As the universe would have it, one of America’s favorite condiments is also the peskiest to remove.  Of course, we’re talking about mayo, and if you’ve never spilled a glob of the stuff on your clothing, consider yourself lucky.  Luckily, while mayo can be annoying to clean out of clothing, it’s not impossible if you follow some simple stain removal tips.

What Makes Mayo Stains So Tough to Remove Anyway?

What makes mayo a peskier type of stain is the amount of oil that it contains.  Oil stains are tough because they can’t just be removed by rinsing the clothing item in water.  Since oil and water don’t mix, attempting to do so won’t remove the stain, and can in fact just cause the stain to spread even more.

What is the Process of Removing a Mayo Stain from Clothing?

If you do have some mayo on your clothes, just follow these basic methods which have been proven to get rid of even the deepest and largest mayonnaise stains.

Step #1: Scrape Away the Excess

First, you’ll need to get rid of as much excess mayo on your clothing as possible.  Take the garment off and use a spoon or a dull knife to scrape the top layer of mayo that’s on the clothing item.  This will stop more mayo from absorbing into the fibers of your clothes and leaving behind a stain.

Step #2: Use Laundry Detergent

Skip the rinsing and soaking, since that won’t do anything given the non-water-soluble nature of oil. U se laundry detergent (either liquid or mix water with detergent powder), applied directly to the stain.  Use your fingers to massage either type of product into the stain, and then use a toothbrush to scrub it deeply into the fibers of the clothing.  Let the product sit on the stain for 15 minutes to absorb fully before going to the next step.

Step #3: Launder as Directed 

Now, you can throw the stain into a laundry cycle, following the directions for the type of garment you have.  Use the highest temperature setting allowed for your clothing item, as the higher the temperature, the more likely it is that the oil will completely come out.  Once you remove the item from the dryer, look it over thoroughly.  The stain should be completely gone at this point.

The Key Takeaway

The bottom line is that while mayo stains are common, they are fairly easy to remove as long as you follow the right steps.  The reason why they have a reputation for being so difficult is because most people try to remove them with water, which is never going to do anything to actually get rid of the oil that’s in the fibers.  This advice above will give you a good chance of never seeing that mayo stain again, and the faster you act, the better.