This page may contain affiliate links. If you click and buy, we might get a small commission at no cost to you.
If you’ve dropped peanut butter on your clothing, you’ll know that it’s sticky and oily. And it’s likely going to stain. Acting quickly is the key to getting this oil out of your clothing, but so is treating the stain correctly before washing. Here are a few tips for how to get peanut butter oil out of clothes.
How to get peanut butter oil out of clothes
Getting peanut butter oil out of clothes is a matter of acting as quickly as possible. You will need to remove as much of the peanut butter as you can and then use a product to treat the stain before washing the garment on the long cycle, at a temperature as high as the fabric can tolerate.
To treat the stain, you can use a standard laundry detergent, dry-cleaning solvent or home remedy, the most popular of which is to apply dishwashing soap.
1. Act quickly
Peanut butter is oily, so if you get it onto your clothing, you should get rid of it as soon as possible. The first step in doing so is to get as much of the peanut butter as you can off the clothing immediately.
Tips
It’s better to remove the garment to treat the stain. If you can’t do so, put a napkin, or paper towel on the wrong side of the fabric when you treat it. In fact, the paper towel is very useful to absorb at least some grease. You can also use an absorbent pad for this.
Take a flat object and remove as much of the peanut butter as you can, by scraping the object across the surface of the fabric. A spatula works well. If you are out and about, you could use the back of a butter knife.
Avoid pressing down on the peanut butter, so that it gets deeper into the fabric. To avoid this, make sure the garment is against a flat surface, like a table, or even a plate held under the fabric against the body.
If you can’t treat the stain immediately, don’t wipe at it. Rather leave it alone and then treat it as soon as you get home.
Product tips
*Be sure to use extra absorbent paper towels like Bounty or your favorite brand.
2. Use a standard laundry stain remover
Most laundry stain removers have a product that works particularly well on grease. When you look for the stain remover, make sure you choose one of these. You will also be able to choose from aerosol, liquid or powder.
Products
Try Carbona Stain Devil, a liquid form stain remover specifically formulated to remove oil and grease from clothing.
Zep Industrial Purple Laundry Oil Spot pre-treater is a spray option. It is a strong detergent, so is particularly good for stubborn peanut butter oil stains.
Important tips when using a liquid laundry stain remover
Make sure you apply the stain remover generously over the whole area of the stain, and perhaps a little around the edges.
Leave it to soak in adequately. This should only take a few minutes but is an important step.
If it is quite a stubborn stain, then rub in the detergent before you put the garment in the wash.
Make sure you put the clothing in on the long wash cycle, with the highest water temperature that is safe for the particular fabric.
If you don’t have a washing machine, then you should wash the garment by hand in water that is as hot as possible, without burning your hands. Don’t rub at the stain, rather try to emulate the tumbling motion of a machine, when you wash the garment.
*Tip for stubborn stains
If you can only get to the stain a while after acquiring it, then you can use a dry-cleaning solvent to dissolve it.
Because this is a strong medium, apply it to the fabric over paper towels. Make sure you leave it to dry before rinsing and washing the garment on the long cycle.
If the stain remains after being treated with dry-cleaning solvent, you can apply a wet spotter mixed with a little white vinegar.
Products
You can try Woolite Dry Care Cleaner, which is quite a mild cleaner, or Alba Industrial Strength Spot Remover, which is a tougher product.
3. Home remedies
There are various home remedies for removing peanut butter stains from clothes. The most popular is to use dishwashing soap, which is specially formulated to attach stubborn grease to your dishes and glasses.
Products
Try to choose dishwashing soap that is really good at removing grease and oil. You can try Mrs Meyer’s Dishwashing Liquid Dish Soap, which is biodegradable and has a pleasant aroma.
Another product to check out is your basic Dawn Dish Soap, which is really tough on grease and has a fresh scent.
Additional tips
If it is the first time you are using a particular home remedy, it is a good idea to treat only part of the stain and see how that works. Of course, if you are confident in the method, then use it on the whole stain.
Before following a home remedy, check if there are any reviews or comments about it before using it.
When you use dishwashing soap to remove the peanut butter oil stain, you should only use a little and rinse the garment thoroughly before washing it.
Conclusion
It’s necessary to act quickly if you can when you drop peanut butter on your clothing so that as little oil as possible will be absorbed by the fabric. It’ll also help to avoid the stain becoming established.
Don’t just throw the garment into the wash. You must pre-treat the stain, then wash it on a hot cycle. That should then be the end of the peanut butter oil.
