Who doesn’t love chocolate? When it’s in puddings, cakes, biscuits or just on it’s own it’s awesome, but when it melts onto clothes or your carpet – eek, it’s positively awful. Because chocolate has such a low melting temperature and is made from milk solids and cocoa, it’s a laundresses’ nightmare. But with this stain removal technique, you can say goodbye to chocolate stains.

Removing chocolate stains from clothes or washable fabrics

• Gently wipe as much of the excess chocolate as you can, taking care not to to push the stain deeper into the fibres.
• Next, flush out as much chocolate as you can using cold running water from the back of the stain.
• Add a few drops of dishwashing detergent and gently use your finger to work into the stain.
• Leave to penetrate for 30 minutes, rinse, and then pre-treat with a stain remover before washing as usual.

Removing chocolate stains from unwashable fabrics

When chocolate settles on an unwashable fabric, wait till it dries and then gently lift the chocolate from the fabric.

• Using a damp sponge, gently blot at any remaining stain until it’s clean – being careful not to wet the area too much.
• More persistent stains may need additional work. If so, apply a little dry cleaning fluid to a sponge and gently dab at the stain until the stain is removed. Blot dry with a dry cloth

Removing chocolate stains from carpets or furniture

Eek, spilt chocolate on the carpet or couch? Never fear, your stain removal solution is here. First of all, act quickly to blot up any excess. If it’s a cup of hot chocolate that’s spilt, you want to make sure that you blot up as much excess as possible so that you’re not left with residual milk that will sour and start to smell. Then:

• Blot the stain with a damp sponge with a few drops of dishwashing liquid. Take care not to flood the area and dab gently until stain is removed.
• If stain remains, moisten a sponge with an enzyme pre-soak, wrung out well. Place the sponge over the stain and let it stand for 30 minutes.
• Sponge with clean water to rinse, and pat dry with a clean cloth.

Stain remover notes

• The quicker you deal with a stain, the more likely you are to remove it.
• Unless it’s a fat stain, cold water is best for rinsing a stain, so as not to set it and make it harder to remove later.
• Before using a cleaning solution, test on an inconspicuous section, such as the inside of a sleeve, to check it won’t ruin the fabric.
• Always rinse out one cleaning solution before trying another to remove a stain as certain chemicals are not supposed to be mixed.
• Read the care instructions on the item of clothing before attempting vigorous stain removal. Some clothing may be too delicate to attempt stain removal and are better taken straight to the drycleaners.
• Don’t rub fabric harshly to remove stains as this can abrade fibres and cause fading.
• The white towel blotting method is often recommended for stain removal. Simply fold a clean white towel and, once you have treated the stain with water, gently dab it with the towel and check to see how much of the stain has transferred to the white towel.
• If using commercial stain removers and detergents, always follow the product label to understand the proper use and safety precautions you may need to take.
• It’s always easier to treat a stain on a washable fabric.

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