First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Blot up wet drool with an absorbent cloth.
- Rinse or sponge with cool or lukewarm water.
- Treat it before it dries, and keep it out of the dryer until it is gone.
- Test any treatment on a hidden spot first.
Saliva on a pillowcase looks like a faint wet mark at first, yet the protein in it is what heat fixes into the fabric. A cool rinse and an enzyme pretreatment handle most fresh spots, while dried drool can leave a yellow, brown or white mark that needs a longer soak. How long it has sat and what the fabric is both decide how much time it needs.
Rinse fresh drool in cool water and pretreat it with an enzyme laundry pretreater before the wash. Drool stains on pillow and pillowcase fabric often need a second round, and an oxygen bleach powder soak can handle a lingering shadow. If the drool smell hangs on after washing, air the pillow out fully before you decide it's clean.
6 items
What you'll need
Tap an item to get it on Amazon, or tick what you already have.
- Absorbent clothTo blot wet drool up without rubbing it in.
- Small bowlTo mix the enzyme pad with warm water.
- Enzyme presoak or enzyme detergentFor the enzyme pad and the enzyme wash. (opens Amazon)
- Liquid laundry detergentFor the pretreat and the main wash. (opens Amazon)
- Non-chlorine bleachAdd the bleach only in the final wash; it's the only bleach this stain needs. (opens Amazon)
- Household ammoniaOnly for a mark that remains after the pad and pretreat. (opens Amazon)
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
6 steps
How to get saliva out of clothes
Step 1 of 6
Blot, then rinse from the back
Blot up any wet drool with an absorbent cloth, pressing rather than rubbing. Then rinse the stain from the back of the fabric under cool running water, so it pushes out the way it came in. Cool or lukewarm water is what you want here, because heat makes the stain harder to lift.
Tip. If the item is too big for the sink, sponge the stain with cool water from the outer edge inward.
Step 2 of 630 minutes
Soak the stain with an enzyme pad
Mix 1/2 teaspoon enzyme presoak or enzyme detergent into 1/2 cup warm water, then dampen a pad with it. Lay the pad on the stain and keep it there for 30 minutes, moist but not dripping. Flush the area with plain water when the time is up.
Tip. Keep the pad damp so the solution stays on the stain the whole time.
Careful. Keep enzymes away from silk and wool.
Step 3 of 65 minutes
Pretreat with liquid detergent
Pour liquid laundry detergent over the stain until it is covered, and let it set for 5 minutes. If the mark is still strong, work the detergent in with your fingers, rinse, and repeat until the stain starts to lift.
Tip. Use your fingertips rather than your nails, and keep the detergent covering the stain while it sits.
Careful. Use liquid laundry detergent, never bar soap, which sets the stain.
Step 4 of 6
Flush with ammonia if a mark remains
If a mark is still there, mix 1 tablespoon household ammonia with 1/2 cup water and dab it onto the spot. Flush the area with plain water afterward so no ammonia is left in the fabric.
Tip. Test a hidden spot first, since any treatment can change the fabric.
Careful. Skip ammonia on silk and wool.
Step 5 of 6
Wash on the hottest allowed setting
Wash the item with detergent, non-chlorine bleach and an enzyme presoak, on the hottest setting the care label allows. Only do this after the stain has been treated and rinsed, so the heat reaches a stain that is already loosened.
Tip. Colored fabric may need a cooler setting, so check the label before you choose the hottest one.
Careful. Dilute the bleach first; full strength can weaken fabric.
Step 6 of 6
Check, then soak if it lingers
Before the item goes anywhere near heat, check the spot in good light. If the stain is still there, soak the item for 1 or 2 days, stirring occasionally, then wash it again and air dry.
Tip. Stir the soak every so often so the solution reaches the stain.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for saliva
For fabric, you need a liquid laundry detergent and a prewash stain remover spray or stick, plus an oxygen bleach powder as the non-chlorine bleach for the final wash. Test any product on a hidden spot first, and read the fabric's care label before you buy.
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
Saliva on every material
No match. Try the main search for anything else.
How to tell it's working
Within the first cold rinse and enzyme soak, the spot should look lighter and feel less stiff to the touch. Check before the item goes near heat, and if a trace remains, soak it another day instead of drying, since protein stains can take one or two days.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your fabric
White pillowcases and shirts
White pillowcases and shirts usually show a yellow or brown ring once drool dries, so the cold rinse does most of the early work. Hot water is what sets the protein into cotton, so keep heat off the spot until it's gone.
After the enzyme soak, wash with detergent and a non-chlorine bleach on the hottest setting the care label allows. Check the spot before the item goes near the dryer, and if a faint trace remains, soak it again rather than drying it.
Colored shirts and denim
Colored shirts and denim take the same cold-first rinse and enzyme soak. The wash uses a non-chlorine bleach rather than chlorine, so you're less likely to lose color.
Test the bleach on a hidden seam first: dampen it, then blot with a white cloth and see whether any color comes off. If color transfers, skip the bleach and go back to the enzyme soak.
Silk and wool
Silk and wool are where a home attempt can do the most damage, so the goal is to keep the spot from spreading and get a cleaner involved. Blot gently with a clean, dry cloth, because rubbing a wet mark can leave spots that can't be fixed.
Keep heat off the stain and don't machine-wash silk at home, even if the label says washable. Get the piece to a professional cleaner quickly and point out the spill, since fresh protein is easier for them to lift.
Dry-clean-only pieces
A dry-clean-only label rules out washing, so the home job is limited to blotting. Use a clean, dry cloth to lift the wet drool from the surface, pressing rather than rubbing.
Get the piece to a cleaner as soon as you can, and say it's saliva on that fabric. Fresh drool is much easier to lift than a dried mark, so an early visit gives the best result.
Pillows and pillowcases
A washable pillowcase takes the same steps as clothes: a cool rinse from the back, a detergent pretreat, then a wash on the hottest setting the care label allows. Keep the case out of the dryer until the mark is gone.
Pillow inserts need their own label check first. If the insert is not washable, blot the mark with cool water and leave any deeper stain to a professional cleaner. For odor there is no separate method, so wash the case and let the pillow air dry fully before you use it again.
Old, dried or set-in stains
An old saliva stain that has sat for days needs a longer soak than a fresh one. Scrape off any crusted matter first, then soak the item in cold water with a detergent or enzyme presoak. For an aged stain, soak for at least 30 minutes, or for several hours if it has been there a long time.
Dried stains often need several rounds of treatment before they are fully gone. Work through the pretreat and wash again each time, and rinse thoroughly between rounds. A stubborn mark may take a 1 or 2 day soak, stirred now and then, before a final wash and air dry.
If the item has already been through the dryer, the heat has set the stain more firmly, so expect it to take longer. Give the soak a real try before you accept a faint mark. If something faint remains after several rounds, it is realistic to accept it or ask a professional cleaner to look at it.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on saliva?
Plenty of home remedies float around for saliva stains. Most of them don't suit a protein stain, so reach for an enzyme product and liquid laundry detergent first.
Helps1Skip4Avoid1
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 rub the drool into the fabric
Rubbing pushes wet saliva deeper into the fibers and can spread the mark over a wider area. Blot it with a dry cloth, then rinse from the back under cool water.
Don't stop at a faint mark
A faint mark is still protein, and it sets in the dryer just as hard as a dark one. Repeat the detergent pretreat and check again in good light before the item goes near heat.
Don't let drool dry on the fabric overnight
Once drool dries into a pillowcase, the protein bonds to the fibers, and the longer it sits the harder it is to lift. Rinse the case the next morning, even if the mark looks faint.
Don't use ammonia on silk or wool
A diluted ammonia flush is a step for sturdier fabrics, and full strength is too harsh for delicate ones. On silk and wool, skip ammonia entirely and send the item to a cleaner.
Don't cut the enzyme soak short
Protein stains need about 30 minutes in an enzyme product before washing, and older marks need several hours or more. Pulling the item out early leaves a trace, and that trace is what you're left with after the wash.
When to call a professional
Silk and wool pieces, and anything labeled dry-clean only, belong with a cleaner, ideally within a day or two of the spill. Tell them it's a protein-based body fluid stain and whether you've rinsed it, so they don't start with the wrong pretreatment.
Questions
Do drool stains come out of pillowcases?
Yes, a washable pillowcase can come clean with the same steps: a cool rinse from the back, a detergent pretreat, then a wash on the hottest setting the care label allows. Keep it out of the dryer until the mark is gone. Pillow inserts need their own label check, covered below.
Why do drool stains turn yellow, brown, or white?
The color a mark shows depends on the fabric and how long it has sat, so don't judge how hard it will be by its color. Drool is a protein, and a mark that has dried or aged is harder to lift than a fresh one. Treat it early, and use a longer soak for an older mark.
Does drool or saliva stain fabric?
Yes, drool is a protein stain, and heat is what sets it into the fibers. A fresh spot treated with cool water and detergent can lift completely, while a dried one takes a longer soak.
How do you get drool smell out of a pillow?
Start by washing the pillowcase with the steps above, since a clean case is the first fix. For the pillow itself, check the care label and let it air dry fully before using it again. These steps don't include a separate odor treatment, so a full air dry is the safe finish.
How do you remove dog saliva from car seats and clothes?
On clothes, use the same steps: a cool rinse from the back, an enzyme pad, a detergent pretreat, then a wash on the hottest setting the care label allows. For car seats and paint, rinse with cool water and test a hidden spot before using any product, and skip rubbing alcohol on leather. For fabric you don't need a dog-specific product; a liquid laundry detergent and an enzyme presoak do the job.
How do you remove drool and spit from other surfaces?
The method changes with the surface, so start with a cool rinse, blot gently, and test a hidden spot before anything stronger. For a couch, the Couch & Sofa guide covers the upholstery cleaning codes and the steps that go with them. For monitors and other hard surfaces, use only a barely damp cloth and check the maker's instructions before you use any product on them.
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.