Beetroot doesn’t just taste great – its bright purple colour also manages to make every meal look fun and bright. Unfortunately, if you’re serving up beetroot regularly, it is quite likely that some purple juice is going to accidentally end up on your clothes sooner or later. And while it’s interesting to know that beetroot can be used as a natural and permanent dye, this is unlikely to be among the qualities you hope for in a stain – especially when all you really want is to get rid of it quickly.
If you find yourself facing beetroot stains on your favourite shirt, smartest trousers, or a new tablecloth, don’t worry. We’ve compiled a few useful tips explaining how to remove a beetroot stain here. And if you need help tackling other food stains, why not read one of our other handy guides, such as:
How to get pasta sauce out of clothes
Remember: when it comes to removing stains, it’s best to test any cleaning solution on a small patch of the fabric first to avoid damage. Beetroot can be very tricky to get out of fabric, especially if it has had time to dry, so complete removal may not be possible. Defer to the skills of a professional dry cleaner if the methods below are unsuccessful.
You will need:
- Kitchen towel
- Washing machine
- Cold water
- Hot water
- Laundry detergent
How to get beetroot stains out of clothes quickly
The most important thing to remember when removing beetroot stains is to act as soon as you notice the infamous purple beetroot stain on your clothes – fast reflexes are everything when it comes to stain removal.
Soak and blot the stain
Soak a kitchen towel in cold water and blot at the mark, then rinse the stain under cold water until the water runs clear.
Run through hot water and dab with laundry detergent
If there’s still some purple colour left, repeat this step a couple of times, and if necessary, move on to hot water and a quality liquid detergent next. Some efficient liquid detergents are specifically designed to work as a quick pre-treatment – something like Persil Bio Liquid (which can be simply dabbed onto the fabric) would be ideal.
Always read the label on your chosen product to determine the best approach. Usually this means dabbing at the stain with the neat liquid detergent, before soaking the garment in a mixture of hot water and detergent for a couple of hours.
Wash on a low temperature
Use a washing machine to wash your garment according to the care label instructions, but ideally with a low temperature setting to avoid setting the stain.
Repeat steps if stain hasn't disappeared
Once your garment is clean, check the stain before hanging it out to dry naturally – if the mark hasn’t disappeared, repeat the earlier steps and launder again.
How to remove beetroot stains on Dry-clean Only clothes
If your garment is particularly precious to you, it’s best to take it to a professional, although quick action can make things easier for your dry cleaner later.
Blot with a dry cloth
Use a dry cloth to remove any excess beetroot liquid.
Hold a damp sponge against the stain
Take a clean damp sponge and hold it to the stain – do not rub it around, as this will spread the mark further.
Blot with a dry cloth, repeat if necessary
Make sure to blot the stain with a dry cloth afterwards, and repeat this step.
Dry-clean only fabrics can also benefit from the bread technique – soak the bread and place it carefully on the stain so the purple colour can be absorbed.
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Home Remedies for Removing Beetroot Stains
There are quite a few home remedies to help you when you are trying to figure out how to get rid of beetroot stains. Some work well, while others are not to be trusted. A simple solution for getting beetroot out of clothes, which can be used in addition to the precautions above, is to soak a piece of white bread in water and place it on the stain; the texture of the bread should absorb some of the colour before you apply your pre-treatment.
Beetroot stains don’t have to mean disaster. Give these tips a go, and you may see the purple mark disappear before your eyes.
Originally published