First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Scrape off the excess with a dull knife or rounded spoon.
- Don't rub it in, because pressing the oil deeper makes it harder to lift.
- Oil-based stains need prompt attention, so start now.
Peanut butter on clothes is an oil-based food stain, and the oil is the part that holds on. Left alone, it can darken and get more noticeable over time, especially on polyester. Older marks may need several treatments before the stain stops transferring to the cloth.
Scrape off the thick part with a dull knife before any liquid touches it, since water alone can spread the peanut butter oil. If you need peanut butter out of clothes quickly, work a prewash stain remover into the spot before the wash. If the mark has already darkened, an enzyme laundry pretreater is worth reaching for before a full cycle.
7 items
What you'll need
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- Dull knife or rounded spoonLifts off the bulk without pressing the oil deeper into the weave.
- Liquid dish soapThe pretreatment that starts breaking down the oil before the wash. (opens Amazon)
- Liquid laundry detergentUsed in the wash, and worked into any mark that is still there. (opens Amazon)
- Commercial spot remover made from petroleum distillatesFor an oily mark that survives the first wash. (opens Amazon)
- Cleaning fluidFor heavy stains, applied from the back of the mark. (opens Amazon)
- Clean white paper towelsGive the stain somewhere clean to go as you treat it from the back. (opens Amazon)
- Oxygen bleach laundry productSuits whites and colorfast colors when the wash needs extra help. (opens Amazon)
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6 steps
How to get peanut butter out of clothes
Step 1 of 6
Scrape off the excess
Lift off as much peanut butter as you can with a dull knife or a rounded spoon. The goal is to remove the bulk so the treatment has less oil to work on.
Tip. Work from the outside edge toward the middle so the mark doesn't spread.
Step 2 of 610 minutes
Rub in liquid dish soap
Work liquid dish soap into the stain gently with your fingertips, then leave it for 10 minutes so it can start loosening the oil. Liquid laundry detergent works here too if that's what you have on hand.
Careful. Don't use bar soap on the stain; soap sets many stains.
Step 3 of 6
Launder in the hottest safe water
Wash the item in the hottest water the fabric can take, using 1 cup of detergent. Skip hot water on silk, wool and synthetics, and check the care label before you pick the setting.
Tip. The care label sets the heat limit for the wash, so check it first.
Step 4 of 6
Sponge on a commercial spot remover
If an oily mark still shows after the wash, sponge it with a commercial spot remover made from petroleum distillates. Rinse with water, let the item air-dry, then work detergent into the mark and wash it again.
Careful. Test the spot remover on a hidden area first.
Step 5 of 6
Treat a heavy stain from the back
For a heavy stain, lay the item face down on clean paper towels and apply cleaning fluid to the back of the mark. Replace the towels often so the oil keeps moving onto clean paper, then let it dry, rinse and launder in the hottest safe water.
Careful. Work in a well-ventilated room away from open flame, pilot lights and sparks, and don't smoke.
Step 6 of 6
Check the stain before drying
Hold the item up to good light and look at the spot before it goes anywhere near the dryer. If any trace is left, repeat the treatment, since some peanut butter stains need many rounds.
Tip. Check both sides of the fabric, because the oil can show through.
Careful. Don't put it in the dryer or iron it until the stain is gone; heat sets stains.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for peanut butter
Pick a dry-cleaning solvent spot remover, made from petroleum distillates, for the oily mark that's left after washing, and a prewash stain remover spray or stick to pretreat before the wash.
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 →How to tell it's working
A treated spot should look lighter, and the fabric should feel clean rather than greasy when you touch it. If the spot still looks shiny or feels slick after it dries, the oil is still there, so repeat the treatment before anything goes near heat.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your fabric
Whites and white shirts
White cotton and linen can take the most treatment, so they're the fabrics where the full routine pays off. An oxygen bleach laundry product in the wash suits whites and colors, so follow the package for the amount.
Chlorine bleach is an option only for white cotton and linen, and only as the last step, after everything has been rinsed out and diluted rather than used at full strength. Don't use chlorine bleach on wool, silk, mohair, leather or spandex, even if they're white.
Colors and denim
Colored fabric and denim need a patch test before any spot remover, because dyes can move. Use oxygen bleach only on colorfast fabric, and hold off on chlorine bleach until you've confirmed the color holds.
Hot water is the setting to watch here, so use the hottest setting the care label allows and stop short if the dye looks unstable. If the color is not colorfast, leave out the bleach entirely and let the dish soap pretreatment do the work.
Silk, wool and delicates
Silk, wool and other protein fibers need the gentlest approach, so don't rub or brush the stain. Rubbing damages silk, and agitation in water makes wool felt and shrink, so blot instead. Skip hot water, chlorine bleach and oxygen bleach here.
Home treatment is the riskier route on these fibers, so blot with a clean cloth and take the piece to a professional if the mark is still visible. Heirloom textiles should never go in the washing machine, even on a gentle cycle.
Dry-clean-only items
Dry-clean-only fabric is the one case where the home steps stop, because the washing machine and oxygen bleach aren't safe on it. Don't rub the spot or try to wash it out yourself, since the oil can spread into the weave.
Take it to a dry cleaner as soon as you can and say it's peanut butter, an oil-based stain, so they choose the right solvent. If you're unsure whether a fabric is dry-clean-only, treat it that way until you know.
Old, dried or set-in stains
An old peanut butter stain has had time to oxidize and darken, and polyester is the fabric most likely to hold on to it. Start with the dish soap pretreatment, then dab the spot with 1 teaspoon of liquid dish soap mixed into 1 cup of warm water before the wash.
If the item has been through the dryer, the heat has likely set the oil, so expect more rounds. Repeat the spot remover and detergent treatment until no more stain transfers onto the cloth, then launder in the hottest water the label allows.
A faint shadow sometimes stays after several rounds, and that's realistic even when you do everything right. Some stains need many treatments, so stop when more rounds stop lifting anything, and take valuable pieces to a professional cleaner.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on peanut butter?
Plenty of home remedies float around for oil stains, and most of them are built for other stains. Here's how each one fits, and which ones these steps don't need, since you don't need baking soda to get peanut butter out.
Works1Helps1Skip3Avoid1
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't mix chlorine bleach with ammonia or vinegar.
Mixed products can give off hazardous fumes, so never combine chlorine bleach with ammonia, vinegar or other cleaners. If you need more than one remover, rinse the item thoroughly between them.
Don't pour solvent straight onto carpet.
The backing can be damaged, so solvent should never be poured onto the carpet itself. Work through a cloth and keep the amount small, and use the Carpet & Rugs guide for the full method.
Don't use acetone or nail polish remover on acetate.
Acetate and triacetate dissolve in it, and modacrylic is also off limits. Check the care label before you reach for any solvent.
Don't use enzyme detergent on silk or wool.
Enzyme detergents aren't safe for these fibers, so pick a product without enzymes for silk and wool. Wool also felts when it's agitated, so keep the washing gentle.
When to call a professional
If the stain has been through the dryer, or the piece is valuable, a professional cleaner can handle what these steps can't. Tell them it's an oil-based peanut butter stain so they choose the right solvent.
Questions
Does peanut butter stain?
Yes. Peanut butter is oil-based, so it soaks into fabric and can darken if it's left, especially on polyester. Fresh stains usually come out with a dish soap pretreatment and a hot wash, if the fabric allows it.
How soon should you treat a peanut butter stain?
As soon as you can. Oil-based stains need prompt attention, and a fresh mark is much easier to lift than one that has been sitting. Start with scraping off the excess before anything else.
Will peanut butter come out of polyester?
It can, but polyester is the hardest common fabric for oil, and the stain often darkens over time. Expect to repeat the dish soap pretreatment and the wash several times, and check carefully before any heat.
What's the best stain remover for peanut butter on clothes?
For most fresh stains, liquid dish soap is the best first step, and you don't need a special product for that. A commercial spot remover made from petroleum distillates is the next step if an oily mark is left after washing.
Can I remove peanut butter from carpet?
Carpet needs its own approach, so the clothes approach doesn't carry over. Use the Carpet & Rugs guide for that surface.
How do you get peanut butter out of car seats or upholstery?
It can, and the same oil logic applies, but the steps here were written for clothes. Stop if the fabric darkens or the color starts to move, since that means the treatment is doing more harm than good.
Can you remove an old, dried peanut butter stain?
Often yes, but it takes more rounds. Repeat the dish soap pretreatment and the spot remover treatment until no more stain transfers, then launder in the hottest water the fabric allows.
Do you need baking soda to remove peanut butter?
No. Liquid dish soap, a hot wash where the fabric allows, and a spot remover for any oily mark that's left will do the job without it. Baking soda isn't needed on clothes.
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.