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 sheets count as protein-and-dye stains, so heat is the enemy from the first minute. Cotton and linen can take a fair amount of treatment, but silk, satin and acetate need gentler handling and a pretest first. If the mark has already dried, expect it to fade over several rounds rather than vanish in one go.
Test a hidden corner first, especially on silk or satin, then work on the grass or rose petal stains on sheets. Rinse the spot with cool water and check it before the sheet goes in the dryer, since heat locks in whatever is left. If the spot still shows after a couple of tries, stop and call a professional.
Before you start
What sheets, towels & table linens 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
9 items
What you'll need
Tap an item to get it on Amazon, or tick what you already have.
- Commercial pre-wash spotFor the first pretreatment, worked into both sides of the stain. (opens Amazon)
- Stain remover (opens Amazon)
- Bleach labeled safe for the fabric, such as all-fabric oxygen bleachFor the wash, in place of chlorine bleach. (opens Amazon)
- Commercial cleaner with petroleum distillatesFor sponging; check the label for petroleum distillates or hydrocarbon solvents.
- 3% hydrogen peroxideThe drugstore antiseptic strength, a few drops on what remains. (opens Amazon)
- Mild liquid hand dishwashing detergentMixed into warm water for the scraping solution. (opens Amazon)
- White vinegarA few drops in the scraping solution; colored vinegar can leave a stain. (opens Amazon)
- 70% isopropyl alcohol or 90% denatured alcoholFor the final sponge; choose one with no added color or fragrance. (opens Amazon)
- Clean white cloths, a soft brush and a spoonFor sponging, tamping and scraping the stain face down. (opens Amazon)
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
7 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 72 minutes
Pretreat both sides of the stain
Work a commercial pre-wash spot and stain remover into both sides of the stain. Give it 2 minutes to work before anything else touches it.
Step 2 of 7
Launder with a fabric-safe bleach
Wash the sheet in cold water with a bleach labeled safe for the fabric, such as an all-fabric oxygen bleach. Cold water keeps heat from setting the stain while it's still in the fibers.
Step 3 of 7
Sponge with a petroleum solvent cleaner
Sponge the stain with a commercial cleaner that lists petroleum distillates or hydrocarbon solvents on the label. Keep sponging while the stain is lifting, then let the sheet air-dry flat.
Careful. Ventilate the room well when you use commercial cleaners.
Step 4 of 7
Dab hydrogen peroxide on what remains
If a shadow is left, put a few drops of 3% hydrogen peroxide on it, the drugstore antiseptic strength. The stronger solution sold for bleaching hair is too much for this stain.
Careful. Keep peroxide off colored sheets that aren't colorfast.
Step 5 of 7
Scrape with dish soap and vinegar
Sponge the spot with water, then dab on 1 teaspoon of mild liquid hand dishwashing detergent in 1 cup of warm water with a few drops of white vinegar. Lay the stained side down on a non-absorbent surface, tamp the spot with a brush or the side of a spoon, and scrape gently until the stain stops coming out. Flush the spot with plain water until the soap is gone.
Careful. Vinegar can weaken cotton and change its color, so test the mix on a hidden spot first.
Step 6 of 7
Let the sheet air-dry
Lay the sheet flat and let it air-dry completely before the last step. Check the spot in good light so you can see what's left.
Step 7 of 7
Finish with a rubbing alcohol sponge
Sponge the spot with 70% isopropyl alcohol, or 90% denatured alcohol with no added color or fragrance. Rub gently with a pad dampened with the alcohol.
Careful. Alcohol can bleed untested dyes, so test it first.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for grass on sheets, towels & table linens
Look for a pre-wash spot remover and a solvent cleaner whose labels list petroleum distillates or hydrocarbon solvents, and use an all-fabric oxygen bleach for the wash.
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 sheets, towels & table linens, 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 →How to tell it's working
Each round should lift a little more green onto the cloth, and the sponge should come away with less color every time. If the green is still visible once the sheet has dried and gone through the full routine, it has probably set, and the old and set-in section is the next stop.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your sheets, towels & table linens
Colored or patterned sheets
Dye can bleed or fade on colored sheets, so run the colorfastness test on a hidden seam before you start. Oxygen bleach is the gentler choice for colors, but only once the test passes.
If the test shows any color change, skip the peroxide and alcohol steps, since both can change the color of untested dyes.
White cotton sheets
Once the stain is gone, white cotton can take the hottest wash temperature its care label allows. Chlorine bleach is a last resort, used only if the label allows it and only after the sheet is fully rinsed.
If the stain is still there, a bleachability test on a hidden seam tells you whether the fabric can take a chlorine wash.
Acetate or acrylic sheets
Acetate, triacetate, modacrylic and acrylic fibers can't take full-strength alcohol, so dilute it 1 part alcohol to 1 part water for acetate. Acetone and nail polish remover should stay away from acetate, since it dissolves.
Test the diluted mix on a hidden spot first, and if the stain won't lift, take the sheet to a dry cleaner.
Silk or satin sheets
Silk can't take chlorine bleach, and the alcohol step is too harsh for these fibers, so the bleach and sponge steps don't fit. For the right method, see the Silk & Satin guide.
Heavy or long-standing buildup
Old grass stains need more than the basic steps. Start by scraping or brushing off any crusted matter, then soak the spot in cold water with a detergent or enzyme presoak.
For a stain that has dried, work liquid detergent into it, rinse, and repeat until it stops lifting. Then wash with 1 cup of detergent plus 1 cup of non-chlorine bleach with the enzyme presoak. Enzyme presoaks break down protein stains such as grass, so the extra time is worth it.
If the stain is still there after the wash, soak the sheet for 1 or 2 days, stirring it now and then. Machine-wash it again and air-dry it, since heat locks in whatever is left. Fresh stains are much easier to remove than old ones, so an old stain may need a second round or may never fully lift.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on grass on sheets, towels & table linens?
Most kitchen remedies don't work well on grass, so only the ones in the steps made the cut. Each one is listed below with where it fits and where it doesn't.
Works5Skip1
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 + Vinegar
Vinegar is an acid, and acid mixed with bleach gives off toxic chlorine gas.
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.
Oxygen bleach (OxiClean) + Vinegar
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 let the pretreater dry on the sheet
Keep the spot damp while the pretreater works, because a pretreater that dries on the fabric can set the stain. If it starts to dry out, add a little more before you move on.
Don't keep bleaching past 15 minutes
If the stain isn't out within 15 minutes, bleaching won't remove it, and more time only weakens the fabric. Stop there and move on to the next step.
Don't spot-bleach a sheet
Bleach the whole sheet rather than the spot alone. Spot-bleaching isn't recommended for this stain, so keep bleach to the wash.
Don't rub the grass deeper into the weave
Rubbing pushes the pigment down between the threads and can fuzz the surface of cotton. Blot or gently sponge the spot instead, and let the solvent do the lifting.
Don't use full-strength alcohol on acetate sheets
Undiluted rubbing alcohol can damage acetate, triacetate and acrylic fibers, so it has to be cut first. Mix one part alcohol with one part water, and test a seam before it goes near the sheet.
Don't use chlorine bleach on silk or spandex
Silk sheets and any stretch blend can't take chlorine bleach, even on a tiny spot. For silk, a dry-cleaning solvent applied from the wrong side with a spot technique is the safer route.
When to call a professional
Silk, satin and anything labeled dry-clean only should go to a dry cleaner quickly, because grass gets harder to lift the longer it sits. Name the fiber content and say the stain is grass so they choose the right solvent. A large patch or a bulky item like a duvet cover is worth a cleaner's time even when the care label says washable.
Questions
Can I use these steps on rose petal stains?
Yes, because rose petals leave a plant pigment behind, so the same routine applies. Pretest a hidden spot first, since plant dyes can bleed on colored sheets, and keep heat away until the spot is gone.
Why does grass leave such a stubborn mark?
Grass is a protein-and-dye stain, so the protein binds to the fibers while the green pigment soaks in. Heat makes that bond worse, which is why the steps start with cold water and keep heat away.
Do I need the dish soap and vinegar step?
Only if the stain is still visible after the solvent cleaner and the peroxide. The scrape is for what's left, so skip it if the spot is already gone.
How long should a pretreater sit on the sheet?
Give it the 2 minutes in the method, then wash. Don't leave liquid or aerosol pretreaters on longer than the label recommends, since unstable dyes can change color or fade.
What if I don't know what my sheets are made of?
Check the care label first. If the fiber is still unknown, pretest each product on a hidden seam and skip the alcohol and bleach steps until you know.
Is baking soda a good addition here?
No: fabric can take baking soda only after a test, and it adds nothing to this stain. Fabric can take baking soda only after a test, so it doesn't add anything to this routine.
Can I wash grass-stained white sheets in hot water?
Not until the grass is gone, because hot water can set protein stains like this one into the cotton. Treat the spot in cold water first. Once it's out, a white cotton or linen sheet can take the hottest wash that its care label allows.
Can I bleach colored sheets to get the grass out?
Only if the sheets are colorfast and the label allows bleach, and test a hidden seam before you commit. Chlorine bleach is risky on colors, so an oxygen-based bleach is the gentler route if the dye passes the test. If any color transfers to the test cloth, stop there.
Can I leave grass-stained sheets soaking overnight?
Yes, in a cold-water soak or an enzyme presoak, since enzymes suit protein stains like grass and loosen old marks well. Liquid and spray pretreaters are different, because leaving them on past the label time can fade or change colored dyes. Check the label before you go to bed.
Grass on other materials
Other stains on sheets, towels & table linens
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.