Prep first
Before you start
- Don't brush or rub the powder with your hand, since the oil in skin can press it deeper.
- Take the item outside and shake off as much loose powder as you can.
- Press adhesive tape onto what is left and pull it off.
- Or vacuum the powder up instead.
Lily pollen on fabric is a fine powder that's sticky and oily as well as colored, so it's a combination stain. Skin oils help bind it to the fibers, so try not to touch the spot with your hands. Fresh pollen comes out far more easily than pollen that has sat for more than a day.
Pollen on carpet comes up best when you lift the loose powder off dry before any water touches it. Pollen stains on fabric respond well to an enzyme laundry pretreater, and that pretreat step does more work than the wash itself. Stop once no more color transfers to a white cloth, and don't push past that point.
6 items
What you'll need
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- Adhesive tape, such as masking tapeLifts loose powder off the fabric without rubbing it in. (opens Amazon)
- Vacuum with a hose or brush attachmentPicks up loose powder without pressing it into the weave.
- Liquid dishwashing detergentTreats the oily part of the stain on dry fabric before anything else. (opens Amazon)
- Liquid laundry detergentPretreats the stain and goes in the wash. (opens Amazon)
- Chenille stem or soft brushBrushes off dried pollen after the sun drying. (opens Amazon)
- Diluted chlorine bleach or color-safe oxygen bleachLast-step option only, if color still remains after washing. (opens Amazon)
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7 steps
How to get pollen out of clothes
Step 1 of 7
Shake off the loose pollen
Take the item outside and shake it gently to lose as much powder as you can. Press adhesive tape onto what remains and pull it off, or vacuum it up instead. Do this before any water or cloth touches the stain.
Tip. Do this outdoors so the powder doesn't end up on the rest of the laundry.
Step 2 of 7
Dry out stubborn powder in sun
Only do this if powder is still in the fabric after the first pass. Hang the item in strong sunlight, such as on a windowsill, and leave it for a few days. Then brush the dried pollen off with a soft brush or a chenille stem.
Step 3 of 75 minutes
Treat the oily part with dish soap
Put a few drops of liquid dishwashing detergent on the stain while the fabric is still dry, and gently work it in. Wait 5 minutes, then rinse with a little lukewarm water.
Careful. Skip dish detergent on silk, velvet and other delicate fabrics.
Step 4 of 75 to 10 minutes
Pretreat with laundry detergent
Pour a little liquid laundry detergent onto the stain and let it soak for 5 to 10 minutes. Rinse from the back of the fabric with cold running water.
Step 5 of 7
Wash in the warmest safe water
Wash the item with liquid laundry detergent in the highest-temperature water the care label allows. Check the label before you pick the setting, since the label sets the limit.
Step 6 of 7
Check the spot before drying
Once the wash is finished, look at the spot before the item goes near a dryer. If the stain is still there, repeat the pretreatment and wash, and keep the item out of the dryer.
Step 7 of 7
Use bleach only as a last step
Only if color still remains, use bleach as the very last step, after everything has been rinsed out. On white, bleach-safe fabric, use a diluted chlorine bleach solution, and on colored fabric use a color-safe oxygen bleach tested on a hidden seam first. Rinse it all out again, then check the spot before drying.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for pollen
Liquid laundry detergent, liquid dish detergent and adhesive tape cover this stain, so you don't need a special pollen remover.
Clorox 2 Laundry Stain Remover and Color Booster Powder, 49.2 Ounces
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 →How to tell it's working
When the spot looks clean in daylight, the item is ready to dry. If it is lighter but still visible, repeat the pretreatment and wash before the dryer, since heat can lock in a faint mark.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your fabric
Whites and white shirts
White, bleach-safe fabric can take the whole treatment, including the final chlorine bleach step. Dilute the bleach first, and use it only after everything has been rinsed out.
If the item has spandex, leave chlorine bleach out completely. A white item that is only lighter after the bleach step needs the pretreatment repeated before any more bleach.
Colors and denim
Colored clothes and denim can't take chlorine bleach the way white fabric can, so skip chlorine. On these items the final step is a color-safe oxygen bleach, and only after you have tested it on a hidden seam.
Use the warmest water the care label allows, and if the label says cold or warm, stay there. If the color changes at all during the test, stop and skip the bleach step.
Silk, wool and delicates
Silk, wool, mohair and velvet need the gentlest handling. Shake off the loose powder and tape or vacuum what is left, then skip the dish soap, bleach and oxygen steps entirely.
Don't rub or brush the fabric, because rubbing damages silk and agitation in water makes wool felt and shrink. Skip enzyme detergents, and never put heirloom textiles in a washing machine, even on a gentle cycle. If the stain stays, take it to a dry cleaner rather than trying the wash steps.
Dry-clean-only items
If the care label says dry clean only, don't wash the item at home, even on a gentle cycle. Shaking and taping off the loose powder are still safe to do first, and then the item should go to a dry cleaner.
Tell the cleaner it is a pollen stain, and don't try the oxygen bleach or detergent steps on it yourself.
Heavy or long-standing buildup
If the stain has been sitting for more than a day, it is harder to lift than a fresh one, so expect to need more than one round. Repeat the pretreatment with the full 10-minute soak before the next wash.
Dried pollen that has settled into the weave needs a few days in strong sunlight to loosen it before any detergent will reach it. Give it that time, brush the powder off gently, then pretreat as usual.
If the item has already been through the dryer, the heat may have set the stain, so treat it gently and keep repeating the steps. A faint mark can remain after several rounds, and on a stain this old that is a realistic result, so don't scrub harder to chase it.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on pollen?
Plenty of home remedies get passed around for pollen, but most of them don't belong in a clothes treatment. Dish soap on the oily part and liquid laundry detergent as a pretreat handle it, so you can skip the rest and save time.
Works2Skip4
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.
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 rinse or wipe before the powder is off
Rubbing or applying water makes the stain set, so keep both away from the fabric until the loose powder is gone. Once it is off, the rest of the treatment works the way the steps describe.
Don't put bleach on first
The oily, sticky part has to be treated with dish detergent before any bleach, so bleach is always the last step. Skipping that order makes the oily part harder to lift.
Don't mix bleach with other products
Never mix chlorine bleach with ammonia, vinegar, rubbing alcohol or other acids. Rinse each product out with plain water before you move on to the next one.
Don't dry or iron the spot too soon
Dryer heat and ironing both set pollen stains, and a set stain can become impossible to remove. Keep the item off the heat until you can no longer see the stain.
When to call a professional
If the stain is still visible after two or three rounds of pretreating and washing, or the item is delicate or dry-clean only, take it to a professional cleaner. Tell them it is pollen and how long it has been on the fabric, so they can choose the right method.
Questions
What's the fix for a lily pollen stain?
Treat it the same way as any pollen stain, starting with the loose powder. Lily pollen is sticky and oily as well as colored, so the dish soap step matters most.
To prevent it, remove the anthers (the pollen-bearing tips of the stamens) as soon as the flower opens. A special lily pollen remover isn't needed, since liquid detergents handle the steps.
Can you get pollen out of carpet?
Vacuum up the loose powder first, without rubbing it into the fibers. For the stain itself, skip vinegar and strong cleaners, since both carry risk on carpet. Test any product on a small hidden spot before you use it on the visible area.
Is it safe to wipe pollen off car paint?
Lift the loose powder off the paint first, without wiping or rubbing it, since rubbing can grind it into the finish. Dish soap isn't safe on car paint, so the detergent steps for clothes don't carry over. Use a cleaner made for car paint instead.
What's the best way to clean pollen off a deck?
Sweep up the loose powder before any water touches it, since water can set it. Oxygen bleach shouldn't go on painted surfaces, so test any other cleaner on a hidden spot first. Fabric cleaning doesn't carry over to outdoor wood or furniture, so treat each surface on its own terms.
Does pool water need a pollen treatment?
Skim the loose powder off the surface, and don't try to wash it in. Fabric cleaning doesn't carry over to pool water, so keep household cleaners out of the water. Skimming the powder off is the lowest-risk choice.
Will vinegar work on a quartz countertop stain?
No, skip vinegar, since it is unsafe on siliceous stone like granite, and quartz falls in that group. Lift the loose powder off the surface without rubbing it in. Test any cleaner on a hidden spot first, since fabric cleaning doesn't carry over.
What's the gentlest way to lift pollen off plastic?
Shake or tape off the loose powder first, and don't rub it, since pressing it in can set it. Avoid oil solvents on vinyl, because they strip the plasticizer and make it stiff. Test any other cleaner on a hidden spot before you use it.
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.