When you’re a mom with active kids – or if you’re a sporty mom yourself – one of the things you should know is how to get grass stains out of jeans. After all, wearing jeans shouldn’t stop your family from playing around on the lawn and having a fantastic time whenever you’re outside!
However, the challenge begins the moment those dirty jeans find their way to the laundry basket. You should act quickly so the unsightly green spots won’t set in and give your clothes a soiled appearance – even after washing them!
So, if you’re looking for foolproof ways how to get grass stains out of jeans, you’ve come to the right place! Here, we’ll give you a quick rundown of everything you need to know to help you deal with those stubborn stains and make this problem a thing of the past!
Jump to:
- Why Is It Hard to Get Grass Stains Out of Jeans?
- What Do You Need to Get Out Grass Stains From Your Pair of Jeans?
- Steps for Removing Grass Stains From Your Denim Jeans
- Steps for Getting Rid of Grass Stains From White Jeans
- Other Tips to Help Remove Stubborn Grass Stains From Jeans
- Removing Grass Stains From Jeans Doesn’t Need To Be Frustrating
Why Is It Hard to Get Grass Stains Out of Jeans?
If you love exploring the outdoors, you might be familiar with just how bad lawn stains can be. But why are they so hard to remove, even on thick cotton fabrics like denim?
The culprit is the complex chemicals in the grass for their staying power on clothes. Grass has abundant chlorophyll, a naturally occurring pigment that gives grass its gorgeous green color. When you’re outside, you might end up stomping on and crushing grass, allowing it to release its chlorophyll content. This is especially true if you make a freshly mowed lawn your playground for the day!
Once chlorophyll finds its way to your clothes, it will stick to the fibers of your jeans, making it harder to remove the longer it sets within the threads.
Additionally, most of the time, these stains won’t be 100% made of grass. They may also be comprised of other debris like plant materials, soil, and dirt that can combine to form a mega stain that make efforts to remove it a challenge.
The good news is that grass stains don’t have to be permanent on your jeans, even on white ones! The keys to a successful stain removal process include acting fast and using the right tools and processes.
What Do You Need to Get Out Grass Stains From Your Pair of Jeans?
Thankfully, the best cleaning tools to deal with stubborn grass stains are inexpensive and might already be in your pantry. Here are the things you need to get the job done.
Grass Stain Removal From Your Denim Jeans
You will need:
- Vinegar
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Baking Soda
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Regular Detergent
Getting Grass Stains Out Of White Jeans
You will need:
- White Vinegar
- Bleach
These household remedies are perfect for getting the stains out of jeans without harming the fabric.
Steps for Removing Grass Stains From Your Denim Jeans
Vinegar
Vinegar is one of the most versatile household items you own, as you can use it to create natural homemade cleaning products! It’s also a good item to use when taking stains out of your jeans, as the acidic properties of vinegar can break down the stain with ease.
Follow these steps:
- Soak the jeans in cold water for at least half an hour.
- Mix one part warm water and one part vinegar in a bowl.
- Take the jeans out and lay them on a flat surface.
- Saturate the stained portions of the jeans by pouring the solution directly onto the grass stain or dabbing it with a cloth.
- Let the jeans sit for a few minutes.
- Wash them as usual.
Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol can be a great tool to get rid of grass stains from clothes, as it can break down the organic materials found in them.
Follow these steps:
- Using a clean cloth, gently dab at the stain as much as possible.
- Apply rubbing alcohol on a different cloth and then blot the stain again.
- Using cold water, rinse the jeans to get rid of the alcohol.
- If the stain persists, repeat the process.
- Wash the jeans as you normally would.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is another fantastic household item you can use to deal with tough cleaning tasks – even stains!
Follow these steps:
- Make a paste by mixing equal parts baking soda with water.
- Apply the paste directly on the stained portions of the jeans.
- Use either a cloth or a toothbrush to rub the paste in.
- Leave it for about 30 minutes.
- Rinse with cold water.
- Wash as usual.
Hydrogen Peroxide
When combined with either baking soda or dish soap, hydrogen peroxide can be a great household item for spot-treating stains and using it for laundry. They work together by bubbling and lifting the grass dye off your clothes.
Follow these steps:
- Mix one part of hydrogen peroxide and some baking soda or dish soap with three parts of cool water.
- Apply it to the stain.
- Let it sit for about 30 minutes.
- Gently rub the treated spot to loosen up the stain further.
- Rinse the jeans with cool water.
- Wash them as you normally would.
Bear in mind that since hydrogen peroxide is a kind of bleach, you’ll want to be extra careful when using it to clean your clothes. Consider wearing gloves and working in a well-ventilated area when using this home remedy.
Regular Detergent
When you think of laundry, you also think of using detergent to wash your clothes. Fortunately, it can also be used to pre-treat grass stains before you wash your jeans.
Follow these steps:
- Pour detergent directly on the stain.
- Using a soft toothbrush, scrub in circular motions to loosen and remove the spots without stretching the fabric too much.
- Let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
- Rinse the treated area with cool water.
- Wash as usual.
You may need to redo the process if you can still spot some traces of the stain.
Steps for Getting Rid of Grass Stains From White Jeans
Grass stains are even more of an eyesore on white jeans! Here are some ways to deal with them effectively.
White Vinegar
Follow these steps:
- Fill a tub or bucket with one part cool water and one part white vinegar.
- Soak the soiled jeans for about 30 minutes.
- Follow the instructions on washing the garment.
Bleach
Bleach can be a great tool to remove stains from white denim, though it might be a bit harsher on the fabric than the other items listed above. Bleach converts the stain into soluble particles that regular detergents can remove when added to the washing machine.
However, be sure to always check the care instructions of your white pants before using bleach to clean them. Just because it’s white doesn’t mean any type of bleach is automatically safe to use on it!
Instead of using it as a spot treatment, you need to:
- Add ½ cup bleach and laundry detergent to cool water in the washing machine.
- Wash the jeans as usual.
Other Tips to Help Remove Stubborn Grass Stains From Jeans
Some other helpful tricks you can use to make your cleaning process more efficient include:
- Never mix the jeans you’ve pre-treated with other laundry. This is especially true when you’ve used bleach!
- Don’t mix clothes with grass stains with other dirty laundry. You wouldn’t want the other clothes to get accidentally stained as well.
If after treating them with the above items, you still see some leftover stains, try hanging your washed jeans out in the sun. Sunlight can help brighten your denim, while its UV light has some bleaching effect that may also remove the stains.
FAQs
Unfortunately, if you use hot water, it may cause the stain to harden and set in deeper into your jeans – making removing it even harder! That’s why cold water is better to use when dealing with grass stains.
For this type of clothing, it’s better to take them straight to the dry cleaners or arrange for the soiled clothes to be picked up from your house.
Total avoidance is the only foolproof way to prevent dealing with the problem in the first place. Don’t play garden games, for example, or stroll down a freshly mowed lawn.
However, that doesn’t sound fun, especially for the little ones! It’s better to know how to get grass stains out of jeans than deprive your family of some fun spent outside.
Removing Grass Stains From Jeans Doesn’t Need To Be Frustrating
Stop stressing out about annoying grass stains on your clothes. Knowing the tips and tricks of how to get grass stains out of jeans will allow you to deal with this challenge properly. So next time you or your kids encounter this problem, you know exactly what to do to solve it!