If you’re like me (and hopefully you aren’t, at least in this regard!), you get a lot of unfortunate stains on your clothes. My mom used to say that it’s like I “have a hole in my bottom lip!”
And as if that weren’t enough to deal with, it didn’t take long to discover that I had passed this particular flaw to all of my kids too. Needless to say, we rarely make it through a meal as a family without at least one person getting food on their shirt.
When it’s happened to me in the past, I used to immediately change my shirt and throw the stained one in wash right away out of paranoia that the stain would set if I didn’t. But I didn’t love interrupting meals with my family to run off to the laundry room, so I challenged myself to come up with a stain treatment that would allow me to “treat now, wash later,” as some stain remover products say.
After a few failed attempts, I finally came up with what I think is a winner! And I’m excited to share it with you here today, so that you can make your own stain stick at home too. :-)
How To Make A DIY Stain Stick So You Can “Treat Now, Wash Later”
Ingredients:
- 1 (5 oz) bar Fels Naptha laundry soap, finely grated
- 1/3 cup washing soda*
- 1/3 cup borax*
- 2 Tbsp vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 Tbsp Dawn dish soap
*Note: If you only have one of these on hand, never fear! Instead of adding 1/3 cup of both washing soda and borax, you can use 2/3 cup of either and it will still turn out just fine!
Directions:
Step 1 – Melt Over Low Heat
Add the grated soap, washing soda, borax, vinegar, and water to a saucepan.
Put it on your stove over low heat until combined and mostly melted.
(I say “mostly melted” because I’ve never been able to get the soap completely melted when I’ve made this, which is also why it’s important to grate the soap as finely as you can before attempting to melt it. I do this by cutting the bar into chunks first, then blending the soap chunks in my Blendtec until it’s all been properly pulverized.)
Step 2 – Add The Dish Soap
When the mixture starts to thicken, remove the saucepan from heat and allow to cool for a minute or two before stirring in the Dawn. (You are going to want to work quickly here because it will start to harden pretty fast!)
Step 3 – Fill Container(s) And Let Cool
Spoon the finished stain stick mixture into a plastic ziplock bag, snip off one of the corners, then pipe it into an empty container. A lip balm tube works well if you’d prefer a mini stain stick, and an empty deodorant container works well for a larger version.
As you fill your container(s), either tap the container on the countertop to help the mixture settle, or push it down with something if the mixture is too thick to tap down. Continue filling and leveling until your containers are full and there are no air pockets.
Finally, allow the mixture to cool and harden completely before using.
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How To Use Your DIY Stain Stick
To remove a stain, grab your stain stick and either wet the end of if slightly or dampen the stain itself with some water. (Getting the stain stick, the stain itself, or both wet helps things glide a bit more easily.) Rub the stain stick onto the stained area.
At this point you can either wash the item immediately, or toss it in your hamper and wash it later. I’ve had success with both methods (even after letting the stained item sit in the hamper for days!)
But if I am going to wash it after it’s been sitting for a while, I usually run some water over the stained area then rub the fabric together for a few seconds to get the detergents deeper into the stain. (I’m not sure how much of an impact this makes, but I thought I’d mention it just in case.)
Throw the stained and treated item into your washing machine and wash as usual. During the wash cycle, the borax will break down acidic stains, while washing soda and vinegar both boost the stain-removing, grease-cutting power of the detergents and dish soap.
This stick is now another permanent fixture in my laundry cabinet, right next to my homemade ultimate stain remover spray! The next time you have a stain situation (which seems to occur about every 10 minutes in my house), you’ll have a great way to stop the stain in its tracks without having to drop everything to do a load of laundry.
What do you do after realizing you’ve spilled something on your shirt?
Can you use Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap or Sal Suds for this recipe? Thanks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yes, Holly… That would work.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If you splatter grease or oil on your blouse, douse it with talcum powder and rub it in. When you’re ready to wash the item, shake it out and then treat with your preferred method before washing. The powder will have taken out most of the greasy mess and the powder itself washes right out. If you’re late for work, and get one spot on your blouse, talcum powder (sort of “packed on”) will lighten it enough that you don’t have to change. Thank you for your DIY’s, Jillee. They are my favorites to read. P.S. A person on this forum recommended a bib-type thing to help keep stains off good clothes. This is a good idea, yet, to avoid embarrassment, I just “forget” to take my apron off.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This weekend I want to make your home made A DIY Stain Stick. I noticed that you used a blender to grind the mix! I have a VITA MIX!!! I don’t want ruin my Vita Blender machine !
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Another question for up Jillee? what’s the difference between WASHING SODA and BAKING SODA???? Can I just use Baking Soda?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Just reading your trick on How To Use Your DIY Stain Stick. Just wondering if I’ll get the same result using SUNLIGHT LAUNDRY BAR SOAP?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi, Jillee! Had to chuckle when I read all of these woes of mess! I personally do not have this problem, however, I can remember many family members, at large family get-togethers who had this “disability”. Have any of you ever considered quickly sewing up some “bib” type things to throw over the front of yourselves? I know, if we were having a big barbeque, that is what we did. Saved a lot of nice pieces of clothing and nobody had the embarrassment of walking around in a shirt begging to be washed! Just a suggestion. God bless you all and happy eating! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great idea! I had to laugh at the felds naphtha! I grew up in poison oak infested mountains. We always had a bar in the shower, kitchen sink and one at the washing machine. Sure gets the plant’s oil off of clothes and body. Still have a bar under the kitchen sink! Thanks so much for sharing all your wonderful and helpful ideas!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I agree. I sometimes can’t get through a meal without something making a stain. I actually when I. notice a stain when I’m at home grab a baby wipe and gently dab the stain. I also keep Shout Wipes packets at home they are great at removing stubborn stains. If I’m away from home – usually at work I just grab a wet wipe from my bag and dab it. I also keep a Tide bleach pen and little shout wipes in my work bag for this. I definitely will have to try this. I just need to remember to save an empty tube and deodorant container.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.When I first saw the photo, I thought Jillee was putting the mixture in an empty tampon inserter! I was shocked!…Until I read further, haha!! Once my mother was complaining that she spilled food all over herself as she ate. I advised her, “Fill your mouth OVER the plate! Then any food that spills will spill right onto the plate!” That’s what I do… so simple! That said, food finds its way onto my clothes at times too, and the stick would be most helpful. Thanks for the recipe!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have been making your stainstick recipe for a while now. I love it! I just wanted to let you know that I also made tiny stainsticks, using old chap stick and gluestik containers. They are wonderful to take on trips and keep in my purse. I made a bunch of them to give as stocking stuffers for this Christmas. Thanks again for the recipe!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ll have to make some tiny ones – thanks for the great idea!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It should still work okay! Next time, just be sure to have the burner on low and wait for it melt :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I cannot find Fels Naptha soap in my area — do you think that Sunlight laundry soap bars would work roughly the same?
Thanks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Here’s a link to Fels Naptha on Amazon, if you’d like to order it! http://amzn.to/1Ff8SEb
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Fels Naptha is my favorite, but Sunlight bars will work too :-)
Wear latex or plastic gloves if you use Fels Naptha, that stuff can be hell on sensitive skin.
Love this idea. I tend to easily get stuff stained. Certain foods I have to careful with. This is great.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My family used to make bets on how fast I’d spill something on myself lol
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Ha ha! The struggle is real!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi,
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Can someone tell me –does the washing soda help clean your clothes ? does it just go in every load with your detergent ?
Thanks for the help
You absolutely can add some with every load, it’s especially helpful if you have hard water. I use it in my favorite laundry detergent recipe (http://ogtbj.com/18TCPQ0) and here’s another post about 39 ways to use washing soda! http://ogtbj.com/1DIgy2J
Please log in or create a free account to comment.To make the Fels Naptha easy to handle, unwrap it and put it on a piece of wax paper (or the soap wrapper it came in), and zap it on HIGH for 90 seconds. Flip it over and zap for another 30 seconds. The Fels Naptha will puff right up! Let it cool, then chop it up into chunks and throw it in a food processor and pulse into it is a fine powder.
I must say that when I am in a hurry and do not want to get my food processor out, I just put the zapped Fels Naptha in a zip lock bag and pound it a few times with a mallet! (Also helpful for relieving frustration as you whale away at the Fels Naptha).
Jillee, we so love all your DIY products! Thank you!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Interesting! Thanks Cherie :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great idea. I have used Fels Napa since my child was a baby. It took stains of formula out of clothes easy.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I wouldn’t be without it.
It’s the best!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.When rebatching soap we add some water to it and melt it slowly. This is pretty much the same thing. The reason you had a tough time melting it is there wasn’t enough water.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I think I am worse than anyone to stain my shirt, if I don’t get it on me when I’m cooking ,I make sure to spill it on me when I’m eating. So this laundry stick is just what I need,thank you so much for this idea ,I love reading your blog ,I think you come up with the most helpful solutions thank you so much
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Brenda moore
Thanks Brenda! I hope you love the stain stick :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Buy some Shout, it takes most stains out. Wash stained clothes with warm water using Tide Pods even the Tide Pods for Sensitive Skin, and some Seventh Edition Bleach, which is hydrogen peroxide. Your stained clothes should come out clean, if not repeat the Shout, detergent and bleach. Some stains, such as paint, are impossible to remove, if so, toss your clothing item into the trash.
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