Sometimes, nothing hits the spot like a good ol' PB&J sandwich.  But, your clothes may feel otherwise.  Both peanut butter and jelly are pretty tough stains to remove, for two different reasons, and getting both of them on your clothes creates a problem because you need to address two different types of stains at once.  Fortunately, both of these stains can be removed as long as you’re diligent, and then are following the correct protocols explained here today.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Removing PB&J Stains

Peanut butter and jelly stains are two completely different kinds of stains.  Peanut butter’s main culprit is oil, and oil is always tough to remove from clothes since it repels the water we would typically use to clean it away.  Jelly is tough because of its dark pigment, and its gelatinous, sugary nature which really absorbs well into the fibers of your garments.  Here are the steps to follow if you want to tackle this type of stain head-on.

1. As soon as you notice that peanut butter and jelly stain, you will need to take the garment off. Even if the stain is dry, you can address it using this method, but the sooner you catch it, the better, since the last time it has had to absorb into the fibers of your clothes. 
2. Once the garment is off, use a blunt knife to scrape excess off of the surface of the fabric.
3. Next, turn the garment inside-out and run the stain under cold water. Cold water will prevent setting the jelly stain, and rinsing it inside-out will push the stain out of the clothes rather than pushing it deeper in.  Keep in mind that the cold water can help fade the jelly stain, but this won’t tackle the grease of the peanut butter stain, so don’t be surprised if a grease mark remains – we’ll get to that later.
4. Mix one part water, one part Grab Green Liquid Dish Soap and one part white vinegar to create a solution. Now, dab that solution onto the stain, watching the jelly fade.  Leave the solution there for 10 minutes and sprinkle baking soda directly onto it, before rinsing it away, again using cold water.
5. Repeat this process until the jelly has faded. The baking soda will also soak up excess oil in the peanut butter.  Once the jelly stain is gone, you can address the peanut butter stain by rinsing it in hot water, since hot water is better at removing oil.
6. Apply the same solution as above to the peanut butter stain, if necessary.
7. Now, it’s time to launder the clothing item. Throw it in your washing machine, using a normal detergent like Grab Green’s 3 in 1 Laundry Detergent Pods or 3 in 1 Laundry Detergent Powder, and use the hot water cycle only if the jelly stain is completely gone.  Hot water is what you need to remove the grease from the peanut butter.

A PB&J Strain is Tough, But Removing it Can be Done

Peanut butter and jelly are a great combination, until you get it on your clothing.  Hopefully, you were able to save that shirt or paints though, by simply following these steps above to get rid of both condiments/spreads.  Again, by addressing the stain as soon as possible, you can avoid having the stain fully set in, especially if you’re in the process of actually removing it.