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How To Remove Butter Stains quickly and easily

Whether it’s popcorn for movie night, baking with the kids, or a piece of toast for breakfast, some extra butter is always welcome! What no one loves, however, is getting that melted, warm butter all over your clothing by accident. Thankfully, it’s easy to remove butter stains on all types of clothing, which means you can soon get back to having fun! Like with most stains, it’s best to deal with the butter stain as soon as possible, as fresh stains are easier to remove.
A man in an oil stained shirt checking the oil level of a car engine Description: It’s easy to remove grease stains from clothes when you act fast and use the right stain-removal method.

Methods for how to get rid of butter stains

Because butter is an oily, greasy stain, it’s advisable to pre-treat the clothing before you place anything in the washing machine. By doing this, you’ll increase the chance of the stain being completely removed after the first wash. Follow these steps to remove butter stains on general clothing items like cotton shirts or denim jeans.

  • Start the process by gently blotting any excess butter with a dry cloth or paper towel. Try not to rub the stain vigorously, especially not with a wet cloth, as this can force the stain deeper into the fabric. If the butter hasn’t melted yet, use a blunt knife or spoon to scrape off any excess.
  • The best way to remove butter stains from clothes is to pre-treat by pouring liquid laundry detergent onto the affected area, gently working it in with your fingers or an old toothbrush, and letting it sit for around 10 minutes. Persil® ProClean® Stain Fighter laundry detergent works great for tough jobs like this. 
  • Wash the garment on the highest temperature allowed according to the care symbols on the label to help get the butter stains out of the fabric. You can use the same liquid detergent you used to pre-treat or even try pre-measured Persil® Discs™ if you want more convenience.
  • Tip: Check that the stain is gone before hanging the item to dry or placing in a dryer. If not, repeat the above butter stain removal steps.

Tips for more delicate fabrics

If you’re trying to remove butter stains out of fabric that’s more delicate, such as items made from wool or silk, you can try another method that involves powder.

  • Blot the stain with a dry cloth or paper towel or scrape excess butter off with a blunt knife.
  • Use an absorbent powder like baking soda or talcum powder to help remove butter stains from delicate clothing. 
  • Sprinkle the powder onto the stain to absorb as much of the butter as possible.
  • Ideally, leave the garment to sit with the powder overnight, or at least 2-3 hours.
  • Wash the garment either by hand or on a cold/delicates cycle on your washing machine. Find out more tips here on how to wash delicates correctly.