
- Clothes: Remove any food, pen marks, blood stains, or grass stains with this solution.
- Pet Stains: Remove Fido’s waste from the surface, spray with the solution, allow time to rest, then wipe the area with fresh water and a cloth.
- Pen and Marker Stains: If you have kids, you know what I’m talking about!
- Food Stains: Chocolate stains, coffee stains, red wine stains, ketchup stains, mustard stains–this solution lifts and dissolves them all.
- Baby Stains
- Fresh Grease Stains: I also like using this grease removal method.
What to Avoid Doing
- Only apply the stain remover to special garments or fabrics after testing first. Anytime you use a cleaning product, always spot-test in an inconspicuous area.
- Don’t store the spray in a clear bottle, which exposes the formula to direct sunlight due to the fragility of the hydrogen peroxide.
FAQs
- Can you use this stain remover on colored fabrics?From my experience, this solution is safe on colors. Always test a small area before applying the solution to a larger fabric surface.
- Can you use dish soap instead of castile soap?Yes, you can! You can use any dish detergent, including Dawn Dish Soap or a natural dish soap.
- Can I use a plastic spray bottle instead of glass?Yes, you can. Make sure the bottle doesn’t let light through (such as a clear bottle) due to the hydrogen peroxide.
Looking For Natural Laundry Detergent, too? Try These Products
After using the stain remover, wash the garment in a natural laundry detergent. There are many great options. Here are my favorites:
- Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent: Use water, castile soap, borax, and washing soda to make this easy liquid soap.
- Powder Laundry Soap: Use castile soap bars, borax, and washing soda to make a powder soap option.
- The Best Natural Laundry Detergents From the Store: From Seventh Generation to Ecos, I share the best of the best laundry detergents from the grocery store.
4.95 from 20 votes
Natural Homemade Stain Remover Recipe
Easily remove tough stains with this DIY homemade stain remover. Save money and avoid harsh chemicals. No more stressing about stubborn stains, this homemade spray is a miracle worker.
Kristin Marr
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Total Time5 minutes mins
Course DIY, Homemade
Cuisine Cleaning
Servings 8 ounces
Cost: $3 per bottle
Equipment
1 16-ounce dark spray bottle or 8-ounce spray bottle
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup vegetable glycerin a natural solvent that lifts stains
- 1/4 cup distilled water or tap water if using within a couple of days
- 1/4 cup liquid castile soap unscented or any variety
- 1 TB hydrogen peroxide 3% strength
- 40 drops lemon essential oil or fresh lemon juice (from 1-2 lemons) if using within 1-2 days
Instructions
In a dark spray bottle (due to the hydrogen peroxide which can't be exposed to light during storage), add all the ingredients.
Place the lid on the bottle. Gently shake the bottle to combine the ingredients. Shake before each use.
How to Use (Lift and Remove Stains):
First, blot a liquid stain with paper towels or a cloth.
Gently shake the bottle. Spray or pour the solution on the stain (preferably a fresh stain).
Let the stain remover rest for 5 minutes.
Scrub the soaked stain with a scrub brush, old toothbrush, or cloth until the stain has been lifted. Repeat again, if needed, until the stain lifts.
Rinse the garment in hot water with soap or in the washing machine using your favorite laundry soap.
For a stubborn stain, after using the spray, place the garment in the washing machine with ½ cup washing soda and ½ cup hydrogen peroxide, along with whatever laundry soap you normally use in your laundry routine.
Video
Notes
Colored Garments and Surfaces: From my experience, this solution is safe on colors. Always test a small area before applying this solution to a larger fabric surface.
For stains on tub and sink surfaces, including rust stains, make and use this homemade scrub cleaner with baking soda, liquid castile soap, and hydrogen peroxide.
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!
Free RECIPE Cheatsheet
8 Natural Recipes for Your Laundry Room
More Easy Stain Remover Options
The good news is my homemade stain remover spray will conquer just about any stain!
I also want to provide you with a guide for how to use natural household ingredients to tackle stains. Different types of stains require different types of solutions.
There are 8 simple ingredients that work best for natural stain removal, no matter what kind of stain you need to conquer. Here are the best options that can easily be found at most grocery stores.
- SOAP – Liquid castile soap or Sal Suds are fantastic for removing grease stains.
- BAKING SODA – Remove any oily stain, rust stains, crayon on surfaces, permanent marker on surfaces, and freshening the laundry. For rust stains and cleaning, combine baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and castile soap (scrub recipe). How to use baking soda for stain removal and cleaning.
- LEMONS – Apply lemon juice to a garment to remove yellow underarm stains on white clothes. And remove rust stains on surfaces.
- WHITE VINEGAR – Remove mildew stains with vinegar. And remove yellow underarm stains: spray a garment with vinegar, rest, then scrub and wash with laundry soap.
- BORAX – Borax is a naturally-occurring mineral and safe for the environment. Used to make liquid homemade laundry soap and powdered laundry soap to boost the soap’s effectiveness and fight against stains. Make homemade bleach alternative using Borax and Washing Soda.
- TABLE SALT – Used to soften hard water (homemade laundry softener with salt) and lift red wine stains. Immeadiately after a wine spill, sprinkle the surface with salt. Allow time for the salt to absorb the wine, then brush the salt off and wash the garment with laundry soap.
- CORN STARCH – Absorbs grease and oil stains. Immeadiately after an oil stain occurs, sprinkle the garment with corn starch and rub the area. Allow the starch to rest for 10 minutes, then wash the garment with laundry soap. Do NOT dry until the oil stain is fully removed.
- VEGETABLE GLYCERIN – A natural solvent, glycerin works to easily lift stains from garments.
MY TOP Favorite
Natural Laundry Products
- Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap
- The Best Natural Laundry Detergents (Homemade & Store-Bought)
- Homemade 5-Minute Powder Laundry Soap
- Homemade Powder Laundry Soap (Without Borax)
- Wool Dryer Balls
- Homemade Laundry Softener and Scent Booster
- Bleach Alternative Solution
- DIY Liquid Fabric Softener
- Homemade Stain Remover Spray
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Kristin Marr
Kristin is the creator and editor-in-chief of Live Simply. Kristin is married to her high school sweetheart, Dustin, and is the mom to two kids and two free-roam (litterbox-trained) bunnies, Leo and Estela. Kristin started Live Simply in 2013 to share her passion for real food and natural living.
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I came across your recipe stain remover recipe while searching for a natural DIY liquid dishwasher detergent. It’s just hubby and I at home now, but his shirt collars demand a little extra attention (and my natural deodorant does “colourful” things to my shirts). I had barely mixed a bottle of your spray when a few hours later—while eating a Häagen-Dazs ice cream bar—a chunk of the chocolate coating had fallen off and, unbeknownst to me, melted on my bright white and yellow striped t-shirt. I quickly sprayed the chocolate, gently scrubbed the fabric together, rinsed under cool water and repeated. Stain GONE! Now I’m curious to see how it will do on a stain that’s older…like a few hours or days!Reply
That’s awesome! Thank you for sharing, Jackie! So happy to hear the great success you had with this stain remover. Let me know how it goes with older stains-I’m curious, too.
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Hi Kristin, Thank you SO much for all your recipes. I now use your stain remover (which I make in double batches), your soft scrub (BTW, you may already know this but I find rubbing a little lemon oil on the porcelain sink/tub keeps it cleaner quite a bit longer), your laundry soap AND your whitening formula. I use a recipe from Dr. Bronner’s for all purpose spray I really like (so simple and super effective for every surface). All the recipes you have provided are fantastic, I am so so pleased with how well they work and that I am reducing my plastic waste. I can not thank you enough. The reason I am writing here is I am wondering whether I could use your stain remover on silk. I’m sorry if I missed this somewhere. Thanks for your help! Best everythings, Sylvie
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Hey Sylvie, Thank you SO much for sharing your kind words. I’m so happy that you’re enjoying all the recipes and that they’re working so well for you. I’m not sure about satin with this cleaner. Satin can be a tricky one and I’d hate for the solution to do any damage to the fabric. If there’s a way to perform a small spot test in a discrete area, that’s what I would do.
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Had an interesting time reading this. If there is one chore that is inevitable it is laundry. Just as the washing basket is empty, it no sooner is full once again.
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So true!
LS Team
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I am just about to make the stain remover as can’t find anything to get rid of my grandsons football stains or general kids stains now long will it keep if use boiled cooled water I’ve tried my own laundry soap which consists of laundry soda baking soda shred up soap and borax and that doesn’t even shift.can you use on coloured clothesReply
Awesome recipe.Thanks for sharingReply
I’m glad you’re enjoying the recipe, Rust
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I didn’t have glycerin, so I left it out. I just got blood off of a light colored camisole!! ?
Thanks!!!!Reply
Hi! I just found this video and subscribed to your blog. Looking forward to seeing what new ideas you have! I’ve been doing the natural thing for years but this is one area I hadn’t shifted into DIY.
My concern is that I’ve only used hydrogen peroxide to bleach things… how is it not ruining colored clothes???Reply
This stuff is awesome! For years and (unknown reasons) I stuck with Shout, I guess maybe because my mother used it. Then I switched to just plain vinegar which worked great. Last night I decided to make this and used it on my husbands dress shirts, particularly on the neck line. I didn’t have time to let it sit because I had already started the washer, I kind of just rubbed it in quickly. I was floored when I took the shirts out of the dryer. The neck stains almost completely GONE! Next time I will definitely let it sit the 5 mins so I can see the magic! Thanks Kristin!Reply
I feel like a dolt having reread that – new lesson; never comment or question when you are I’ll and have a fever! ??
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Lol, no worries, Mare ;). It’s definitely confusing the way it’s set up.
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This item in the ingredient list is confusing me: 1/4 cup castile soap I like orange, tea tree, or peppermint
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Hey Mare, Those are the castile soap varieties I personally like to use.
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ASAP- Do you mean right after you notice stain or right before washing?
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Preferably when the stain is fresh.
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I like to treat stains before I put clothes into hamper. This way on laundry day I can just throw them in the washer. Can this stain remover be sprayed on, left for several days, and still be effective once clothes are washed?
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Hey Robyn, This stain remover is best used ASAP, and then washed off clothes. You could probably wash it off in the sink and then let the clothes rest on the side of the hamper until you’re ready to wash everything.
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I really want to love this but haven’t had much success with it yet. I tried it on two items: (1) The grayish yellow armpit discoloration of a white top and (2) A white satin back tablecloth with leftover stains after being washed already (tomato and grease stains). On the top, it didn’t seem to do anything at all but on the tablecloth, it left more discoloration, like grease almost, from where I sprayed it. I sprayed and washed twice and now have stains all over that tablecloth.
Also, when I spray the solution, it comes out half gloopy and half misted like you’d expect. I did shake it prior to spraying so I’m not sure if this is an issue. For context, I also used sodium percarbonate in addition to my regular laundry soap. I have a front loader machine which uses less water (this affected how I used soap nuts). The first time I sprayed, i just let it sit without scrubbing but the second time I did agitate the fabric. Both times I let it sit for about 45 minutes before washing as there was another load in the wash.
Please let me know if you see an error in the way I was using it!
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Hey Kat, I’m sorry you haven’t had success with this. I use this for fresh stains (grass, food)–that’s what I’ve had the greatest success with. For armpit stains, I’ve had good success with making a baking soda paste, along with lemon essential oil, applying it to the area and letting it rest for a while. Then scrubbing the area and washing the garment.
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Great recipe!
I’ve tried a couple that called for baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and dish soap. One of them worked really well, and became my go-to. But then, for some reason, it back fired one day when i used it on several pieces of clothing. All of my colored shirts were soon bleached. So, I had to go back to the search for the perfect stain remover. This one looks great. I don’t think 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide mixed with everything else would do much damage to colors, so i think I’ll try it that way first. I don’t wear much white because I am always staining my clothes, and I’ve always hated bleach.
I still haven’t found the perfect recipe for homemade bleach. I’ve tried whitening my pillows with several recipes, and nothing seems to work, and they’re not that old. I’ll check out your recipe for that too. Thanks!!Reply
Hey Tiffany, I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipe! Let me know what you think of the bleach alternative…I’ve had really good success with it!
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I’ve been making this for 2-3 years and since we eat a keto diet we seem to get grease stains on our clothes. I began using sal suds instead of Castile soap and it works great at getting the stains out. I spray and give a little scrub with an old toothbrushReply
That’s awesome, April! I’m so glad you’re enjoying this!
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