How To Get Tide Pod Stains Out Of Clothes

You must know how to get Tide pod stains out of clothes to some extent because there are many chances that you’ve used Tide pods for your laundry because of all the hype.

If my guess is right, do your cleaning methods work for you? Are they costly? Are they convenient? Are they natural? No matter which method you have used, my list below will still be beneficial for you to refer to.

For people who haven’t found any ideal cleaning method, you could rely on my article to identify the best solution for Tide pod residues.

Let’s start right now!

What Are Tide Pods?

Tide pod is designed with 3 separate compartments, including detergent, stain remover and brightener. So, it contains necessary ingredients to improve cleaning quality.

The incredible benefit of the 3-in-1 laundry solution is that they save you from the headache when estimating a dose of laundry detergent for a load of laundry.

With Tide pods, everything is readily measured and packed nicely in a water-soluble film. It’s suggested that you use 1 to 3 packs, depending on the size of the load.

You can see this video to know more:

5 Reasons Why Tide Pod Stains Your Clothes

Apparently, they are designed to clean your clothes, not to stain them. There might be some reasons why you find annoying blue streaks on your items. Let’s examine each one of them.

Overstuffing Your Washing Machine

The most popular reason for Tide pod stains on your items is that you toss too many clothes in the washing machine.

As you might not know, it’s highly recommended that you only add clothes up to 2/3 of the washing machine’s drum.

This way, you leave a space for clothes to move around and help the rinsing process become more straightforward. Otherwise, laundry detergent can easily be left on your garments.

Additionally, when clothes are packed tightly, the laundry detergent cannot be dissolved nor distributed evenly, leading to it gathering in one spot on the shirts or pants. Therefore, you might notice stains after laundering.

Using Too Much Detergent

It would be best if you keep in mind the recommended dose from Tide and only place 1 to 3 packets of Tide pod in the washing machine. Too much detergent can leave unwanted stains on the surface of your items.

Overdosing your laundry with detergent can cause buildups in the fiber of your clothes and the washing machine. It’s not good in the long run.

Are you curious about how many laundry pods should you use? You can see this video to know more:

Improper Agitation

Agitation is a movement inside the washing machine which varies according to the washing cycle you choose. It plays an essential role in dissolving detergent as well as rinsing your clothes – a process to remove dirty, soapy water from your items.

Improper agitation, often caused by choosing an unsuitable washing cycle, can leave laundry detergent marks on your garments.

Weather

Tide pods are 100% soluble in water. However, in winter, when the water is cold, it might be a bit tricky for Tide pods or any laundry pod to dissolve completely.

If this is your case, dissolve Tide pods in hot water before adding this mixture to the washing machine.

Not Add Tide Pods In The Washer Before Adding Clothes

This will clearly lead to blue streaks on whatever you put in the washing machine. Imagine Tide pods sit on top of your items; they might not be able to dissolve completely and easily remain even after hours of the washing cycle.

Do Tide Pod Stains Come Out?

If possible, you should check your clothes carefully after washing with Tide pods to see if there’s any stain. This will prevent you from tossing stained garments into the dryer, which can make affected spots impossible to remove.

The best way to tackle the laundry detergent mark is to rewash it as soon as you notice it. You can pretreat the garments with some household cleaning ingredients to ensure a stain-free result.

7 Excellent Ways To Remove Tide Pod Stains From Fabric

If you want to restore your favorite garments after having many Tide pod stains or laundry pod stains on them, here are 7 convenient yet effective methods you could refer to. Check them out now.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is said to be added at the beginning of the washing cycle, while white vinegar can be used in place of a fabric softener at the end of the laundry.

Both can act as a natural stain remover which is powerful enough to give you stain-free items in just a wash. A small tip for food lovers is that baking soda is also one of many ways to remove food from clothes.

Also, baking soda can remove unwanted detergent odor, which is caused by Tide pod buildups. As for vinegar, its smell will disappear as soon as the washing cycle finishes, so don’t worry about lingering aroma.

What You’ll Need

• Baking soda
• White vinegar

Instructions

Step 1: Put stained garments back in the washing machine and keep the same washing cycle you’ve used.

Step 2: Add half a cup of baking soda to the drum instead of laundry detergent.

Step 3: Wash as normal.

Step 4: For extra cleaning effect, add 1 cup of vinegar to the fabric softener drawer.

Step 5: Repeat if needed.

Step 6: Only put clothes in the dryer if the stain is no longer present.

Rubbing Alcohol

Rubbing alcohol is a familiar yet powerful solvent that can easily break down the laundry stain without harming the fabric. It’s also a top choice when it comes to tackling tree sap which sticks on your clothes.

If you wonder how to use it correctly, you can read my instructions below:

What You’ll Need

• A shallow bucket of warm water
• Rubbing alcohol

Instructions

Step 1: Check the washing instructions to make sure your garments can handle warm water.

Step 2: Submerge your items in the bucket and start rubbing the stain for about 1 minute.

Step 3: If the Tide pod stains don’t disappear, you might need to squeeze excess water out of the items. For delicate material, you should act as gently as possible.

Step 4: Apply enough rubbing alcohol on the mark to saturate it. (Do a test on a hidden spot of your items to make sure it doesn’t discolor your fabric)

Step 5: Let it stand for about 15 minutes.

Step 6: Rinse thoroughly with warm or hot water and check carefully to see if the stain has disappeared. Wash as usual without laundry detergent.

Step 7: Repeat the procedure if needed.

Vinegar

The acetic acid in vinegar can create a natural bleaching effect on the fabric, so it’s a great stain remover you’re looking for. Let’s follow these below steps to knock Tide pod stains off your favorite items.

What You’ll Need

• Vinegar
• A sink or laundry tub

Instructions

Step 1: Mix 1 part of vinegar with 4 parts of water in a sink or laundry tub and stir well.

Step 2: Soak your impacted items in the solution and wait for 2-3 minutes. Rub the stain to loosen the laundry pod sticking to the surface of your items.

Step 3: Allow your clothes to sit for an extra 1 hour.

Step 4: After that, toss only your stained garments into the washing machine. You should deal with half of them first if you have too many clothes to wash. The rule is not overloading your washing machine.

Step 5: If the stain is still persistent, repeat the whole process.

How to eliminate laundry detergent stains quickly? Check this out!

Bar Soap

Another household product you could refer to when you don’t have any rubbing alcohol or baking soda at home. Moreover, you can’t stand the vinegar’s odor lingering on your items, even for a few minutes.

If this is your case, bar soap can be a good candidate for Tide pod stains. It’s said to be widely used for bathing, washing, and other household cleaning chores.⁽¹⁾

What You’ll Need

• Cold water
• Buckets
• Bar soap
• White vinegar
• Baking soda (Optional)

Instructions

Step 1: Wet the stain with a lot of cold water or soak your items into a bucket of cold water.

Step 2: Rub the bar soap onto the impacted spot. Use your fingers to put the soap deeper into the fabric gently.

Step 3: Rinse your items under cold water to remove the remaining soap. It might take a while until the water becomes completely clear.

Step 4: Transfer them to another bucket filled with clean water. Add ½ cup of vinegar to the bucket and stir well so that vinegar can blend well with water.

Step 5: Place your clothes in the bucket and allow them to sit for 15 minutes.

Step 6: Wring garments out and put them into the washing machine.

Step 7: Wash the fabric normally without detergent. Add some baking soda to the drum.

Step 8: When the washing cycle finishes, check your items. If the stain persists, repeat the process one more time. If it has gone, toss them in the dryer.

Dishwashing Detergent

Dishwashing detergent is an effective cleaning solution that is also mild enough to use on fabrics, even with delicate ones like silk and wool.

It can cut through grease stains and remove laundry detergent buildup easily. So, keep scrolling to find out.

What You’ll Need

• Dishwashing detergent
• Laundry tub

Instructions

Step 1: Read the care label carefully and choose the suitable water temperature to soak your items. This applies to large stains. As for the small ones, saturate them with a good amount of water.

Step 2: Apply 1-2 drops of dishwashing detergent onto the affected area according to the size of the need-to-treat area.

Step 3: Dab it to the fabric gently with your fingers.

Step 4: Create suds by mixing some dishwashing detergent with water in a laundry tub.

Step 5: Submerge your items into the soapy solution and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Step 6: Take them out of the tub and apply more dishwashing detergent into Tide pod stains if they are still visible.

Step 7: Rinse the garments thoroughly and put them into the washing machine, and wash as usual.

Step 8: Repeat if needed.

Lemon Juice

Lemon juice is a perfect natural cleaning option for white clothes. ⁽²⁾ Remember to use fresh lemons or limes only in this method.

In my opinion, it’s one of my favorite and cost-effective ways to eliminate Tide pod stains, primarily from white shirts as well as get rid of armpit smell and buildup on clothes.

What You’ll Need

• Fresh lemons/limes

Instructions

Step 1: Cut lemons/limes in half and squeeze a generous amount of juice onto the stain.

Step 2: Add salt all over the Tide pod streaks.

Step 3: Work the mixture to go deeper into the fabric.

Step 4: Rinse under the running water to remove the mixture.

Step 5: Repeat Step 1,2,3,4 until the stain has gone away.

Step 6: Then, put it into the dryer.

Advanced-Action Gel

Some store-bought advanced-action gel products can be extremely helpful in getting rid of Tide pod stains out of clothes. Here’s how to do so:

What You’ll Need

• Advanced-action gel product

Instructions

Step 1: Spray a good amount of the gel directly on the Tide pod stain.

Step 2: Rub the spot carefully to loosen it from the fabric.

Step 3: Allow it to sit for at least 5 minutes or overnight if the stain is pretty hard to remove.

Step 4: Wash as normal with the current laundry detergent with the hottest water your fabric can tolerate.

Tips To Stop Tide Pods From Staining Clothes

It’s said that prevention is better than cure. If you agree with me, you can check the following tips to avoid Tide pod marks.

• For a small number of clothes, it’s highly recommended that you set the “Delicate” cycle in the washing machine.

• Tide pods are not supposed to be used in a prewash cycle.
• In winter, it’s best to wash with warm and hot water
• Make sure your wash cycle lasts at least 15 minutes
• Don’t add more than 3 Tide pod packets to your laundry.
• Avoid overloading your washing machine.
• Do not place the pod in the laundry detergent drawer.
• No need to open the pod beforehand.
• Remember to put the pod into the drum before loading it with many clothes.

Let’s refer to these tips to avoid laundry detergent marks, especially Tide pod stains.

FAQs

This might be one of the favorite parts of many readers because they probably have many questions when cleaning Tide pod stains. Let’s see!

Goodbye Tide Pod Stains!

As I have mentioned earlier, Tide pod stain is a fast way to dose your laundry detergent every time you need to wash, and it’s designed to enhance the cleaning effect.

To avoid all the trouble, you should follow the instructions from the manufacturer carefully. Besides, you can consult some tricks I have listed above.

Don’t fret once the stain happens because you have 7 powerful cleaning methods using various ingredients from natural to store-bought ones.

If you found these methods and tips helpful, feel free to share them with your friends and colleagues. Can you tell me about your favorite technique? Leave a comment below so I can reach you as soon as possible.

Reference

1. En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Soap – Wikipedia.
2. Hort.purdue.edu. 2021. Lemon.