During Halloween, chocolate monsters and ghosts fill children's goodie bags. On Valentine's Day, boxes of chocolates are passed around as gifts, and come Easter, chocolate bunnies and eggs are consumed by the ton. There are lots of opportunities for chocolate to come into contact with your favorite outfits. Luckily chocolate stains, even set-in chocolate stains, are fairly easy to get rid of, if you know what to do.
Things You'll Need
Butter knife
Toothbrush or washcloth
Bottle of hydrogen peroxide or mild detergent
Washer
Step 1
Use the butter knife to scrape away any dried particles of chocolate from the stained area. Be careful not to press the chocolate further into the stain, but just lightly scrape away as much as you can (if the stain is heavily caked on).
Video of the Day
Step 2
Turn the garment inside out. This will aid you in not washing the stain further into the shirt. Place the garment in the sink.
Step 3
Place a small amount of hydrogen peroxide or mild detergent over the stained portion of the garment. Allow the cleaner to set on the stain for at least two hours (but up to 12 hours) to chemically break down the stain.
Step 4
Start a trickle of warm water running from the faucet. With the shirt still turned inside out, scrub the stain with the toothbrush or washcloth. Scrub thoroughly and vigorously, but not so hard as to damage the garment. The chocolate stain should begin to fade.
Step 5
Thoroughly rinse the detergent from the garment. The chocolate stain should have faded considerably, if not disappeared. Turn the garment back right-side out and wash the it with your other clothes at the recommended cycle and temperature. The stain should be completely or almost completely removed.
Tip
Hydrogen peroxide may stain certain garments. Always test a drop on a section of the fabric first before using. If it does stain, it can be removed by rubbing the stain with a cloth and warm water. Place powdered pepsin on the stain and let it set for 30 minutes. Rub off the pepsin and wash the garment as you would normally.