- Grass stains are the result of heavy contact with thick grass, often caused by playing sports or by kneeling or sliding on grass. Protein, organic materials and grass juices combine to form grass stains, and the pigmented aspects of these substances are what cause the discoloration of clothing. Grass stains attach quickly to the fibers in clothing, making removal of the stain difficult.
- Once a grass stain is detected, it is important to act quickly to remove the stain. If grass stains are left untreated they become virtually impossible to remove because the stain matter becomes more firmly entrenched in the fibers of the clothing. Ideally, clothing with grass stains should immediately be treated.
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There are many ways to remove a grass stain successfully. More set-in grass stains might take repeated treatments or a combination of several treatments to completely remove the stain.
Using a paste made from crushed digestive enzyme tablets (found at health food stores) and water is recommended by many launderers to remove a grass stain. The paste should be the consistency of toothpaste and should be spread over the entire stain. After allowing the paste to sit on the stain for an hour, the clothing can be washed as usual. If the grass stain is not completely removed, further treatments with the paste are recommended.
Rubbing alcohol also helps to remove grass stains. The stain should be sponged with the alcohol and left to sit until it dries. Then the grass stain can be rinsed and treated directly with a liquid laundry detergent and rinsed again.
Other methods used to remove grass stains include treating the stain with a mixture of warm water and white vinegar or ammonia and white vinegar, or treating the stain with equal parts of bleach and hydrogen peroxide on clothing that can tolerate the mixture. -
Non-gel toothpaste can be used to treat grass stains on blue jeans, followed by regular washing. This method is only advised for use on denim.
Grass stains on delicate fabrics like wool or silk or on dry-clean only items should be taken to a dry-cleaning professional for treatment. Most of the at-home treatments for grass stains are too abrasive for these types of fabrics. -
Before using any solution on grass-stained clothing, it is a good idea to apply a small amount of the solution on an unseen area of the clothing. Some of the methods used to treat grass stains can fade or remove color on certain fabrics.
Never put an item of clothing with a grass stain in the dryer. The heat from the dryer will only set the grass stain in permanently, so it is important to completely remove the stain before drying.
Ammonia or alkaline-based cleaners should not be used to treat grass stains, as they tend to cause the stains to set in instead of remove them.
