How to Get Butter Out of Clothes for Good: 3 Quick Methods

Do you want to take get the butter stain out of your clothes?

Butter is a delicious thing that makes your food tasty, but the butter stain on your shirt may look unappealing. This is oily in nature, so removing these stains from clothes or upholstery is not easy.

Luckily, you can get them out using homemade or store-bought butter stain removal products. While cleaning the stains, don’t rub them because rubbing will get the stain deep into the fibers of the clothes, and the stain will become larger.

In this article, we will study 3 quick methods to get the butter out of clothes.

Examination of a Butter Stain

Getting butter out of clothes can be challenging due to its oily and greasy nature. Most of the greasy stains cannot be removed by standard detergents. This is why removing butter stains from cotton, polyester, linen, and denim can be tricky.

If you remove them as soon as they happen, their cleaning will be easy. But if the grease has hardened on the clothes, it will require much effort to get them out. Most of the time, the fresh butter stains are not easily visible. When these stains are dried, then they can be easily noticed.

Before You Start

The quicker you start working on a butter stain removal project, the easier it will be to get rid of the stain. If butter spills fall onto your clothes, you should blot the stain as much as possible. Always use a clean white cloth or tissue paper to blot the stain.

It will absorb the excess oil. Before blotting, remove the solids of butter from clothes using a knife or any scraper as much as possible. Don’t try to rub the stain but focus on removing the solids and blotting.

If the stains have been set and have become stubborn, blotting will not work, and you will need to use a specific technique to get them out. After removing the stains, wash the fabric with your normal clothes in a washing machine.

Tools and Materials Required

Cornstarch
Talcum powder
Small toothbrush
Knife
Baking soda
Vinegar
Dishwashing soap
WD-40
Paper towels

How to Get Out Butter Stains?

1. Cornstarch or Talcum Powder

Sprinkle a generous amount of talcum powder and cornstarch on the stain. Make sure the spot is completely covered. The powder will absorb all the excess oil from the cloth.
Gently pat down the cornstarch and talcum powder but don’t rub the area.
Now, leave the mixture of powder for half hour to let it work on the grease. The longer the powder stays on the stain, the better the butter will come out of the clothes.
Grab a small toothbrush and remove the powder from the stained area thoroughly. Now, examine the stain; if there are still butter residues left, repeat the steps.

2. Baking Soda and Vinegar

Baking soda is very effective in absorbing the oil and grease from fabric.

If the stain has some solid butter, scrape it with a knife or spoon.
Pour baking soda on the stained area as much as possible so that a thick layer covers the stain. Cover the spot completely.
It would be better to leave the baking soda on the stain for 24 hours or overnight. The longer you leave it on the stain, the better it will be absorbed by baking soda.
If you can’t wait too long, you can leave it there for half an hour.
Fill a spray with one part of vinegar and one part of water. Shake it well and apply it to the baking soda layer. You will notice that the baking soda has started to foam.
When the process of foaming starts, it means that the baking soda has started to go deep down into the cloth’s fibers.
Now, scrub the stain with a toothbrush, soap, and water. Pour a small amount of water and a drop of dishwashing soap on the stain and gently rub it with the toothbrush.
Scrub the area for a few minutes so the stain can be removed completely. Move the brush in a circular motion.
Now rinse the cloth with clean water.
If the problem still exists, repeat the same steps.

3. WD-40

WD-40 works effectively to remove stubborn butter stains. But on some types of clothes, they leave a stain and also leave a specific smell on fibers. Before using it, It’s highly recommended to read the manufacturer’s directions thoroughly.

First, test this cleaner on a small unnoticeable corner of your clothes.
Leave the cleaner on the corner for 30 minutes.
If it is fine, start your procedure.
This product is available in a spray bottle; always apply it on the stained area with minimum distance. Properly hold the spray area close to the stained region of the cloth. This way, the other parts of your clothes will be protected from the spray.
Leave the cleaner on the cloth for around 5 minutes and place it aside. WD-40 is a greasy product, so it works well on all stubborn oily stains. It effectively loosens the tough particles of grease, which can be removed easily.
Now, take paper towels and blot the spot with them. When one towel is filled with grease, throw it and take another. Carry on this practice until the towels have absorbed all the grease.
Don’t try to make the stain larger by rubbing it.
Wash the affected cloth in a washing machine with your other clothes as usual. However, use hot water to wash it. The hottest the water is, the better the residues of stain will be removed.
Before drying the cloth in the drying machine, ensure the stain has been taken out completely because if there are residues left behind on the cloth, the drying process will make the stain stubborn.

Laundering Tips to Remove Butter Stains out of Clothing

Always use hot water to remove oily stains from clothes because the grease easily breaks down in hot water.
After taking out clothes from the washing machine, examine the stained area carefully; if the butter is still there, never put it into the dryer because the dryer will make the stain stubborn.
It would be better to air dry the cloth affected by butter stain to notice the residues of butter because they are difficult to notice when the cloth is wet.

Tips to Remove Butter Stains from Fabric

Different types of fabrics react differently to different stain removal cleaners. So, you must use a butter stain removal method according to the type of cloth. For example, fabrics like cotton easily absorb moisture or oil due to the natural fibers.

However, polyester does not absorb water easily because of synthetic fibers. This shows that if we use water-based cleaners to clean stains from cotton, these stains will be removed quickly.

Jeans

You can use dishwashing soap to clean butter stains from jeans. The fibers of jeans are made of denim which is manufactured from cotton. The soap will open up the fibers, and the grease will be removed from the cloth effectively with running water.

Jeans can also be cleaned effectively using hairspray. Use it on the stained area and let it sit for 30 minutes. Now rinse with clean water. This is a traditional method to remove the butter out of jeans.

Cotton

The fabrics made of cotton can be cleaned easily with any of the butter cleaning methods. So, applying a technique with minimum harsh chemicals or using any homemade safe cleaner for these fibers is better.

Even a standard detergent can get butter stain out of the fiber. Scrub the stain thoroughly with detergent and hot water and wash it with clean water. Hot water cleans the greasy stains effectively, so always use hot water during the washing process.

It is easy to remove oily stains from cotton, but you should take care of a few things, like taking out the butter stains immediately as they happen, and don’t put the cloth in the dryer until the residues of butter have been removed thoroughly.

Polyester

Taking out the butter stains from polyester is difficult but not impossible. Some methods can remove these stains from this stuff. Repeatedly applying dishwashing soap will fix the issue.

Table salt also works effectively on it. Put a thick layer of salt over the affected area and let it sit for 30 minutes. Use a toothbrush to scrub the stain, remove the salt from the cloth and wash the cloth with other clothes as normal.

FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions

How to Remove Melted Butter from Clothes?

Blot the stained area repeatedly.
Now, sprinkle baking soda, cornstarch, or talcum powder on the area.
The mixture of these powders will absorb all the oil and grease. Leave it on the stained area for 15 minutes.
Use a toothbrush to scrub the area.
Remove the powder from the cloth and examine the area carefully.
Repeat if required.

Is it Easy to Take Out Butter from Clothes?

Butter can be removed from clothes easily. If you blot the stain, it will remove some of the butter from the clothes. The rest will be absorbed by baking soda or any other powder.

If the stain is dried, use WD-40 to remove it. However, it has harsh chemicals, so first, test it on a small corner of the cloth that is not visible. You can use it if it is safe.

Is Baking Soda Harmful to Clothes?

Baking soda doesn’t discolor clothes, and it’s safe to use. However, it’s good to test it on any corner of the cloth to check if it is not harmful; apply it.

How Does Baking Soda Work in Removing Stains from Clothes?

When the baking soda is mixed with water or vinegar to make a paste, applying this paste to the stained area of the clothes will effectively draw the dirt or grease out and leave the cloth spotless. The longer you leave this paste, the better it will work.

Which Solvent is the Best for Removing Butter Stains from Clothes?

The best solvent for removing butter stains from cloth is chloroform. It dissolves butter stains well.

Final Thoughts

As butter is a greasy food item, if your clothes ever experience a butter stain, removing it becomes a bit difficult. Luckily, many products are available in our homes that can remove these stains when wet. It is good to use homemade materials because they will not discolor your clothes.

However, if you want to remove a stubborn stain from your clothes, use WD-40 or a store-bought cleaner especially made for butter stains. It would be better to read all the manufacturer’s instructions before using it.