If you’ve ever discovered set-in chocolate stains, I know how you feel, with heart sinking as you pull clothes from the dryer. But don’t worry. All is not lost. Here are some tips for removing chocolate stains, which I found in my email “inbox” from Martha Stewart this morning.
Her email was quite timely, since just yesterday I pulled the jeans from the dryer, only to discover that my youngest child had hidden some Easter candy in her pocket. Of course, I discovered the contraband too late, and now everything was covered in a dried-on, gooey, chocolate/caramel mess.
Naturally, I was horrified at first, and not the least bit discouraged that a morning’s worth of laundry was all in vain. But armed with these tips for removing chocolate stains, I decided to take courage. Undaunted, I began the task of removing the stains. Here’s what I did:
1. Scraped all the chocolate mess I could from the clothes.
2. Spot-treated the stains with liquid laundry detergent, scrubbing it in with a toothbrush.
3. Let the pre-treated clothes sit overnight.
4. Ran the load this morning, adding a little vinegar and extra detergent in a one-hour soak cycle first.
Thanks to these tips for removing chocolate stains, even set-in chocolate stains, I solved the problem. In less than 24 hours, all the jeans are chocolate free!
By the way, if you ever encounter this kind of mess, be sure to clean the dryer, or you’ll be practicing your stain-removal skills on the next load, too!