First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Scrape off excess paste with a dull knife or spatula, without pushing it deeper.
- Rinse with cool or cold water to dilute the mark.
- Blot rather than rub.
Toothpaste on clothes leaves a white or colored mark, since its abrasive minerals, detergents and dye sink into the fabric, and mouthwash follows the same routine. A fresh mark lifts with a rinse and a detergent cover, while one that has dried may need a second full treatment. A dry-clean-only item rules out the water steps, so read the label before you begin.
If you need to get toothpaste off a shirt fast, a prewash stain remover spray or stick is the handiest tool. Mouthwash on clothes responds to the same step, so a separate plan isn't needed. On a black shirt, test any product on a hidden seam first so you don't lighten the dye.
8 items
What you'll need
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- Liquid laundry detergentFor the pretreat that covers the mark before the soaks. (opens Amazon)
- Liquid hand dishwashing detergentThe detergent in the vinegar soak. (opens Amazon)
- White vinegarThe acid in the vinegar soak. Plain white only. (opens Amazon)
- Oxygen bleach powderFor the 30-minute soak that lifts the color left behind. (opens Amazon)
- Rubbing alcoholOnly for color that stays after the soaks, and only after a hidden-seam test. (opens Amazon)
- Dull knife or spatulaLifts the excess paste without pushing it deeper.
- White clothBlots the stain and shows whether color is lifting during a test. (opens Amazon)
- Measuring spoons and a 1 quart containerGets the amounts right for every soak.
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7 steps
How to get toothpaste out of clothes
Step 1 of 7
Scrape off the excess paste
Use a dull knife or spatula to lift away the excess paste, pressing lightly so you don't push it deeper into the weave. Then rinse the back of the spot with cool water to dilute what's left.
Tip. Work from the back of the fabric so any paste is pushed out rather than in.
Step 2 of 75 minutes
Cover the mark with liquid detergent
Pour liquid laundry detergent straight onto the stain until it's fully covered, then leave it for 5 minutes. Press it in gently with your fingertips, since blotting works better than rubbing.
Tip. Keep the spot damp under the detergent while it sits so it doesn't dry out.
Step 3 of 715 minutes
Soak in vinegar and dishwashing detergent
Mix 1 tablespoon white vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon liquid hand dishwashing detergent into 1 quart warm water, then soak the stained area for 15 minutes. Rinse the item thoroughly with water when the soak is done so no vinegar stays in the fabric.
Careful. Use white vinegar only; colored vinegar can leave a stain.
Step 4 of 7
Sponge on rubbing alcohol if color stays
If color is still visible after the soak, test rubbing alcohol on an inside seam first. If the fabric holds, sponge the spot with it and rinse with cool water before the oxygen bleach soak.
Tip. A cotton swab works well for a small mark.
Careful. Skip rubbing alcohol on acetate, triacetate, modacrylic or acrylic, since it damages those fibers.
Step 5 of 730 minutes
Soak in oxygen bleach
Dissolve 1 tablespoon oxygen bleach in 1 quart warm water and soak the spot for 30 minutes. This is the soak that lifts the color left behind once the earlier steps are done.
Careful. Skip this soak on wool or silk, and on any fabric whose fiber you don't know.
Step 6 of 7
Wash in the warmest allowed water
Wash the garment with heavy-duty liquid detergent and oxygen bleach in the warmest water the care label allows. Run a full cycle so the detergent rinses out of the fabric before anything else happens.
Tip. If the care label is missing, use warm water and skip the hot setting.
Step 7 of 7
Air dry and check the spot
Let the garment air dry, then check the spot in good light before deciding it's gone. Stains that sat for days may need a second treatment, so repeat the soaks if a shadow remains.
Tip. Compare the spot with the fabric beside it to be sure it's clear.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for toothpaste
Use a liquid laundry detergent for the pretreat and a prewash stain remover spray or stick for stubborn spots, since both are ordinary household products.
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 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.
See what to do for what you're seeing →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
Toothpaste on every material
No match. Try the main search for anything else.
How to tell it's working
A toothpaste mark should start giving up color onto your blotting cloth within the first few presses, and the paste should soften and wash out of the fibers. After the wash, a faint shadow is a good sign, but if the spot still feels stiff or chalky, treat it again before anything goes in the dryer.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your fabric
Whites and white shirts
Whites are the easiest place to finish off a toothpaste mark, because they handle more of the gentle steps. If the detergent cover and oxygen soak leave a faint tint, diluted chlorine bleach can help lift the last trace, but only if the label allows it.
Only use it on a white item that hasn't been treated with vinegar or alcohol, or after you've rinsed those out completely. Dilute it, dab it onto the mark, and rinse thoroughly before the item goes in the wash.
Colors and denim
Colored shirts and jeans follow the same sequence, with one firm change: leave chlorine bleach out. Oxygen bleach is the stronger option for dyed fabric, but only once it has passed a colorfast check.
Dampen a hidden seam, press a white cloth against it, and look at the cloth. If any color transfers, drop the oxygen bleach and stay with the detergent cover and cool rinse.
Silk, wool and delicates
Delicates need a light touch more than a strong product. Dab the mark with cool water and a clean white cloth, keeping the rest of the garment as dry as you can.
Skip both kinds of bleach here, since chlorine and oxygen types can weaken these fibers. Rubbing and wringing do more damage than the toothpaste itself, so lift the mark by blotting and let the item air-dry flat.
Dry-clean-only items
A dry-clean-only label rules out the water and detergent steps, so your job is containing the mess until the cleaner has it. Press a dry white cloth onto the paste to absorb what you can, using a dull edge to lift the thick part without pushing it in.
Get it to the cleaner promptly, and mention if mouthwash was involved as well, since it's a different kind of soil. Naming both helps them plan the approach.
Black and dark shirts
Black and dark shirts get the same steps, but test the oxygen bleach soak first on an inside seam. Dab a little of the solution on the seam, then blot it with a white cloth. If color comes off on the cloth, skip the soak and rely on the detergent pretreat and vinegar soak alone.
Keep the wash at the warm end of the label's range, since hot water needs care on colored fabric. Check the spot in good light before deciding it's gone, because a faint mark is easy to miss on black.
Old, dried or set-in stains
A toothpaste stain that has sat for days is harder to shift, because the dyes and minerals have had longer to settle into the fibers. Run the full sequence again, starting with the detergent pretreat and the vinegar soak, and expect that a second pass may be needed.
If the mark has dried, wet the area with cool water and let it sit for 5 minutes so the paste softens before you scrape. Then run the oxygen bleach soak before the wash, since it's the step that lifts the color left behind.
If the item has already been through the dryer, the heat has set the mark, so expect a faint shadow at best. If it is still visible after a full wash and an air dry, repeat the soaks once more and accept whatever is left rather than scrubbing the fabric.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on toothpaste?
Most household fixes online are aimed at other stains or hard surfaces, so this list keeps only what matches the steps. Each remedy either helps this mark or is one to skip.
Works3Skip3
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.
Oxygen bleach (OxiClean) + Vinegar
OxiClean's maker says it should not be mixed with household chemicals other than detergent in the wash.
Oxygen bleach (OxiClean) + Rubbing alcohol
OxiClean's maker says it should not be mixed with household chemicals other than detergent in the wash.
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 mix the vinegar soak with the oxygen bleach
Vinegar and oxygen bleach must never share a solution, so the vinegar has to be rinsed out completely before the bleach goes in. Pour the vinegar soak away, rinse the garment well, and only then mix the bleach.
Don't leave the stain for days
Toothpaste stains that sit for days often need a full second treatment, and some never lift completely. Start the detergent pretreat the same day, even if all you can manage for now is a scrape and rinse.
Don't rub the paste in
Rubbing works the abrasive minerals deeper into the weave and spreads the dye onto the fabric around the mark. Blot with a clean white cloth instead, and scrape only with a dull edge held lightly.
Don't use alcohol on acetate or acrylic
Rubbing alcohol can damage acetate, triacetate, modacrylic and acrylic fibers, so test a hidden seam before it goes anywhere near a mark on these blends. If the test looks fine, dilute it before you sponge.
Don't skip the cool rinse
A rinse with cool water dilutes the paste so the detergent has less to work through. Going straight to the detergent leaves thick paste in the weave, and that's what pushes the mark deeper.
Troubleshooting
If the stain is still there
Pick what you're seeing:
A white chalky haze stays after the wash
Mineral residue is still in the fibers. Rinse the back of the area with cool water, repeat the 5-minute detergent pretreatment, and wash again before drying.
A blue or green tint remains from a gel toothpaste
The dye has reached the fibers. Sponge with rubbing alcohol if the fabric allows, then wash and follow with the sodium perborate soak.
The stain spread into a bigger ring
Too much water or rubbing moved the paste outward. Blot the area nearly dry, then work detergent from the outer edge toward the center.
You cannot tell if the mark is gone on a dark shirt
Let the garment air dry fully and check it under bright light. Repeat the soaks if any haze shows.
When to call a professional
A dry cleaner is the right call for a dry-clean-only shirt or anything delicate like wool or an heirloom, since water steps can cost you the fabric. Tell them whether the mark came from toothpaste or mouthwash, and how long it sat before you treated it.
Questions
Does toothpaste stain clothes?
Yes. Toothpaste carries abrasive minerals, detergents and often dyes, so the paste and its color can leave a white or colored mark. Most marks come out with a cool rinse, a detergent pretreat and a wash, as long as the mark is treated before it dries.
Is a mouthwash mark treated differently from toothpaste?
No, mouthwash is handled with the same steps as toothpaste. Start with the cool rinse and detergent pretreat, then check the spot before it goes through the wash.
How do I get a toothpaste stain out of a hoodie or jeans?
Use the same steps, and check the care label before the oxygen bleach soak. Work from the back of the garment so the paste pushes out, and keep the wash at the warmest setting the label allows. If the label is missing, skip the oxygen bleach soak until you know the fiber.
Do I need a special stain remover for toothpaste on clothing?
No. Ordinary household products cover the whole method, including liquid laundry detergent and dishwashing liquid. Skip anything sold as a toothpaste remover, since these everyday products do the same job.
Can I get a toothpaste stain out after it has dried?
Usually yes, if the mark hasn't been through the dryer. Wet the area with cool water and let it sit for 5 minutes so the paste softens, then run the full sequence and repeat the soaks if a shadow remains.
Can I remove a toothpaste stain without washing it?
Scraping and a cool rinse will remove loose paste, but the color needs detergent to lift. Without detergent or vinegar, the mark usually stays, so run the sequence before you give up.
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.