Let’s face it – nothing hits the spot like mashed potatoes, and the more butter and cream, the better. Funny enough, it’s those very ingredients that explain why mashed potatoes can leave such a tough stain when you or a family member drops them on clothes.
Of course, should you end up with mashed potatoes on your clothing, there’s a right and a wrong way to address the stain to get rid of it as quickly and completely as possible. At Grab Green Home, we’re always going to prefer using nontoxic cleaning products, like natural dish soap and eco friendly laundry pods, that are already in your home to address any kind of stain. So, what can be done about mashed potatoes? Let’s find out.
Getting Rid of a Mashed Potato Stain
When it comes to mashed potato stains, the quicker you act, the better. Like we said earlier, it’s usually not the potatoes that make these stains so tough (although they do leave a starchy, powdery mess), but the butter and milk/cream that contain proteins, which are much more stubborn. Ultimately, the best way to go is to opt for your favorite eco-friendly cleaning products that are already in your house, removing the garment as soon as possible to start treating immediately. Here are the steps to follow for success.
Step #1: Get to Scraping
First, remove the garment as soon as you notice the stain, and start scraping the excess mashed potatoes off of the surface with a blunt knife. This will prevent more of the mashed potatoes from seeping into the fabric and causing an even worse stain than the one that you have on hand. Be careful not to push more into the fabric while you’re doing it – a light touch goes a long way.
Step #2: Flush with Cold Water
Turn the garment inside-out, and then run the stain directly under cold water. Turning it inside-out means that mashed potatoes will be pushed back out of the material, rather than deeper in. Do this until you’re no longer seeing any effect, which means that you’ve flushed the stain out as much as you can.
Step #3: Pretreat Time
Now you can pretreat the stain with your favorite sustainable dish soap formula. Our dish soap at Grab Green Home is a non toxic dish soap that is perfect for addressing tough stains on clothing prior to washing. Work the dish soap into the stain and leave it there for 15 minutes before rinsing again with cold water.
Step #4: Time for the Washing Machine
Now, it’s time to launder the garment, on hot water if possible, as the hot water will help address the fats in the milk and butter which can leave behind a grease stain. Reach for your natural laundry pods that use enzymes to fight stains – preferably non toxic laundry pods like our 3 in 1 Laundry Detergent Pods, which are sustainable laundry pods that have what it takes to remove tough stains, like mashed potatoes. Next, go ahead and dry the garment in your dryer with your favorite natural dryer sheets or dryer balls, like the Stoneworks Dryer Sheets from Grab Green, which are sustainable dryer sheets that our customers swear by.
If the Clothing is Delicate
If you’re dealing with a delicate fabric, then read its care label extra carefully. If the item can’t be thrown in the dryer, then don’t worry, since you can air-dry it as normal, since the drying method isn’t actually part of the stain removal process. If it’s an item that must be hand-washed, you can use the same method as above, but wash it by hand using the same detergent. And, if the item has to be dry-cleaned, ask your dry cleaner if they can remove soda stains – chances are that they have a process specifically for this type of stain, and will use it effectively.
To summarize:
- Cotton clothing will offer the most stain removal options.
- Wool is more delicate than cotton and cannot endure repeated washing and also needs to be spread flat to dry.
- For silk clothing, it’s recommended you take it to a professional dry cleaner, due its extreme delicacy.
