It seems like the tastiest foods also happen to be the ones responsible for some of the toughest stains, wouldn’t you say?  Case in point, butter, which can leave behind a greasy mark that makes clothing look unwearable.  But, while there’s no doubt that a butter stain is one of the trickier ones, it’s removable, especially if you act quickly. 

Why is Butter So Tough to Remove?

Butter is a fat, and fats are great at absorbing deep into the fibers of a fabric.  Any stain that gets deep into a fabric’s fibers rather than sitting on the surface is going to be a lot tougher to remove, and more likely to stain permanently if not taken care of properly.  It’s actually a combination of the milk proteins and the oil in butter that make it uniquely difficult to get rid of.

Follow these directions coming up, and you will get your clothes looking new again.

Easy Steps for Removing a Butter Stain

With a butter stain, it’s all about acting as quickly as possible, before the stain sets.  So, as soon as you notice that there’s butter on your clothing, here is what you need to do.

Step #1: Try to blot it with anything absorbent – a cloth, a paper towel, etc.  Blot but don’t rub, with the goal being removing as much of what’s on the surface as possible.  If it’s a nice, big glob of butter, use a spoon or knife to gently and carefully scrape off the blob.

Step #2: Sprinkle cornstarch, baking soda, or baby powder directly onto the butter stain.  This is to soak up as much of the butter as possible.  Don’t be afraid to sprinkle a good amount onto the clothing – in this case, there is no such thing as too much. 

Step #3: Let it sit for about 15 minutes, and then gently brush it away with a toothbrush.

Step #4: Using your fingers, work some Grab Green Liquid Dish Soap into the stain.  Dish soap is formulated to remove grease from your dishes, and so its grease-fighting properties may be able to get rid of the oils in the butter. 

Step #5: Again, let it sit for about 15 minutes.

Step #6: Now, launder the piece of clothing as you normally would using Grab Green’s 3 in 1 Laundry Detergent Pods or  3 in 1 Laundry Detergent Powder.  If the clothing is very delicate, then use our Delicate Laundry Detergent Pods.

Step #7: When you take it out of the washing machine, check to see if the stain is gone, because if it’s still there, throwing it into the dryer can set it permanently due to the high heat.  So, if it’s still there, repeat the steps above.  Only after the stain is gone can you put the garment into the dryer.

Recap: A butter stain isn’t just a nuisance – it has the potential to permanently stain your favorite clothing items.  Plus, considering how many of us put butter on lots of things we eat regularly, the risk of staining your clothes with it is pretty high.  Fortunately, there is a method for removing a butter stain that has a very high success rate.  Also, once again, the sooner you act, the better.

Treating an Old Butter Stain

So, what if you’re noticing the butter stain hours to days after it happened?  Unfortunately, the longer it sits, the more likely it is to set permanently.  But, that doesn’t mean that all hope is lost.  You can use the same method above even if the stain is older, just keeping in mind that there’s a somewhat lower chance that it’s going to work, because the butter has had a better chance to absorb into the garment’s fibers.  Still, the method above remains the best process, whether it’s a new stain or an old one.