First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Blot or scrape off the excess while it is fresh.
- Rinse with cold water first; hot water can set milk protein.
- Test any remover on a hidden area first.
- Keep it out of the dryer until the stain is gone.
Ice cream on clothes is milk protein, fat and often a bright food dye, and each part needs something different. The protein is what sets when heat reaches it, so a warm wash on a fresh smear can make it permanent. A recent spot usually lifts in one round, while one that has dried overnight may need several soaks before the fabric lets go.
Blot the fresh spot with a clean cloth first, then work an enzyme laundry pretreater into the fabric. Ice cream stains on white shirts respond to the same pretreater, but check the wash label before you go any hotter. Keep the spot out of the dryer until it's gone, since heat can bake in whatever is left behind.
5 items
What you'll need
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- Clean white clothBlots the stain without spreading it or picking up color. (opens Amazon)
- Enzyme pretreater or enzyme detergentBreaks down the milk protein and fat, and needs at least 30 minutes. (opens Amazon)
- Light-duty liquid detergentUsed in small amounts in the spot treatment for a stain that remains. (opens Amazon)
- AmmoniaA few drops in the spot treatment for a stain that remains. (opens Amazon)
- Oxygen bleachUsed in a 30-minute soak on a stain that survives the detergent treatment. (opens Amazon)
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6 steps
How to get ice cream out of clothes
Step 1 of 6
Blot off the excess
Lift off any loose ice cream with the back of a spoon, then blot the rest with a clean cloth. Blot, don't rub, so the fat doesn't spread into the fabric.
Tip. Switch to a clean part of the cloth as it fills up.
Step 2 of 6
Rinse from the back in cold water
Hold the fabric under cold running water with the stain facing down, so the water pushes it out the back instead of deeper into the weave. Keep the water cold for this whole stage.
Step 3 of 630 minutes
Pretreat with an enzyme product
Work an enzyme pretreater or a prewash soil-and-stain remover into the spot, or soak the item in an enzyme detergent for at least 30 minutes. Stains that have sat for a while need the longer end of that soak, because the enzymes need time to break down the milk protein and fat.
Tip. For a spot that won't soak, dab a little enzyme detergent straight onto it and let it sit.
Careful. Test any product on a hidden spot first, especially on colored fabric.
Step 4 of 6
Launder in the warmest safe water
Wash the item in your regular detergent at the warmest setting the care label allows. Colored, synthetic and delicate items often can't take hot water, so the label decides how warm you go.
Step 5 of 630 minutes
Treat what's left with a bleach soak
If a mark is still there, work a few drops of light-duty liquid detergent and a few drops of ammonia into the spot, then blot and rinse well. Soak the spot in oxygen bleach for 30 minutes, then launder the item again.
Tip. Rinse out the ammonia completely before the soak.
Careful. Skip the ammonia on silk and wool; it damages both.
Step 6 of 6
Check before drying, then repeat
Look at the spot in good light while the fabric is still damp, since dried dairy can hide. If any mark remains, repeat the pretreat and wash, and only dry the item once the spot is clear.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for ice cream
Choose a prewash soil-and-stain remover, and check the label says it's safe for your fabric. For the soak, a detergent labelled for stains also works.
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
Ice Cream on every material
No match. Try the main search for anything else.
How to tell it's working
Progress shows as the cream lifts out during the cold rinse, with the water running pale and milky off the fabric. If the spot looks darker or stiffer after a warm wash, the protein has set, so move to the old-stain section before the item goes anywhere near heat.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your fabric
Whites and white shirts
White shirts show every trace, so a long cold soak does more for them than a hot start ever could. Give the enzyme soak extra time on white cotton and check the cloth in good light before it goes near the dryer.
Chlorine bleach is the last resort for a leftover brown tint from chocolate, and only on whites the label says can take it. Rinse out any ammonia completely first, and never use chlorine on wool, silk or spandex.
Colors and denim
Colored clothes and denim take the same cold-first order, but chlorine is out for them. If a trace stays after the wash, use the oxygen bleach soak only on fabric that has passed the hidden-seam test.
If dye bleeds during that test, drop the bleach and repeat the enzyme soak instead. Stick to the temperature the dye can handle rather than the hottest water the fabric can take.
Silk, wool and delicates
Enzyme soaks lift ice cream well on most cloth, but on silk and wool they can cause damage, so those fibers need a gentler route. Skip the enzymes and any bleach here, and rinse from the back in cold water.
Blot gently rather than rubbing, and use only a little cool water at a time. If the spot won't budge, a dry cleaner is safer than a home product, because ammonia at full strength can damage these fibers.
Dry-clean-only items
A dry-clean-only label rules out water-based steps, so scrape up any solids gently and leave the liquid to the cleaner. Home removers can harm these fabrics, so keep them off the piece entirely.
Get the item to the cleaner within a day or two, while the ice cream is still soft. Say what the fabric is and that it's ice cream, because a fresh milk-protein stain lifts far more easily than one that has baked in.
Chocolate, blue and sherbet ice cream
Chocolate is the one that often calls for a bleach step. Dampen the spot, rub in a heavy-duty liquid detergent, and launder warm to hot with detergent and bleach if the fabric is bleach-safe.
For blue and other colored treats, the artificial color is the part to watch, so check that the fabric is colorfast on a hidden spot before any bleach. Sherbet and other colored frozen treats follow the same cold rinse and enzyme soak, and if color is still there after the wash, don't dry the item.
Old, dried or set-in stains
An old ice cream stain needs a longer enzyme soak, and several hours is the realistic minimum for a spot that has sat for days. Soak it in an enzyme product, then wash it again in the warmest water the label allows.
If the stain has dried and crusted, scrape or brush off the crust first, then soak it in cold water with a detergent or enzyme presoak. A stronger round is a wash with 1 cup detergent and 1 cup non-chlorine bleach, with an enzyme presoak; if the stain remains, soak it for 1 or 2 days, stirring now and then, before washing and air-drying.
If the stain went through the dryer, the heat has made it harder, so expect more than one round. Dried and old protein stains may need several rounds before they're fully gone, and a faint shadow can remain even after good work. Stop when the area is clean, and only then dry the item.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on ice cream?
Most home remedies you'll find are meant for other stains, so only a few belong on ice cream. The detergent and oxygen bleach in the steps do the real work here, and a weak salt solution is a gentle extra for wool.
Works1Helps1Skip5
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.
Ammonia + Oxygen bleach (OxiClean)
Poison Control warns against mixing ammonia products with other cleaners, and OxiClean's maker says not to mix it with household chemicals.
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 let the pretreatment dry on the fabric
Once the enzyme product or detergent dries completely, it's much harder to rinse out. Keep the spot damp, and rewet it with cold water if it starts to dry.
Don't scrub bar soap into a fresh stain
Bar soap sets many stains, so keep it away from fresh ice cream entirely. A liquid detergent or enzyme product does the job without the setting risk.
Don't skip the test on a colored seam
Colored clothes can lose dye to an enzyme soak or a bleach step, and you won't know until the item is washed. Dampen a hidden seam with the product, press a white cloth on it, and go ahead only if no color comes off.
Don't give an old stain one short soak
Dried ice cream often needs a soak of a day or two, stirred now and then, before a wash can finish the job. Stopping after one half-hour soak usually leaves protein behind, so keep going while the water still looks cloudy.
Don't use ammonia straight on silk or wool
Ammonia damages silk and wool, so if you reach for it on those fibers, dilute it with an equal amount of water first. Use it sparingly and rinse thoroughly before any bleach goes near the item.
When to call a professional
Silk, wool and anything marked dry-clean only belong with a cleaner, because enzyme soaks and ammonia can harm those fibers. If an old stain still shows after a couple of enzyme soaks and a bleach round, hand the item over and mention the washing temperatures you tried and whether the dryer has already touched it.
Questions
Does ice cream stain clothes?
Yes. Ice cream is milk protein and fat, and the fat leaves a greasy mark while the protein can set under heat. A fresh spot usually comes out with cold water and an enzyme pretreater, but it gets harder the longer it sits.
Can I get ice cream out of a white shirt?
Yes, and white cotton is the easiest case. Use the steps here, and bring in bleach only as the whites section below describes.
Do I need a special ice cream cleanser?
No. An enzyme pretreater or a laundry detergent with enzymes breaks down the milk protein and fat, and that's all this stain needs. A product sold as an ice cream remover isn't necessary.
What if the ice cream is on carpet or a couch?
Carpet and upholstery can't go in a washer, so the cold rinse and cleaners change. Use the Carpet & Rugs guide for carpet, or the Couch & Sofa guide for upholstery.
How long does it take to get the stain out?
A fresh stain can come out in one round, with an enzyme soak of at least 30 minutes plus a wash. Old or dried ones need longer soaks and several rounds before they're gone.
Can I still get it out after it has dried?
Often yes, but it takes longer soaks and more than one round. Work through the enzyme soak again and rewash, and don't dry the item again until the spot is gone.
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.