Prep first
Before you start
- Brush off loose grass before treating.
- Treat as soon as possible; the longer stains sit, the harder they are to clean.
- Keep heat away. Hot water, an iron or a dryer can set protein stains.
- Pretest any cleaning agent on a hidden area for colorfastness.
Grass stains on clothes set fast once heat reaches them, because the green comes from chlorophyll in the blades. Fresh marks lift well when they're treated quickly and kept away from heat, while old, dried ones may only fade unless you keep working at them. Whether the item is a bleach-safe white or a colored piece decides which bleach you can use, so check the label first.
Grass stains on jeans need more patience than most marks, since denim grips the green hard. Cotton can lose color under harsh treatment, so try a small dab of any product on a hidden spot first. Grass stains that have gone through a full wash cycle usually need a pretreat before the next one.
6 items
What you'll need
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- Enzyme laundry detergentDoes the presoak and the wash. (opens Amazon)
- Prewash spot-and-stain removerLoosens the stain before it goes into the wash. (opens Amazon)
- Oxygen (color-safe) bleachFor colored items only. (opens Amazon)
- 3% hydrogen peroxideThe drugstore strength for a stain that remains after washing. (opens Amazon)
- Rubbing alcoholBackup for a stain that remains; dilute it on acetate. (opens Amazon)
- Chlorine bleachOnly for white cotton or linen that is bleach-safe, as the final step. (opens Amazon)
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6 steps
How to get grass out of clothes
Step 1 of 630 minutes
Presoak heavy stains in cool water
For heavy or old stains, soak the item for at least 30 minutes in cool to lukewarm water under 100°F, with an enzyme laundry detergent added. Light, fresh stains don't need the long soak, so go straight to the pretreat.
Tip. Lay the item flat in the basin so the stained area stays under the water.
Step 2 of 65 minutes
Pretreat both sides of the stain
Apply a commercial prewash spot-and-stain remover to both sides of the stain and let it sit for 5 minutes. Keep it on the spot until the time is up, since the remover needs that time to work.
Careful. Don't let the pretreater dry on the fabric.
Step 3 of 6
Launder with enzyme detergent
Wash the item in the hottest water the care label allows, with an enzyme laundry detergent and, for colored items, oxygen bleach. The wash does the rest of the lifting once the spot is pretreated.
Careful. Oxygen bleach is for colorfast items only; chlorine waits for the final step on white cotton or linen.
Step 4 of 6
Check the stain before drying
Look at the stain while the item is still damp. If any of it remains, rinse the spot well and dab a few drops of 3% hydrogen peroxide onto it, or sponge it with rubbing alcohol.
Tip. Test a hidden spot first if the fabric is colored.
Careful. Full-strength alcohol damages acetate, triacetate, modacrylic and acrylic; on acetate, dilute it with water first.
Step 5 of 6
Rinse out fully and relaunder
Rinse the peroxide or alcohol out completely with water before doing anything else. Wash the item again with the enzyme detergent, and repeat the treatment if the stain still shows.
Step 6 of 6
Finish bleach-safe whites with chlorine
On white cotton or linen that is bleach-safe, soak the whole garment in diluted chlorine bleach for no more than 15 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. This is the last step, so nothing should be added to the item after it.
Careful. Dilute chlorine bleach first; undiluted bleach can weaken fabric until it tears.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for grass
Keep a prewash spot-and-stain remover and an enzyme laundry detergent on hand, and check the label before you reach for any bleach. Buy chlorine bleach only if you have white cotton or linen.
Shout Triple-Acting Laundry Stain Remover
Puracy Laundry Stain Remover
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.
Heavy buildup usually takes more than one round.
Heavy or long-standing buildup →When to call a professional →Pick what it is on
Grass on every material
Floors3
Shoes & accessories1
Outdoor3
Skin & hair1
Leather & suede2
Kitchen & bath4
Carpet & rugs1
Walls1
Clothes & laundry1
Bedding & linens1
No match. Try the main search for anything else.
How to tell it's working
Watch for green bleeding into the rinse water and onto your pad, and for each round to leave the mark paler than before. When the rinse runs clear and the fabric looks even in daylight, the stain is gone. If a full round leaves it unchanged, it has probably set, so head to the old-stain section.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your fabric
Whites and white shirts
Bleach-safe white cotton and linen are the only fabrics where chlorine finishes the job. Work a mix of one teaspoon bleach to one tablespoon water into the spot with a medicine dropper, for no more than two minutes at a time.
Flush with water before and after, and make sure any ammonia, vinegar or alcohol from earlier steps is fully rinsed out first. If the green hasn't lifted by then, stop and move on rather than repeating the bleach.
Colors and denim
Colored clothes and jeans can't take chlorine, since it strips their dye and leaves pale patches. Use an oxygen-based bleach on colors instead, and only once you've confirmed the dye is fast.
Test first: dampen a seam on the inside, press the oxygen product in, and blot with a white cloth. If any dye transfers, drop the bleach entirely and stick with the detergent presoak and rinse.
Silk, wool and delicates
Wool, silk and spandex can't survive a chlorine soak, so stay with gentler products on them. Use the enzyme presoak and a mild detergent instead, and rinse in cool water rather than rubbing the fabric.
Rubbing alcohol is worth testing on a seam if you plan to use it, but skip it on acetate or acrylic, where it does damage. If the gentle route doesn't lift the stain, a dry cleaner can handle what's left without risking the fiber.
Dry-clean-only items
A dry-clean-only label means the home steps stop at the first blot, so lift what's wet on the surface with a clean white cloth. Don't work solvents or heavy bleach into the weave yourself.
Take it in soon and say the stain is grass, and mention whether it's been heated or washed since. A fresh mark is far easier for a cleaner to lift than one that has baked in a dryer.
Pants, trousers and uniforms
Pants and uniforms usually take the heaviest stain, often across the knees and seat, so start with the full 30-minute presoak. Work the pretreater into both sides at those spots, since the pigment can soak through to the back.
Turf stains on baseball pants follow the same order. Brush out the loose grass and dirt outdoors before the presoak, so the water isn't full of debris.
Heavy or long-standing buildup
An old grass stain that has already been through a wash is harder, and you may end up with a faint shadow instead of a clean spot. Work liquid detergent into the spot, rinse, and repeat until the color stops lifting.
If the stain has dried or been through the dryer, wash the item with 1 cup of detergent and 1 cup of non-chlorine bleach, after an enzyme presoak. Only do this on colorfast fabric, and keep chlorine out of the wash.
If the stain holds after that, soak the item for one or two days, stirring it now and then, then machine-wash it again and air-dry. Realistically, a set grass stain may fade to a light mark rather than vanish completely.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on grass?
Plenty of home remedies get passed around for grass stains, and most add nothing to the steps above. Some of these are built into the main cleaning, and others should be skipped for a clear reason.
Works2Helps1Skip3
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.
Chlorine bleach + Hydrogen peroxide (3%)
Washington State's health department says bleach reacts with hydrogen peroxide, and Clorox says not to mix bleach with other household chemicals.
Chlorine bleach + Rubbing alcohol
Bleach and rubbing alcohol can form chloroform, which causes dizziness, nausea and loss of consciousness.
Hydrogen peroxide (3%) + Oxygen bleach (OxiClean)
OxiClean's maker says it should not be mixed with household chemicals other than detergent in the wash.
If they mix by accident: Stop and add nothing else; leave the area for fresh air, open windows and keep children and pets away; call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, or 911 if anyone has trouble breathing.
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't use bar soap on the stain
Bar soap and soap flakes can set many stains, which makes a grass stain harder to remove. Use a liquid enzyme detergent for the presoak and the wash instead.
Don't scrub the stain hard
Hard scrubbing pushes the stain deeper into the fibers, and rubbing silk or agitating wool in water can damage it. Press the pretreater in gently with your fingers and let it sit.
Don't start with hot water
Heat cooks the protein in grass into the fibers, so a warm first rinse can lock the green in for good. Soak heavy spots in cool to lukewarm water, under 100°F, before anything else goes on them.
Don't use chlorine bleach on delicates
Chlorine bleach ruins delicates, so keep it away from wool, silk and spandex. Use the enzyme presoak and a mild detergent on those pieces, even if the green looks stubborn.
Don't use full-strength alcohol on synthetics
Full-strength rubbing alcohol can damage acetate, acrylic and other synthetic fibers, even though it lifts some dye. On those fabrics, dilute it with water or skip it and rely on the detergent steps.
When to call a professional
A dry cleaner is the right call when the garment is silk, wool or a keepsake you can't risk, or when the green has spread across a large patch. If a washable piece still shows color after two full washes, the stain has likely set and a pro has stronger options. Mention the fabric content and which bleach or remover you already used, so they don't repeat it.
Questions
Do grass stains come out?
Yes, most grass stains come out, especially fresh ones on washable fabric. Work through the steps in order and keep the item out of the dryer until the stain is gone. Old or heat-set stains take longer and may fade rather than vanish completely.
Can grass and mud stains be removed together?
Yes, but take them in order. Let any mud dry, then brush it off with the loose grass, since wet mud can spread the stain. After that, treat the grass stain with the steps above.
Can I get grass stains out without washing?
Washing is the reliable route, because the presoak and enzyme detergent do the work. Brush off loose grass and pretreat the spot as soon as you can, since the longer it sits the harder it is to clean. A stain that has dried can still be treated, but skip the dryer until it's gone.
Do I need a special grass stain remover?
No, a standard commercial prewash spot-and-stain remover handles the pretreat step. Pair it with an enzyme laundry detergent for the presoak and the wash.
Will grass stains come out of white pants?
Usually, yes. White cotton and linen can take the full routine, with chlorine bleach as the final step once everything is rinsed out. Keep the bleach diluted, and skip it on any white item that isn't bleach-safe.
Are grass stains on jeans harder to remove?
Denim takes the full routine well, but it's colored, so use oxygen bleach instead of chlorine. Test any bleach on a hidden seam first, since dye can lift in the wash.
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.