First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Gently scrape off any excess paste with a dull knife or spatula, without forcing it deeper.
- Rinse with cool or cold water to dilute the stain.
- Blot rather than rub.
Toothpaste on a sheet is a mix of abrasive minerals, detergents and dyes, and once it sinks into the weave it can leave a faint white or colored shadow. A fresh mark is much easier to lift than an old one, and anything you dry or iron while it's still there will set. Whether you can use chlorine bleach depends on the care label and whether the sheet is colorfast, so check that before you go past the soak.
Colored and patterned sheets need a gentler approach than white cotton, so test any cleaner on a hidden corner first. Silk, wool and synthetic blends are a different story, and an enzyme laundry pretreater is the safer pick. Old, dried stains set into the weave may need a second round, and a pro is the call if it still shows.
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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- Liquid hand dishwashing detergentThe detergent in the first soak that loosens the paste. (opens Amazon)
- White vinegarThe acid in the first soak, working with the detergent. (opens Amazon)
- Rubbing alcohol70% isopropyl or 90% denatured, with no added color or fragrance, for sponging after the rinse. (opens Amazon)
- Oxygen bleachFor the soak and the final wash, and the gentler choice for colored sheets. (opens Amazon)
- Heavy-duty laundry detergentFor the final wash, alongside the oxygen bleach. (opens Amazon)
- Dull knife or spatulaTo scrape off the excess paste before anything gets wet.
- Clean white clothFor sponging and blotting, so no color transfers back onto the sheet. (opens Amazon)
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6 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 615 minutes
Soak in the vinegar and detergent solution
Mix 1 quart of warm water, 1/2 teaspoon liquid hand dishwashing detergent and 1 tablespoon white vinegar. Submerge the stained section and let it soak for 15 minutes.
Tip. Use white vinegar only; colored vinegar can leave a stain.
Careful. White vinegar may weaken cotton, rayon, acetate and triacetate and may change color, so test a hidden corner first.
Step 2 of 6
Rinse the vinegar out completely
Rinse the sheet thoroughly with plain water until no soapy or vinegary liquid runs out. Do not carry the soak into the next step.
Careful. Do not mix vinegar and an oxygen bleach in the same solution; rinse the vinegar soak out first.
Step 3 of 6
Sponge the mark with alcohol
Dampen a clean white cloth with 70% isopropyl alcohol, or 90% denatured alcohol with no added color or fragrance. Dab the mark and keep moving to a clean area of cloth until no more color comes off.
Careful. Pretest the alcohol on a hidden corner, and skip it on acetate, triacetate, modacrylic or acrylic, or on colored sheets you cannot test.
Step 4 of 6
Launder the sheet as usual
Wash the sheet on the setting its care label allows, using your normal laundry detergent. Check the mark in good light before going further; if it is still there, the bleach soak comes next.
Step 5 of 630 minutes
Soak in the oxygen bleach solution
Dissolve 1 tablespoon oxygen bleach in 1 quart of warm water. Soak the stained area in this solution for 30 minutes.
Tip. On colored sheets, test a hidden area first; oxygen bleach is gentler for colors but can still change them.
Step 6 of 6
Wash with heavy-duty detergent and bleach
Wash the sheet with heavy-duty detergent and oxygen bleach, following the care label. Once the mark is completely gone, dry the sheet as usual; if any shadow remains, go back to the vinegar soak.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for toothpaste on sheets, towels & table linens
Choose a heavy-duty laundry detergent and an enzyme laundry pretreater, which is the gentler choice for colored sheets.
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
Good progress looks like the shadow getting paler after the vinegar soak and the first wash, with the fabric feeling soft where the paste sat. Check the spot while it's still damp, in daylight, and keep it out of the dryer until nothing shows. If a trace is still there after two full rounds, the stain has set in, so the set-in treatment is the next step.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your sheets, towels & table linens
White cotton sheets
White cotton takes every step in this method, so follow it as written. Once the mark is gone, the final wash can use the hottest setting the care label recommends, since very hot is fine for cotton.
Keep the soaks warm as written, though; the hotter water only belongs in the final wash.
Colored or patterned sheets
Test the vinegar soak on a hidden corner before you start, since colored fabric can change color. Run the same test on the oxygen bleach soak, because it is the gentler choice for colors but can still change them.
Never use chlorine bleach on colored sheets that are not colorfast. If the test corner changes color, do not use that product on the sheet at all.
Silk or wool sheets
Skip the oxygen bleach and the alcohol, since both are unsafe on wool and silk. Chlorine bleach is out for these fibers too.
Use cold water for the soak with the liquid detergent, rinse well, and wash on the gentlest setting the care label allows. If the label says dry-clean only, take the sheet to a professional dry cleaner promptly and name the stain.
Synthetic blend sheets
Check the care label for acetate, triacetate, modacrylic or acrylic in the blend, since alcohol can dissolve some of these. If the label names acetate or triacetate, skip the vinegar soak as well, because it can weaken them.
Blends without those fibers can take the full method. Keep the oxygen bleach soak to the stated amount and test a hidden corner first if the blend is colored.
Flannel sheets
Flannel is soft, and paste sinks into the nap quickly, so keep every scrape and blot light. Avoid rubbing, since the fabric is not built to take it.
Keep the sheet spread out and damp between steps so the paste does not dry in the nap.
Old, dried or set-in stains
If the mark has been sitting for days, one quick soak will not be enough, so plan on a second full treatment. Repeat the vinegar and detergent soak, rinse it out, then do the 30-minute oxygen bleach soak and launder.
Dried paste is crusted, so brush or scrape off the loose matter before you soak it in cold water with the liquid detergent. Between attempts, let the sheet air dry rather than putting it in the dryer.
Fresh marks come out far more easily than old ones, so a faint shadow after a second round is a realistic result on an older stain. Stop after two full rounds, because repeated bleaching wears fabric.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on toothpaste on sheets, towels & table linens?
Plenty of home remedies float around for toothpaste, but most are either outside these steps or unsafe on sheets. Only a few of them are worth using.
Works4Skip2
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.
Oxygen bleach (OxiClean) + Vinegar
OxiClean's maker says it should not be mixed with household chemicals other than detergent in the wash.
Chlorine bleach + Rubbing alcohol
Bleach and rubbing alcohol can form chloroform, which causes dizziness, nausea and loss of consciousness.
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 rub the paste into the weave
Rubbing drives paste and its color deeper into the threads and spreads the mark across the sheet. Scrape gently with a dull edge and press the cloth down rather than scrubbing.
Don't reach for bar soap
Bar soap and soap flakes can set a tannin-type stain, and toothpaste is in that group. Stick to the liquid detergent in the soak, and check your laundry detergent's ingredient list for soap.
Don't skip the rinse after vinegar
Vinegar and oxygen bleach must never share a solution, so the vinegar soak has to be rinsed out fully before any bleach goes on. Give the sheet a complete rinse, then move on to the alcohol step.
Don't test bleach on the stain itself
Colored and patterned sheets can shift color under bleach that a white sheet would shrug off. Try any bleach on a concealed corner first, and if the dye moves at all, skip it.
Don't sponge synthetics with straight alcohol
Acetate, triacetate, modacrylic and acrylic fibers can be harmed by undiluted alcohol. Read the fiber content on the label, and dilute or test before the alcohol step on any blend that includes them.
When to call a professional
A dry-clean-only set goes straight to a dry cleaner, and it's better to go sooner than to keep experimenting. If the stain spreads over a wide area or the sheet feels fragile once it's wet, hand it over too. Name the fiber content, say the mark is toothpaste, and list the soak and bleach you've already used.
Questions
Can toothpaste stain sheets permanently?
It can set if it dries or gets heated, which is why the steps start with scraping and soaking. Fresh marks respond far better than old ones, so treat it as soon as you see it.
Does colored toothpaste leave a worse mark?
It can leave a visible tint, because the colorants are what show. The same steps apply, but check the sheet after the alcohol to see how much color is left.
Does mouthwash stain sheets the same way?
Mouthwash behaves more like a protein stain, so rinse it with cool water first and avoid heat, which can set it. Then follow the steps, and treat any stubborn mark that has dried as an old protein stain.
How do I check whether a sheet can take bleach?
Read the care label first, since it overrides any tip here. If it allows bleach, test an inconspicuous area before you use the oxygen bleach, and remember that silk, wool and spandex should never get chlorine bleach.
What do I do if the care label is missing?
Treat the sheet as unknown: start with the cold-water soak and a little liquid dishwashing detergent. Hold off on the alcohol until a hidden corner shows no color change, and hold off on the oxygen bleach until then too.
Can I just wash the stain out in the machine?
Usually not on its own, since a plain wash can leave a shadow. Run the soaks first, then wash, and check the mark in good light before drying.
Can I wash a toothpaste-marked white sheet in hot water?
Not until the mark is gone. Heat sets stains, so keep the sheet out of hot water while any shadow is still visible. Once it's clear, wash at the hottest temperature the care label allows, since cotton can usually handle it.
Is the vinegar soak safe on colored or patterned sheets?
Test it first, because white vinegar can change color or weaken some fibers, including cotton, rayon, acetate and triacetate. Try it on a concealed corner, and if the dye shifts or the fabric looks thinner, skip the vinegar soak on that sheet. Patterned sheets with dyed-in designs deserve the same caution.
Can I leave toothpaste-stained sheets soaking overnight?
Not in the vinegar and detergent solution, which is built around a 15-minute soak. A longer soak only makes sense in an enzyme presoak, and only if the care label doesn't rule it out. Spray and liquid pretreatments are a different case, since a long dwell can shift certain dyes.
Toothpaste 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.