First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Soak up or brush off the excess with a kitchen towel.
- Rinse under cool water as soon as you can.
- Skip the soap. It sets beet stains.
- Keep the item out of the dryer until the stain is gone.
Beet juice leaves a strong red-purple stain, and it's one of the stains that soap can make worse. Fresh beet on clothes usually comes out with patience and the right first moves, but once it dries the job gets longer. Set-in beet often needs several rounds of treatment before the fabric is clear.
For a beet stain on a white shirt, reach for an enzyme laundry pretreater before the wash. On colors and denim, test any remover on a hidden seam first, because some dyes can fade. If beet juice on your clothes still shows after washing, work a little more pretreater into the spot and wash again.
9 items
What you'll need
Tap an item to get it on Amazon, or tick what you already have.
- Clean kitchen towelTo blot the excess and press from the back of the fabric.
- Liquid heavy-duty laundry detergentFor the pretreat and the wash. (opens Amazon)
- Oxygen bleach powderFor the warm soak and the wash. (opens Amazon)
- Cool and warm waterCool for the rinse, warm for the soaks.
- White vinegarFor the set-in soak on stubborn stains.
- Liquid hand dishwashing detergent
- 70% isopropyl alcohol or 90% denatured alcoholFor the set-in sponge, after a test on the fabric. (opens Amazon)
- DropperOnly for white cotton that needs a last spot treatment. (opens Amazon)
- Chlorine bleach (opens Amazon)
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
5 steps
How to get beet out of clothes
Step 1 of 5
Blot and rinse with cool water
Soak up or brush off the excess with a kitchen towel, pressing from the back so you don't push the stain deeper into the fibers. Rinse the stain under cool water as soon as you can, because a fresh stain lifts more easily than an old one.
Tip. Hold the fabric under the tap so the water runs out the back.
Step 2 of 55 minutes
Pretreat with liquid detergent
Pour liquid detergent directly onto the stain and work it in gently with your fingers. Let it sit for 5 minutes before you move on, so the detergent has time to loosen the color.
Tip. Work from the edges of the stain toward the center.
Step 3 of 515-30 minutes
Soak in warm oxygen bleach
Mix 1 tablespoon oxygen bleach into 1 quart of warm water. Soak the stained area or the whole garment for 15 to 30 minutes, keeping it fully covered.
Tip. Use the longer end of the range if the stain still looks strong when you check.
Careful. Oxygen bleach can change colored fabric, so test a hidden seam first.
Step 4 of 5
Launder with heavy-duty detergent
Wash the item with heavy-duty laundry detergent at the hottest temperature the care label allows. The stain should be lighter or gone when the cycle ends.
Careful. Hot water can set protein stains, so on wool and silk use only the temperature the label permits.
Step 5 of 5
Check in good light before drying
Hold the item up to a window or a bright lamp and look for any red or purple. If you see any, repeat the soak and the wash before the item goes anywhere near the dryer.
Tip. Check both the front and the back of the spot.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for beet
Look for a plain liquid laundry detergent with heavy-duty cleaning power, and an oxygen bleach powder.
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 this fabric, 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 →If the stain was already dried or set, the method changes.
Old, dried or set-in stains →When to call a professional →Pick what it is on
Beet on every material
No match. Try the main search for anything else.
How to tell it's working
A stain that is lighter after the soak is on its way out, so keep going through the steps. If it still looks red or purple after the wash, repeat the soak before the item goes near a dryer or iron.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your fabric
Whites and white shirts
White cotton can take the full set of steps and the set-in treatments as well. If a faint shadow is left after the wash, you can finish with a chlorine spot treatment, but only after the vinegar and alcohol are fully rinsed out.
Mix 1 teaspoon bleach into 1 tablespoon water and apply it with a dropper for no more than 2 minutes, then flush the spot with water. Never use undiluted bleach, since it can weaken the fabric until it tears. Do this last, after the wash and a full rinse, and never on wool, silk or spandex.
Colors and denim
Colored clothes and denim can take the same steps, but check the label before you use the hottest setting, since colors can fade. Denim is sturdy enough for the full routine, and baby clothes follow the same order.
Keep chlorine bleach off colored items that are not colorfast. Keep the item out of the dryer until the spot is gone, because heat can set the color that's left behind.
Silk, wool and delicates
For silk, wool and other protein fibers, leave out the oxygen soak and use a plain liquid detergent without enzymes. Keep the water cool to warm, and skip any heat, including the dryer and iron.
Don't rub or brush the stain, since rubbing damages silk and agitation makes wool felt and shrink. Leave out the dish soap and the alcohol sponge on silk, because both can damage it. If the stain doesn't lift after a cool rinse and a pretreat, take the item to a professional.
Dry-clean-only items
Don't put dry-clean-only items through the soaks, the bleach or the washing machine, since the water and bleach can change the fabric. The steps here are for washable clothes only.
Blot the excess gently and get the item to a dry cleaner as soon as you can. Tell them it's a beet stain so they can choose a solvent-based treatment.
Pickled beet juice
Pickled beet juice and red beet juice follow the same steps as fresh beet, starting with the cool rinse and the 5-minute detergent pretreat. Don't let the liquid dry on the fabric while you gather supplies, because a dried stain needs the set-in route.
Check the fabric on a hidden seam before using any bleach, and work through the steps in order.
Old, dried or set-in stains
Old beet stains need more than the basic steps, so start the set-in treatment as soon as you see the stain is still there after the wash. Soak the stained area for 15 minutes in 1 quart of warm water with 1 tablespoon white vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon liquid hand dishwashing detergent, then rinse well.
For a dried stain, sponge the spot with 70% isopropyl alcohol or 90% denatured alcohol, with no added color or fragrance, after testing a hidden spot first. Then repeat the oxygen soak for the full 30 minutes, and wash with heavy-duty detergent and oxygen bleach, repeating the process if any stain remains before drying.
If the stain has already been through the dryer, the heat has set it, and it may not come out completely, so don't reach for more heat. Realistically, a dried and set stain may fade to a faint shadow rather than vanish, and a second round of the same steps is worth trying before you give up. If it's still there after two full rounds, take the item to a professional.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on beet?
Several home remedies get suggested for beet stains, but cool water and liquid detergent do most of the work. Here is how each one fits, so you know which to use and which to leave out.
Works1Skip5
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't use bar soap on a beet stain
Soap sets beet stains, along with fruit and red-vegetable stains, so it makes the problem worse. Rinse with cool water and use liquid detergent for the pretreat instead.
Don't dry or iron the item too soon
Heat from the dryer or an iron sets the stain, and on some fabrics it becomes impossible to remove. Check the item in good light after the wash, and only dry it once no red or purple shows.
Don't use chlorine bleach on wool, silk or spandex
Chlorine bleach damages these fibers, and oxygen bleach is also off limits for wool and silk. Stick to cool or warm water and the detergent pretreat for protein fibers.
Don't mix chlorine bleach with vinegar or alcohol
Chlorine bleach must never be mixed with ammonia, vinegar or alcohol. If you need more than one remover, rinse the item thoroughly between them.
Troubleshooting
If the stain is still there
Pick what you're seeing:
A pink ring stays after the oxygen bleach soak
Move on to the vinegar soak and alcohol sponge, rinse thoroughly, then repeat the 30-minute oxygen bleach soak.
The stain spread while rinsing
Blot the outer edge with a kitchen towel and keep rinsing from the back of the fabric. Use less water pressure.
The stain is still there after washing
Don't dry it. Repeat the bleach soak and wash again, checking before each drying cycle.
When to call a professional
If the item is silk, wool, velvet or a heirloom textile, or if the stain is still visible after the set-in steps, take it to a professional. Tell the cleaner it's a beet stain and what the fabric is, so they can choose a safe solvent.
Questions
Does beet juice or beetroot stain?
Yes. Beet juice and beetroot both leave a strong red-purple stain on fabric, so you can treat them the same way. The sooner you rinse with cool water, the better your chances of a clean result.
Does beet stain clothes?
Yes, beets are a strong stain on clothes. Fresh stains respond best, so rinse under cool water right away, pretreat with liquid detergent and then wash.
Should I use soap on a beet stain?
No. Soap sets beet stains, so use liquid detergent instead. Rinse with cool water first, then pretreat with the detergent for 5 minutes.
Can I put a beet-stained shirt in the dryer?
Not until the stain is gone. Heat from the dryer sets the stain and can make it impossible to remove. Check the item in good light after the wash, and only dry it when you can't see any red or purple.
Can I use bleach on beet stains on white clothes?
Yes, on white cotton, but only as a last step. Rinse out any detergent or oxygen bleach first, then use diluted chlorine bleach. Never use chlorine bleach on wool, silk or spandex.
How do I remove dried beet stains?
Use the set-in treatment: a vinegar soak, an alcohol sponge and a longer oxygen bleach soak, then a full wash. Old stains often take more than one round, and some may not come out completely.
Is pickled beet juice treated any differently?
No. Pickled beet juice follows the same steps as fresh beet juice, starting with a cool rinse and the 5-minute detergent pretreat. Check the item before drying, the same as with any beet stain.
Related
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.