How to Get Red Pop Out of a Shirt

One false move results in a red pop-stained shirt.

Red soda pop is a fun beverage alternative to the regular cola. Colorful beverages are popular with children but easily spilled by both kids and adults, alike. A quick dribble of red pop down the front of your shirt can result in a permanent stain if not handled correctly. You can get red pop stains out of your shirt but must use techniques and supplies that are effective on red food dye.

Things You'll Need

• Paper towels
• Bucket
• 1/4 cup oxygen bleach
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• Prewash stain remover
• Laundry detergent

Instructions

1. Lay your shirt on a flat surface with the pop stain facing up. Place two or three paper towels over the red pop stain and press down to absorb the soda. Repeat this step to remove as much of the red soda pop from the shirt as possible.

2. Fill a bucket with 1 gallon of cool water. Add 1/4 cup of oxygen bleach. Soak your shirt in the diluted oxygen bleach solution for 15 minutes to loosen the stain.

3. Remove your shirt from the bleach mixture. Flush the stain with cool water to wash off the bleach solution and remove any loosened red pop stain.

4. 

   A natural stain remover, vinegar helps remove red pop stains.

   Mix 1 gallon of cool water with 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Submerge the shirt in the diluted vinegar solution. Leave it in the solution for 30 minutes.

5. Take your shirt out of the vinegar solution and wring out the moisture. Lay the shirt on a flat surface. Apply prewash stain remover to cover the remaining red soda pop stain. Let the stain remover sit on the fabric for two to three minutes.

6. Wash your shirt with laundry detergent. Make sure the stain has been fully removed before placing your garment in the dryer. Treat any remaining red pop stain by repeating the methods in Steps 2 through 5.

Tips & Warnings

• Cover a fresh red soda pop stain with an absorbent such as talcum powder or baking soda to absorb the liquid.

• Substitute a mixture made from 1 quart cool water, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of dishwashing detergent for the oxygen bleach solution.

• Use chlorine bleach instead of oxygen bleach for white fabric.

References

• Good Housekeeping: Stain Busters -- Soft Drinks/Soda Pop
• Good Housekeeping: Stain Busters -- Food Coloring, Red
• University of Illiniois Extension: Stain Solutions -- Red Dye
• Reader's Digest: 150+ Household Uses for Vinegar
• Ohio State University: Quick n Easy Stain Removal -- Dye Stains