How to Clean Red Food Coloring

Red food coloring adds pizazz to foods and crafts--and causes stains.

Red food coloring is a key ingredient of decorative foods and crafts. It's what make some foods "work," such as red devil's food cake, spiced and candied fruits, Easter eggs, dyed coconut and frosting for cakes and cupcakes. Some red food coloring comes in a squeeze bottle with a stopper in the neck that reduces the chance of spills. Dropping a bottle of red food coloring could leave a big, red mess. The University of Illinois Extension recommends scraping off as much red food coloring as possible and immediately treating the stain for the most effective results.

Things You'll Need

• Powdered oxygen cleaner
• Liquid Castile soap
• Borax (optional)
• Clean rag
• Butter knife
• White vinegar
• Towel
• Club soda

Instructions

Washable Fabrics

1. Test the oxygen cleaner on an inconspicuous area of the fabric, such as on the back of a hem or inside a seam, before treating the stain.

2. Mix 1 tbsp. oxygen cleaner with enough cold water to make a paste.

3. Apply the paste to the stain. Leave the paste on the stain for at least 1/2 hour.

4. Wash the fabric by hand with cold water and Castile soap. If the stain doesn't come out completely, apply oxygen paste again.

Washable Hard Surfaces

1. Blot up as much of the food coloring as possible with a rag. Don't scrub or use pressure.

2. Test borax or oxygen cleaner on an inconspicuous area of the surface.

3. Sprinkle enough borax or oxygen cleaner on the stain to cover it completely. Pour water over the cleaner to moisten it.

4. Leave the cleaner on the stain for at least 20 minutes.

5. Scrub the stain with a clean rag. Repeat, if needed.

Carpet

1. Blot up the food coloring with a clean rag or paper towels. Michigan State University Extension advises blotting a carpet stain from the outside of the stain toward the middle of it. Allow the rag to wick up the red food coloring. Don't scrub or apply pressure as that will drive the stain deeper into the carpet fibers.

2. Scrape the stain gently with a butter knife to help remove more red coloring. Blot the area again with a clean area of the rag.

3. Keep blotting gently with clean parts of the rag until you've removed as much of the red food coloring as possible.

4. Mix 1 tsp. Castile soap, 2 tsp. white vinegar and 1/2 cup of water. Apply the mixture sparingly with a clean rag.

5. Leave the mixture on the carpet for 15 minutes with a towel over it to wick up the stain.

6. Gently blot away more red food coloring. Repeat as needed.

7. Mix 1 tbsp. white vinegar with 1/4 cup water and apply to the food coloring to help remove a stubborn stain. Cover with a clean area of the towel. Repeat, if necessary.

8. Clean the treated area of the carpet with club soda or plain water on a rag to remove cleaning residue. Avoid saturating the carpet.

9. Blot the carpet dry with a towel.

Tips & Warnings

• Dip a wet toothbrush in the borax or oxygen cleaner to clean red food coloring off of tile grout or out of a crevice in a kitchen counter or table.

• Set-in stains, large stains, and stains involving a large quantity of red food coloring may require several applications of oxygen cleaner. Soaking the fabric in cold water with oxygen cleaner and castile soap helps remove stubborn stains. Use 1/2 cup oxygen cleaner and 1/4 cup Castile soap per gallon of water.

• Soak large items, such as comforters, in the bathtub.

• Find oxygen cleaner at grocery and variety stores shelved with laundry supplies.

• If you don't have Castile soap, use liquid dish soap--preferably a clear soap without dyes or bleaching agents.

• For a light colored carpet, a paste of borax or oxygen cleaner with water helps remove the last traces of red food coloring. Always test the products in an inconspicuous area of the carpet first and allow the cleaner to dry to test for color loss.

• Don't use Borax or oxygen cleaner on dark rugs.

• Heat sets stains. Always use cold water and refrain from using a drier on stained fabrics until you've removed the stain. Once you expose a fabric stain to heat, it may be impossible to remove.

References

• University of Illinois Extension: Stain Solutions: Food Coloring, Red
• Michigan State University Extension: Homemade Cleaners

Resources

• Wolfe Flooring: Home Remedy to Get Out Food Coloring Stain