“NO WAY!”. My mother screamed in panic as she saw big blobs of perfume stains on her white dress. We were off to a wedding and as we were leaving, she sprayed some perfume on her dress. That’s when the game went wrong. Two BIG patches of yellow stains smirked at us. Although I consoled Amma into wearing something else, the damage had been done.
Has it happened to you as well?
Those ugly yellow perfume stains are-without a doubt- a great turn-off. You may be wondering if you have lost your expensive dress forever.
But, here’s the good news: There are a few hacks that you can try to save your clothes from eternal damnation!
How to Remove Perfume Stains from Clothes?
Luckily, you can follow the steps below to remove perfume stains on your clothes.
Removing patches from washable fabrics
Step 1: Dampen the Stain
Dampen the stain with a wet cloth immediately. Keep dabbing the damp cloth for some time. However, DO NOT start rubbing off the stain. Be a little gentle with this to avoid the blob from spreading any further.
This technique is great if your perfume stain is fresh and might be enough to restore your attire to its original coolness.
Step 2: Apply Detergent Solution
In case the stain is pretty obstinate, apply some detergent solution on it and rub. Then, put it in your washing machine and let it spin.
Alcohol can also be used to bleach the stain but bleaching should be your last resort.
Click here to give a look at some of the best available detergents on Amazon.
Step 3: Use Paper Towel to Absorb the stain
Once the stain becomes less stubborn, cover the stain with cotton or wool. The essential oil or dye will absorb itself into the paper towel. Keep the stain covered for a while.
Step 4: Wash the Fabric
Lastly, wash the fabric with water to remove any leftover perfume.
However, if you have stained leather or silk clothing, you may have to follow a different set of steps.
Removing Stains from Leather Jackets / Jeans/ Shirt
Step 1: Remove excess scent
Use an absorbent material like a paper towel to blot any excess perfume. Keep tapping the stain gently so that your leather coat or any other form of clothing is dry.
Note: DON’T USE WATER on leather or Suede.
Step 2: Prepare a Soap Solution
Squirt some liquid soap into a large bowl of lukewarm water. Squish the solution to create bubbles.
Then apply the foam onto the stain and transfer it onto a clean sponge. Use this sponge to gently pat the stain.
Step 3: Wipe!
After dabbing with the sponge, you are ready to wipe away the soapy solution and see if this trick worked for you.
Step 4: Give cornmeal a shot
In case your soapy solution didn’t work, don’t lose hope. Cornmeal might be your savior. Cornmeal is an excellent stain absorbent.
So, here’s the trick. Sprinkle some cornmeal onto the stain and allow it to stay as it is for half an hour or so.
After this time period, remove corn meal and see the results. Who knows that cornmeal might be the one who saves the day!
Additionally, try using liquid ammonia with baking soda to remove laundry odor and stains. it works magic.
Removing Stains from Silk
Washing off the stain from silk might be comparatively harder as it’s not the best water-retaining material. However, use the procedure below:
Step 1: Flush the Silk with Water
Make sure to use large quantities because silk doesn’t absorb water well. Therefore, higher volumes ensure maximum absorption into the cloth.
Water is a great agent that prevents fresh stains from becoming stiff and the older ones to separate from the cloth, ready for removal.
Step 2: Some Glycerine would be Good
Add a few drops of glycerin to the affected area. Glycerin will help fight the rigidness of old stains, allowing them to be easily washed off.
Step 3: Rinse and Dab with Vinegar Solution
Finally, rinse the solution. If the stain persists, use some vinegar or denatured alcohol, and then wash with water again.
Why causes perfume stains on clothes?
To understand this, it’s important to have an idea of a perfume’s composition. Based on this, there could be three reasons why a perfume might leave a spot behind. People tend to spray on clothes to make their perfume last longer without knowing the cons and benefits.
1. Concentrated Essential Oils
Perfumes are made of two essential components, namely, alcohol and essential oils.
Sometimes, when perfumes are sprayed too close to your attire, these oils can leave a mark behind. Stains by essential oils are usually yellow.
These are normally not those guests that keep third-wheeling between your clothes and yourself for too long. Thus, a few washes and you are good to go.
2. Alcohol bleaching effect
At times the alcohol in the perfume can also be the culprit. It messes with you in a pretty bad way by bleaching the clothes. Normally, this bleaching effect is mild. However, it is irreversible.
3. Dyes in Scents
Some perfume makers like to add mild dyes to perfumes to give them a nice color. These dyes may be left as residue on your clothes.
Luckily, most of them are washable. Therefore, you should try my top hacks to remove perfume stains from your clothes.
However, these stains can also be permanent in some cases. Nevertheless, trying to eliminate them is a must on your part.
Parting Thoughts: Avoiding Perfume Stains
Removing Perfume Stains can be a challenging task and sometimes, you won’t get the desired results. Therefore, the real trick lies in avoiding a perfume stain in the first place.
Here’s how you can avoid a perfume stain.
Do not spray perfume on clothes at all. Only apply perfume on your pulse points. Visit our article, How to Apply Perfume the Right Way to get an idea.
Do not spray perfume directly. When we shared our tips on how to make a perfume last longer, we shared how clothes hold perfume better than skin. However, there is always a risk of staining so spray at a safe distance. Also, don’t concentrate the fragrance on one spot.
Spray perfume right after a shower. A hydrated body also holds perfume longer, thus vanishing the need to spray on clothes. Hence, spritz some scent here and there right after a shower.
That’s all I have learned from my perfume staining experiences. If you know anything else, do comment. Also, don’t forget to use these techniques and let me know if they worked.
