First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Blot up the excess, then sponge or rinse the spot in cool water right away.
- Treat it even if you can't see it, because soda stains on patterned sheets are easy to miss.
- Blot, don't rub.
A dark soda spill on sheets is easy to miss on a patterned set, and the color can stick once it has dried. Fresh stains lift much more readily than old ones, so the sooner you rinse the spot, the better. A dried mark usually needs a few rounds of pre-treating and washing rather than a single pass.
Getting Coke stains out of sheets is easier when you keep them out of the dryer, since heat can set the mark. Check the care label first, because a silk or dry-clean-only set needs a different approach. If the color still shows after a couple of washes, the set may be past home treatment.
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
7 items
What you'll need
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- Cool water and a clean cloth or spongeFor the first rinse and for blotting. (opens Amazon)
- Liquid laundry detergentRubbed into the spot as a pre-treatment, and used in the soak. (opens Amazon)
- Granular laundry detergentMixed with water into a paste, if you prefer that pre-treatment. (opens Amazon)
- All-fabric oxygen bleachFor the pre-treatment soak and the wash. (opens Amazon)
- White vinegarFor the soak. Use white only. (opens Amazon)
- Rubbing alcohol (70% isopropyl or 90% denatured)For any stain that remains after the rinse. (opens Amazon)
- Chlorine-type bleachFor the final wash, only if the care label allows it. (opens Amazon)
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6 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 6
Rinse the spot in cool water
Blot up any liquid you can with a dry cloth first, then sponge or rinse the spot in cool water. Work from the back of the sheet so the soda pushes out of the weave instead of deeper into it. Keep rinsing with clean water until the cloth comes away clear.
Tip. Switch to a clean section of cloth each time you blot, so the soda doesn't spread back onto the sheet.
Step 2 of 6
Pre-treat the spot
Choose one pre-treatment and work it into the spot. You can soak the area in an oxygen bleach solution, rub liquid laundry detergent straight into the stain, or work a paste of granular laundry detergent and water into it. Pick the option that suits the sheet, and keep the pre-treatment on the spot while you get the soak ready.
Step 3 of 615 minutes
Soak in the vinegar solution
Mix 1 quart of warm water with 1/2 teaspoon of detergent and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Soak the sheet, or at least the spot, in the solution for the full 15 minutes. Then rinse with plain water.
Tip. Use plain white vinegar only, since colored vinegar can leave its own stain.
Careful. White vinegar can weaken cotton and rayon and may change their color, so test a hidden corner first.
Step 4 of 6
Sponge a remaining stain with alcohol
Rinse the spot with water first, then check whether you can still see the stain. If you can, sponge it with rubbing alcohol until the color lifts, and rinse thoroughly so no alcohol is left in the fabric.
Tip. Use 70% isopropyl alcohol or 90% denatured alcohol with no added color or fragrance.
Careful. Don't use alcohol on acetate, triacetate, modacrylic or acrylic, and test a hidden corner first, since untested dyes can bleed.
Step 5 of 6
Launder with oxygen bleach
Wash the sheets with oxygen bleach added to the detergent, using the hottest temperature the care label recommends. Let the full cycle finish before you check the spot.
Tip. Oxygen bleach is the gentler choice for colored sheets.
Careful. Test colored sheets on a hidden area first, and keep oxygen bleach off wool and silk.
Step 6 of 6
Finish with chlorine bleach if safe
Once everything is fully rinsed out, add chlorine-type bleach to a final wash, but only if the sheets are white or colorfast and the care label allows it. If the label doesn't allow it, skip this step and leave the oxygen wash as your last one.
Careful. Never use chlorine bleach on wool, silk or spandex, and never mix it with vinegar, alcohol or ammonia. Rinse thoroughly between products.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for soda on sheets, towels & table linens
For colored sheets, pick an enzyme laundry pretreater that suits the fabric, and use a liquid laundry detergent with it.
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.
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
The spot should lighten with each pass, and it's done once the color is gone. If a faint shadow remains after the wash, repeat the soak or the alcohol sponge, and check in good light before you move on.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your sheets, towels & table linens
White cotton sheets
White cotton is the easiest case, because it can take the full method, including the final chlorine wash. Run the cool-water rinse and the pre-treatment first, then the vinegar soak, and save the chlorine for last.
If the stain is still there after the wash, sponge the spot with alcohol before you try the chlorine step again.
Colored or patterned sheets
Skip the chlorine wash entirely, since colored sheets may not be colorfast. Use oxygen bleach for the pre-treatment and the wash, and test a hidden corner with the vinegar and the alcohol before the full treatment.
Patterned sheets hide soda well, so check the whole sheet in good light before you wash it, and treat any spot you find.
Silk or wool sheets
Both chlorine and oxygen bleach are off-limits on wool and silk, so don't use either one. Blot the spot gently with cool water and don't wring the sheet out.
Take them to a professional cleaner promptly, and tell them the stain is soda so they can treat it right away.
Sheets with unknown fiber or no label
If you can't find the care label or don't know the fiber, don't guess about bleach. Skip all bleach, use the cool-water rinse and the detergent pre-treatment only, and test a hidden corner before you add the vinegar soak.
If the test shows any color change, stop and take the sheets to a professional cleaner.
Dry-clean-only sheets
Dry-clean-only sheets should not go in the washer, since the care label rules out home washing. Blot the spot gently with a dry cloth, then take the sheets to a dry cleaner promptly.
Fresh spots are easier for a cleaner to lift, so don't wait to make the call.
Old, dried or set-in stains
A soda stain that has dried is harder to lift, because it has had time to settle into the weave. Start again with cool water, then repeat the vinegar soak and the alcohol sponge before you wash.
After one full wash, check the spot again in good light. If a faint shadow is left, repeat the process once more before you move on.
Some older beverage stains respond to a pretreatment or soak in a product containing enzymes, followed by a normal wash. Old tannin stains may need bleaching, but only if the fabric allows it. Realistically, a long-set stain may fade a lot without disappearing completely, so judge the result by how much it has lifted.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on soda on sheets, towels & table linens?
Plenty of home remedies float around for soda, but only a few belong on bed sheets. Dryer heat sets soda on sheets, so the gentler options are the ones worth trying. Plenty of home remedies float around for soda, but only a few belong on bed sheets, so go slowly with anything beyond the basics.
Works3Helps1Skip2
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 dry or iron until it's gone
Heat sets soda into the fibers, and a set stain can become impossible to remove. Check the spot after each treatment, and keep the sheets away from the dryer and iron until it looks clean.
Don't rub the spot with bar soap
Soap can make a tannin stain like soda permanent or much harder to remove. Check the ingredient list of your detergent too, since some detergents contain natural soap.
Don't use bleach at full strength
Undiluted bleach can weaken cotton so it tears or wears out sooner. Dilute it as the label directs, every time.
Don't leave pretreatments on too long
Liquid and aerosol pretreatments should come off by the time the product recommends. Leaving them on longer can cause unstable dyes to change color or fade.
Don't skip the care label
Skip any product or procedure the care label prohibits, even one that looks like a fix. When the label is missing or unclear, skip the bleach and stick to the cool-water rinse and the detergent soak.
When to call a professional
Take dry-clean-only sheets to a professional dry cleaner promptly, and tell them the fiber content and the soda stain. Even washable sheets belong with a cleaner if the stain covers a large area, the set is bulky, or the fabric is fragile.
Questions
How soon should I treat a soda stain?
As soon as you can, because fresh stains are much easier to remove than old ones. Even a spot you only half-noticed is worth a cool-water rinse right away.
Does a soda stain mean the sheets are ruined?
No. Most soda stains come out with the steps above, though an old or dried-on stain may take more work and may not disappear completely. Give it a second round before you decide the sheets are done.
Can I use hot water on soda stains?
Only if the care label recommends hot water. Use cool water for the first rinse, and wash at the hottest temperature the label allows afterward.
Can I use dish soap instead of laundry detergent?
No, use detergent for the pre-treatment and the soak, and rinse everything out fully before you move on. Rinse everything out fully before you move on.
What if the soda soaked through to the mattress?
A mattress is a different surface, and the cushion needs its own approach. Strip the sheets and any mattress pad off first, then follow our Mattress guide for the cushion itself.
Can I use chlorine bleach on white sheets?
Only as the last wash, and only if the care label allows it. Chlorine is for white or colorfast sheets, so check the label before you add it.
Soda 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.