Prep first
Before you start
- Shake the garment outside before anything touches water.
- Tape off the dust that's left, and don't rub it.
- Keep it out of the dryer until the stain is gone.
- Read the care label and test a hidden seam first.
Algae and pollen stains on clothes look harmless until they dry into a colored mark, and fresh marks come out far more easily than old ones. If the label says dry-clean only, take the item to a cleaner promptly rather than trying it at home. Old marks from tea, coffee or fruit juice may need a bleach that's safe for the fabric, and repeat treatment may be needed.
Getting lily pollen out of clothes starts with an enzyme laundry pretreater, left to sit before the wash. Check that pollen stains on fabric are gone before the item goes in the dryer, since heat can set what's left. On white cotton, test a hidden seam before you reach for anything stronger.
Before you start
What clothes can take
Safe to use3
- Water
- Soaking
- Enzyme cleaners
Use with care6
- Hot water
- Chlorine bleach
- Oxygen bleach
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
- Acids (vinegar, lemon)
- Scrubbing and abrasives
Avoid1
- Heat, once the stain is out
8 items
What you'll need
Tap an item to get it on Amazon, or tick what you already have.
- Clear sticky tapeLifts the loose pollen without pushing it into the fabric.
- Cold waterThe first soak, safe for a stain you haven't identified.
- Liquid laundry detergentWorks into the stain and is used for the wash. (opens Amazon)
- Enzyme laundry presoakFor a stain that lingers after the first wash. (opens Amazon)
- Pretreatment spray or dry-cleaning solventSpot treatment applied from the wrong side of the fabric. (opens Amazon)
- All-fabric (oxygen) bleachA gentler bleach for colorfast items, used after a colorfastness test. (opens Amazon)
- Clean white cloth or paper towelFor blotting, since colored cloths can bleed dye. (opens Amazon)
- Chlorine bleach (opens Amazon)
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7 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 7
Shake and tape off the pollen
Take the garment outside and shake it firmly so the loose dust falls away. Press clear sticky tape gently onto what's left, then lift it off in one motion. Work from the edge of the stain toward the middle.
Careful. Rubbing pollen in pushes it deeper into the weave, so shake and tape it off first.
Step 2 of 7
Check the label and test a hidden seam
Read the care label first. If it says dry-clean only, take the garment to a dry cleaner promptly instead of treating it at home. For anything else, try the product you plan to use on a hidden seam or hem before going near the stain.
Careful. A product that changes color on a hidden seam is not safe for that garment.
Step 3 of 730 minutes
Soak the stain in cold water
Put the item in cold water and let it soak for about 30 minutes. Cold water keeps an unidentified stain from setting, so stay with cold until you know what you're dealing with.
Careful. Don't use hot water on a stain of unknown origin, since it can set protein stains.
Step 4 of 730 minutes
Work in detergent, then wash
Work a little liquid laundry detergent into the stain with your fingers, leave it about 30 minutes, then rinse. Wash the item in liquid detergent at the water temperature the label allows, then let it air-dry and check the spot.
Careful. Heat sets stains, so keep the garment out of the dryer and away from the iron until the stain is gone.
Step 5 of 7
Overnight enzyme presoak if it lingers
If the stain is still there after drying, soak the item overnight in an enzyme laundry presoak. Wash it again afterward, air-dry it, and check the spot once more.
Step 6 of 7
Pretreat with spray or solvent
If it still persists, dab a pretreatment spray or dry-cleaning solvent onto the spot from the wrong side of the fabric. Then use an all-fabric (oxygen) bleach that has passed a colorfastness test, following its label.
Step 7 of 7
Chlorine bleach only as a last resort
The label has to allow it, and the item has to be colorfast to chlorine. If both are true, you can try a dilute chlorine bleach solution mixed per the package directions.
Wait until everything else has been rinsed out before you use it. On wool, silk, mohair, leather or spandex, skip it entirely.
Careful. Never mix chlorine bleach with ammonia, vinegar or other cleaners, and never use it at full strength.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for algae on clothes
Look for a pretreatment spray or dry-cleaning solvent for spot use, plus an all-fabric (oxygen) bleach and an enzyme laundry presoak.
Shout Triple-Acting Laundry Stain Remover
Clorox 2 Laundry Stain Remover and Color Booster Powder, 49.2 Ounces
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on clothes, and its directions fit the steps above.
Finished the steps? How does it look?
Nice work. Let it dry completely and check it again in good light before using any heat. Here is what done looks like:
How to tell it's really gone →A faint mark usually needs one more round, not a stronger product.
See what to do for what you're seeing →Heavy buildup usually takes more than one round.
Heavy or long-standing buildup →When to call a professional →How to tell it's working
The stain is gone when the spot looks the same as the fabric around it, with no dull or darker patch. Check it only after the garment has air-dried, because a damp spot can hide a mark. If it still shows, repeat the last treatment you used rather than moving on.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your clothes
Lily pollen
Lily pollen is the most searched form of this stain, and fresh marks come out much more easily than old ones, so move quickly. Start with the same shake-and-tape step, then go straight to the cold soak. Keep the garment away from the dryer, since heat is what sets these marks.
The steps don't change for lily pollen, so work through them in order and stop at the first one that clears the mark. If the spot still looks different after air-drying, repeat the soak before moving on.
Pollen on fabric
Most fabric responds to the cold soak and liquid detergent first, so start there. Check the fiber on the care label before reaching for anything stronger, because the fiber decides which later steps are safe.
If the garment is wool, silk, mohair, leather or spandex, skip chlorine bleach entirely and stay with cold water and detergent. For a couch or carpet, the Chairs & Upholstery guide or the Carpet & Rugs guide covers the right method.
Tiger lily, stargazer, and colored lily pollen
Tiger, stargazer and other colored lily pollen follow the same steps. Test each product on a hidden seam first, and if the color changes, stop there.
Oxygen bleach is only for colorfast items, so check the label and the test spot before using it on colored lily stains. If the garment is a bright or fluorescent color, keep any gel pretreatment on for only a few minutes.
Orange and yellow pollen
Orange and yellow pollen follow the same order as the steps above. The oxygen bleach step is only for colorfast fabric, so do the hidden-seam test before you reach for it.
Don't leave a liquid or aerosol pretreatment on longer than the label says, because unstable dyes can change color or fade. Once the spot is gone, rinse the item fully and air-dry it before deciding the job is finished.
Flower, sunflower, orchid, bee, and plant pollen
Sunflower, orchid, bee and other plant pollen follow the same steps: shake and tape it off, then use the cold soak and detergent. Don't rub any of it into the fabric, since rubbing pushes the dust deeper into the weave.
Garden clothes often carry dirt along with pollen, so give the garment a thorough shake outside and check the label before washing. If the stain lingers, the enzyme presoak is the next step, as it is for any other pollen.
Pollen on white clothes
On white clothes you can run the whole sequence, chlorine step last, as long as the label allows it. Test the bleach on a hidden seam first. If the color shifts or the fabric gets damaged, skip it.
Never use chlorine on wool, silk, mohair, leather or spandex, white or not. Keep the bleach dilute, and bring it in only once you've rinsed out everything from the earlier steps.
Pollen on cotton
Cotton can take the hottest wash temperature the care label recommends, but only after the stain has had its cold soak. Use liquid detergent for the work-in step, and never vinegar, since it may weaken cotton and change its color.
The cold soak, detergent and overnight enzyme presoak all suit cotton, so the steps stay the same. If the stain is still there, the oxygen bleach is safe on cotton only when it has passed a colorfastness test.
Heavy or long-standing buildup
Don't expect an old, dried-in mark to behave like a fresh one. It's a lot tougher. Begin again with a cold soak, work through the whole routine once more, and if the mark hangs on, do the enzyme presoak overnight a second time.
If it's dried hard, get the crusty bits off first by brushing or scraping, while the fabric is still dry. After that, soak it in cold water with liquid detergent or an enzyme presoak.
Need to? Do it again.
Don't toss the garment in the dryer, and don't press it with an iron to see if the mark is gone. Heat sets the stain, and then it may never come out.
Still there after several rounds? Some stains just won't lift at home. Bring the garment to a dry cleaner.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on algae on clothes?
Most of the home remedies you'll find online are for other stains, so only one of the eight fits this stain's steps. The others each come with the reason they fall short on clothes.
Works1Skip5
Chemical safety
Never mix these
Some products in this guide react dangerously with each other. Use them one at a time and rinse with water in between.
Chlorine bleach + Oxygen bleach (OxiClean)
Both makers advise against combining them: OxiClean says not to mix it with chlorine bleach, and Clorox says the two bleaches cancel each other out.
If they mix by accident: Don't use the mixture; ventilate the room and avoid breathing fumes or touching it; call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for disposal advice or if anyone feels unwell.
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't rub bar soap on the stain
Bar soap sets many stains, so it can make a fresh pollen mark harder to lift. Work a little liquid laundry detergent into the spot with your fingers instead.
Don't blot with colored cloths or sponges
Blot any wet residue with a clean white cloth or paper towel, since colored cloths and sponges can bleed dye onto the garment. Keep white cloths on hand for the whole job.
Don't leave pretreatments on too long
Liquid and aerosol pretreatments should come off by the time the label says, and gels on bright or fluorescent items should be rinsed after a few minutes. Unstable dyes can change color or fade if you leave them on.
Troubleshooting
If the stain is still there
Pick what you're seeing:
The mark looks the same after one wash
Soak overnight in an enzyme laundry presoak and wash again before trying anything stronger.
A test seam changed color
Rinse that product out right away and do not use it on the garment. Move to the next gentler option or see a dry cleaner.
An orange-brown ring appears around the mark
Suspect rust. Use a rust remover before any bleach, then wash and air-dry.
Pollen spread when you touched it
Stop touching it and let the area dry. Shake the garment, lift what you can with fresh tape, then start the cold soak.
When to call a professional
Got something that's dry-clean only? Get it to a professional dry cleaner quickly, and let them know what the fiber is and what the stain is.
Washable pieces can go too when the stain is spread over a big area, the item is bulky, or the fabric is delicate. For suede, leather and fur trim, find a cleaner that specializes in those materials.
Questions
Does pollen stain clothes?
Yes, it can, especially if it's rubbed in or dried with heat, since heat sets stains. Fresh pollen is much easier to lift than pollen that has been left to set, so act quickly.
Can pollen come out after it's been washed?
Yes, as long as the garment hasn't been through the dryer, because heat is what sets the stain. Soak it overnight in an enzyme laundry presoak, then wash it again and air-dry it before checking.
How do I get dried pollen out of clothes?
Brush or scrape off the crusted pollen first, then soak in cold water with liquid detergent or an enzyme presoak. Repeat the treatment if needed, and keep the garment away from the dryer until the stain is gone.
What stain remover works on pollen on clothes?
Use a pretreatment spray or dry-cleaning solvent on the spot from the wrong side, then an all-fabric (oxygen) bleach that passed a colorfastness test. Follow the label on each product, and don't leave any of them on longer than it says.
Is hot water safe for pollen stains?
Not on a stain you haven't identified, since hot water can set protein stains. Start with cold water, and use hot water only if the care label recommends it for the fabric.
Can I use vinegar on pollen?
No, leave it out. Vinegar may weaken cotton, rayon, acetate and triacetate and may change color, so detergent does the job instead.
What about wool or silk?
Skip chlorine bleach entirely on wool, silk, mohair, leather and spandex. Work with cold water and liquid detergent, and take the garment to a dry cleaner if the stain doesn't lift.
Algae on other materials
Other stains on clothes
Start from the bigger picture
How we know this
Every method, amount and warning here comes from university extension services, industry bodies and product makers. We read them, check every step for unsafe combinations and changed amounts, and write it up so you can follow it.