Grass stains are among the most notorious stains on the planet, and they can be exceedingly difficult to remove from denim clothing. However, there is a process that can offer very good results at removing the grass stains from shirts and denim pants in particular. It is important to remember to spot test any stain removal products or process on your clothing before treating an entire stained area. This is doubly important if you do not have stain removal experience with the specific fabric type you are treating.
Grass Stain Removal – Water Bath
After your spot test, use a water faucet or preferably a higher-pressure water nozzle to saturate the grass stained area. It is best to use cooler water during this process to help prevent the stain from setting too deeply into your denim. The high pressure is better than just using water pressure straight from the tap because it can help to loosen up the stain more – the added force can only assist the removal process.
Grass Stain Removal – Scrub with Detergent
Denim is a sturdy cotton material that lends itself to a bit more scrubbing than a more delicate fabric would. As such you can feel comfortable using a couple of different products on the stain and scrubbing a bit more forcefully. First you want to take your denim and apply a detergent with enzymes to the affected area to help lift the stain. Scrub the detergent into the stain and rinse lightly and then scrub again for persistent stains.
Grass Stain Removal – Apply a Stain Remover
Apply a stain remover to your denim after rinsing out the detergent. This can be your favorite stain remover spray, gel, stick, or powder, but do check the indications list and make sure it states that it can work on grass stains. You can also use an enzyme product in this step to work on lifting out exceedingly deep seated stains. After the product is done, I will rinse it once, then reapply the product and then launder the denim with a fresh coat of stain remover still applied as long as the stain remover cannot harm other clothes in my wash cycle.
Grass Stain Removal – Wash in Hot Water
While denim can take hot water in most cases, it is always important to check your care label to make sure your garments have no additional specifications because of additional material incorporated into the jeans or shirt. Use the hottest water allowed for your article of clothing and send it through the wash cycle.
After washing your jeans they should come out fresh and clean, but sometimes they will not. If this is the case you can repeat the process if only a slight stain remains. On some articles of clothing where bleaching is acceptable, a light bleaching may be the final solution. Grass stains are difficult to remove, so even if you end up with a light trace of grass remaining, consider yourself as having done a good job!
Sources:
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/stain-buster/stains-grass-may07
