You’ve just prepared a feast for family and friends, with a tablecloth-covered table laden with your finest china, placemats, and even those linen napkins that only see the light of day a couple of times a year. Then, once everyone is full and has said their goodnights, you’re left to deal with the butter-stained fabrics, including your apron, hand towels, table linens, and (gasp) your shirt.
Why are butter stains so bad? Mostly, because they are oil-based and not water-soluble. The same principle that makes salad dressings separate into layers applies here. When you throw a grease-stained fabric into the washing machine, the water will bead up and be unable to touch the stain, much like water on your car after it’s been waxed.
But not to worry; this doesn’t mean butter stains can’t be removed — they can, but you need to act as quickly as possible to keep the stain from setting in. Here’s how to get butter out of clothes or kitchen fabrics — and, as with most common food stains, cleaning should only involve a few pantry ingredients.
Pretreating butter stains is a must
Oil (or butter) and water don’t mix, so avoid applying water to your greasy tablecloths and other fabrics. First, before water ever enters the equation, you need to remove as much of the butter as possible. Use a spoon or knife to scrape as much of it as you can off the fabric, then blot it with a paper towel to pull up more. Don’t rub it, as that might push the stain deeper into the material.
Next, pretreat the stain with something that dissolves grease. Dishwashing liquid and shampoo are specially formulated to break up grease. Apply it with your fingers, a cotton swab, or a soft-bristled brush, such as a toothbrush. This helps get the liquid into the fabric, where it can break down the grease molecules. Let it sit for 15 minutes before washing.
Other pretreaters include enzyme-based stain removers, such as Shout, OxiClean, or Tide To Go. Or turn to the pantry staple that’s as handy at making ovens squeaky clean and tackling air fryer messes as it is at baking cookies: baking soda. Because baking soda is alkaline, it can neutralize acids like those found in grease stains, which makes it a good pretreater. Just sprinkle it over the stain and let it sit overnight. Finally, a solution of one part vinegar and two parts water, scrubbed in with a brush, can be used to pretreat stains as well. Rinse it off before washing the fabric, since vinegar can affect the detergent’s strength.
After pretreating butter stains, wash and wait
After you’ve left the fabrics to pretreat for a few hours or overnight, it’s time to wash the fabrics according to their labels’ instructions. It’s a good idea to wash the butter-stained items separately from other clothes so that the grease molecules don’t relocate to unstained items. The hotter the water temperature you’re able to use, the better, as the hot water does a better job of pulling the butter out of the fibers. However, the opposite is true for the dryer; extreme heat can cause any remaining butter stain to set, so consider air drying or a cool setting.
If the stain remains after you’ve washed and dried the item, try rubbing a stain remover or dishwashing liquid into the stain and letting it sit, giving it plenty of time to work before you put the item back in the washer. Then, use a heavy-duty laundry detergent.
