First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Scrape off the excess with the dull side of a table knife.
- Rinse under cold running water.
- Never use hot water until the egg is out; it sets the stain.
- Keep it out of the dryer until the stain is gone.
Egg is a protein stain, and the water temperature you pick is what decides whether it lifts out or locks in for good. Fresh egg loosens in cold water, but hot water cooks it into the fibers, and the longer it sits the more soaking it needs. Yolk also carries fat, so it can leave a greasy trace even after the protein is out.
Egg yolk out of clothes often needs a second round, so don't call it done after one wash. Pretreat with a prewash stain remover stick before you wash egg out of clothes, and skip the dryer until it's gone. Silk, wool and dry-clean-only pieces are better off with a pro than a home wash.
5 items
What you'll need
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- Dull table knifeLifts off the excess egg without spreading it.
- Cold running waterRinses away the loose egg before anything else touches it.
- Laundry detergent with enzymesUsed for the cold soak and the warm wash. (opens Amazon)
- Commercial spot remover or prewash stain removerOnly for the greasy mark that yolk can leave behind. (opens Amazon)
- Washing machine or sinkFor the soak and the warm wash.
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7 steps
How to get egg out of clothes
Step 1 of 7
Scrape off the excess egg
Use the dull side of a table knife to lift off whatever egg is sitting on the fabric. Work from the edge toward the middle so you don't push it deeper into the weave.
Tip. Blot any wet residue with a clean cloth rather than rubbing it.
Step 2 of 7
Rinse under cold running water
Hold the stained area under cold running water and let it flush through from the back of the fabric. The goal is to wash off the loose egg before you move on.
Step 3 of 730 minutes
Soak in enzyme detergent
Soak the garment in cool water with a laundry detergent that contains enzymes, for at least 30 minutes. For older stains, leave it to soak for several hours instead.
Tip. Stir the garment once or twice in the soak so the detergent reaches the whole stain.
Step 4 of 7
Rinse the fabric thoroughly
Rinse out the detergent and any loosened egg until the water runs clear. Hold the stain up to good light to check that nothing is left before you go on.
Step 5 of 7
Treat any greasy yolk mark
A greasy mark left behind usually comes from the yolk, so only do this step if one remains. Sponge it with a commercial spot remover or apply a prewash soil and stain remover, then rinse it out before the wash.
Step 6 of 7
Wash in warm water
Launder the item with detergent in warm water, after the cold soak has done its loosening. Protein stains get a warm wash at this point, so keep the water warm rather than hot.
Step 7 of 7
Check before drying
Look at the fabric in good light before it goes anywhere near the dryer. If any egg is still there, soak again and rewash, and dry only once it's gone.
Tip. Check both sides, since the stain can hide on the back.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for egg
Pick a product type, not a brand: a prewash stain remover spray or stick covers most egg marks. Check the fabric label first, since some fibers like silk or wool need a gentler approach.
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.
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
Egg on every material
No match. Try the main search for anything else.
How to tell it's working
Progress shows up in the soak water, which turns a pale, cloudy color as the protein lifts out. Look at the fabric before the dryer gets it, and treat any trace as unfinished business.
If the water stays clear and the spot looks the same after a soak and a wash, the egg has probably dried into the fibers, so switch to the older-stain approach instead of repeating the same soak.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your fabric
Whites and white shirts
White cotton can handle a firmer approach, so start it in cold water and let an enzyme soak do the early work. Warm water comes in only once the trace is nearly gone.
If a faint mark survives the warm wash on white cotton or linen, the care label decides whether a diluted chlorine bleach is a fair last step. Rinse out all detergent and spot remover first, since bleach should never meet other products.
Colors and denim
Colored fabric and jeans get the same cold soak, but they skip chlorine bleach. Enzyme detergent works well here, and warm water belongs only in the final wash.
If a trace hangs on, reach for oxygen bleach, provided you've confirmed the dye is fixed. Dampen a hidden seam with it and blot with a white cloth; if color comes off, go back to the enzyme soak instead.
Silk, wool and delicates
Silk and wool are where enzymes and both kinds of bleach carry the most risk, so the stain needs the lightest touch you have. Skip the enzyme soak here and don't rub the fibers.
Blot from the reverse side with cool water, going slowly. If the mark is still visible after that, a dry cleaner is a better bet than a stronger product on a delicate fiber.
Dry-clean-only items
On a dry-clean-only label, home washing and store-bought removers are a gamble, so keep the work to scraping and blotting. Use the dull side of a table knife to lift the solid bits, then blot with a clean white cloth.
Bring it to a cleaner quickly and name the stain and the fabric. A fresh egg stain comes out more easily than one that has been left to sit, so don't wait.
Egg yolk on clothes
Yolk carries fat, so it behaves partly like a food stain rather than a plain protein stain. Scrape, rinse and soak as usual, then look for a greasy shadow once the fabric is wet and clean.
If a greasy shadow is still visible after the wash, treat only that one spot and leave the rest of the item alone. Only the marked spot needs the extra attention, so the rest of the garment can go through the normal wash.
Raw egg white on fabric
Raw egg white is a mix of protein and starch, so it needs the enzyme treatment rather than heat. Blot the stain first, then cover it with a pad kept moist with an enzyme product for 30 minutes.
Flush the spot with water when the time is up, then go back to the normal wash. Keep the pad damp rather than soaking, so the enzymes stay on the spot.
Old, dried or set-in stains
An old egg stain needs more than the short soak. Leave it in an enzyme laundry pre-soak for several hours or overnight, and it has a much better chance of lifting out.
Dried egg needs scraping before anything else, so brush off any crusted matter first. Then soak in cold water with a detergent or enzyme presoak, and expect several rounds before it's fully gone. Dried egg on car paint isn't something I can verify, so rinse it with cool water and skip dish soap, which isn't safe on car paint.
If heat from the dryer has already set the stain, don't expect one soak to fix it. Soak for 1 or 2 days, stirring occasionally, then wash again and air-dry. If you can still see it after that, the stain has set and is unlikely to come out fully.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on egg?
Most of the home fixes you'll find for egg don't belong here, and a few actively make the stain harder to remove. Skip most other home fixes; a cool rinse, an enzyme detergent and a warm wash handle egg.
Helps1Skip4Avoid1
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't reach for vinegar
Vinegar is an acid, and acid can make egg coagulate and harder to remove. Leave it off egg stains entirely, even though it's a common home fix for other marks.
Don't rub bar soap into it
Soap sets many stains, so a bar of soap on a fresh egg mark is a bad start. Use the enzyme detergent from the steps instead.
Don't rub or scrub the egg
Rubbing spreads the egg and works it into the fibers. Blot and scrape gently so the stain stays where it is.
Don't let egg sit while you deal with other things
Egg gets harder to dissolve every hour it stays on the fabric, so a stain you leave until tonight can be a stubborn one. Scrape off the excess while it's soft and get the cold water running right away.
Don't stop at the rinse when the yolk is greasy
Cold water alone won't clear the fat in a yolk, so a faint yellowish trace can survive the rinse. Sponge that trace with a commercial spot remover before the warm wash, so the spot is clear going in.
Don't blot with a towel that's already picked up egg
A paper towel loaded with egg just moves the protein onto clean fibers. Switch to a fresh towel or pad each time you blot, and blot lightly.
When to call a professional
If a stain survives a cold enzyme soak and a second wash, a dry cleaner can treat the fibers without the risk of stronger home products. Tell them whether there's a greasy trace and how many rounds you've already run through it.
Questions
Do egg, egg yolk, or egg white stain clothes?
Yes. Egg white is a protein stain, and egg yolk is a fatty food stain that can leave a greasy shadow after the soak. Both respond to the same cool-water rinse and enzyme soak in the steps.
How do you remove egg from a car body, paint, or interior?
Rinse the egg off with cool water first, since heat sets egg. Skip dish soap on car paint, and skip rubbing alcohol on leather seats. For the inside of a car, the Car Seats guide covers the fabric and seat side in more detail.
How do you get rid of egg smell from floors, toilets, and clothes?
On clothes, the smell should go once the egg itself is out, so the cold rinse, enzyme soak and wash in the steps handle it. For floors and toilets, clean up the egg first and test any stronger product on a hidden spot before you use it more widely.
How do you clean egg off brick, stucco, concrete, glass, or wood?
Start with cool water and a dull knife, since heat sets egg. For these hard surfaces, avoid vinegar, which isn't safe on stone or cement grout, and test any cleaner on a hidden spot first. For siding, roof and exterior surfaces, the Siding, Roof & Exterior guide is the next stop.
How do you remove an egg yolk stain from a couch?
Scrape off the excess with a dull knife, then rinse with cool water, since heat sets the yolk. For upholstery, follow the same cool-first order and test any cleaner on a hidden spot before you go further. Blot gently instead of rubbing, since rubbing spreads the yolk.
What egg stain remover works for clothes?
Look for a laundry detergent that lists enzymes, and use it in the cold soak. A commercial spot remover or prewash stain remover is only for the greasy mark that yolk can leave behind.
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.