Pomegranates sure are delicious and juicy, but they can be quite messy to eat. If you love eating pomegranates, you’ve probably gotten the juice on your clothes at least once or twice. These stains can be unsightly, especially on your favorite blouse. So how do you get pomegranate juice out of clothes?
Pomegranate juice can be removed with common household products such as baking soda, vinegar, and dish soap. But if you have them, stronger products such as enzyme-based detergent, commercial stain remover, and bleach can work a lot faster.
Be aware that depending on the size and age of the stain, you may have to use more than one method to get the stain completely out. In this article, I’ll discuss how to use all of the above products to remove pomegranate juice from clothes.
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Does Pomegranate Juice Stain Clothes?
Pomegranate juice can stain clothes easily, especially due to the unique way that pomegranates are eaten. And because the juice is red, the stains will be quite noticeable, especially on white or light-colored clothing.
Luckily, pomegranate stains are not that difficult to remove as long as you treat them quickly. They are much easier to remove than other types of stains. But, it’s not likely that you’ll be able to get the stain out completely without pre-treating it first.
Are Pomegranate Juice Stains Permanent?
Pomegranate juice stains are usually not permanent provided that you treat them as soon as possible. If you wait until the stain dries or put the clothing in the dryer with the juice still on it, then the stain will be harder to remove.
Again, as long as you pre-treat the stain with some type of product, it should come out very easily. But, since pomegranate is a food-based stain, which is sometimes called a biological stain, you will need to use products that are effective at removing that type of stain.
Ultimately, the longer you wait to treat the stain, the harder it will be to remove it. If the stain is fresh, you may have to only use one method to get it out. But if the stain is dry or old, you may have to use several different products.
Do Pomegranate Juice Stains Come Out in the Wash?
If the pomegranate juice stain is fresh, some of it may come out in the wash if you wash it as soon as possible while the stain is still wet and use the right laundry products and machine settings. But depending on the color of the clothing, you may still notice some of the stain after washing.
To have the best chance at getting the juice stain completely out, especially on light-colored clothing, you will need to pre-treat the stain before washing the clothing. If you wash the clothing, make sure not to put it in the dryer unless the stain is completely gone. The heat from the dryer could cause the stain to set even more.
How to Get Pomegranate Juice Out of Clothes
You don’t have to have any special commercial products at home to get pomegranate juice out of clothes. You can use things you probably already have, however, how effective they depend on how big the stain is and how soon you treat it. If the stain has been there awhile, you may need to use more than one method or you may have to try a stronger cleaning product, such as a special laundry detergent or stain remover.
Below are the most effective ways to get pomegranate juice out of clothes, along with steps for each one. Remember that these methods are not a one-size-fits-all solution for removing pomegranate juice stains, so the results may vary as far as how well each one works. If nothing else, you can try one of them after the other if the previous method doesn’t remove the stain completely.
1. Blot the Stain
The first thing you should do is scrape off any fruit residue if there’s any on your clothes besides juice. For large or extra juicy stains, use a clean rag or paper towel to blot some of the juice. Blotting the stain will remove some of the juice from the surface of the clothing and make the rest of the stain easier to remove from the fibers.
Whatever you do, don’t rub the stain in an attempt to remove it. This will only rub the stain farther into the fabric and make it harder to remove. Or, it could also cause the stain to spread and you’ll be working with a larger stain than you originally had.
2. Baking Soda
After removing as much of the stain as possible by blotting it, soak the clothing in a solution of baking soda and water. You’ll want to use the hottest water that the clothing can handle, but water that is too hot can damage certain types of clothing so check the care tag before using this method. This method is safe for both white and colored clothing.
You’ll want to fill a bowl large enough to hold the clothing with water and add about a tablespoon of baking soda to the water. Stir the water until the baking soda dissolves, then add the stained clothing to the bowl.
Let the clothing soak in the water for about 15 minutes or longer, depending on the size of the stain. Rinse the clothing under cool water and check if the stain has been removed. You can wash the clothing afterward to try to remove the rest of it, but remember not to put it in the dryer unless the stain is gone.
3. Vinegar
Vinegar can be an effective method for removing pomegranate juice from white and colored clothing. But if the clothing is colored, you will want to do a spot test first, as vinegar can cause discoloration on some types of clothing.
To do a spot test, dip a cotton swab or cotton ball in white vinegar and dab it on a hidden place on the clothing, such as the inside seam. Wait about 5 to 10 minutes, then check to make sure that no discoloration occurred before continuing.
If no discoloration occurs, dip the clean cloth’s corner in white vinegar and use the cloth to blot the stain. Blot until the stain is gone or until it looks like no more juice is coming off of the clothing.
Rinse the stained area under cool water and repeat the process if necessary. Or, you can wash the clothing to try to get the rest of the stain out, adding about ½ cup of vinegar to the wash as well. Don’t try the clothing unless the stain has been removed.
4. Dish Soap
Dish soap is formulated to break down food-based stains, including fruit juice. It can be very effective at removing pomegranate juice and won’t damage your clothing. To use this method, mix about 1 tablespoon of dish soap in a bowl with warm water until the water is soapy.
Dip a cloth in the water and use it to blot the stain until the stain starts to disappear. Rinse the clothing under cool water to remove the soap, blot with vinegar, or repeat the process with dish soap. Once you’ve removed as much of the stain as you can, wash the clothing to try to remove the rest of it.
5. Enzyme-Based Detergent
If you have an enzyme-based detergent, this is the best thing for removing fruit juice stains. Enzyme-based detergents are formulated with biological cleaning agents that break down biological stains such as grass stains, blood stains, and food stains.
You can apply a bit of detergent directly onto the stain, then use a clean cloth to dab it into the stain. Let the detergent sit on the stain for about 10 minutes, then rinse the detergent off the clothing using cool water. Wash the clothing, adding more enzyme-based detergent to the wash.
6. Stain Remover
If the household products didn’t work or you just want to jump straight to trying something stronger, a commercial stain remover should do the trick for removing pomegranate stains. However, each stain remover product is different as far as how it is applied and how it works.
With that being said, apply the product to the stain according to the instructions. Let it sit for the amount of time suggested on the packaging. You should start to see the stain disappear at least a little bit as the product sits on the clothing. Wash the clothing as normal without rinsing out the stain remover, and the stain should be gone completely.
7. Bleach
As a last resort or if you want extra cleaning power, you can always use bleach. Just be sure to use the right kind of bleach as some types can damage certain clothing. Check the care tag to see if bleaching is recommended and what type of bleach to use.
In general, you can use chlorine bleach for white clothing that isn’t delicate and oxygen bleach for colored and delicate clothing. You can apply the bleach directly to the stain according to the instructions or just add some bleach to the wash as you wash the clothing after trying other methods.
8. Wash and Dry
After pre-treating the stain using one or more of the above methods, wash the clothing either in the washing machine or by hand-washing it according to what is recommended on the care tag. Even if the pre-treatment methods didn’t remove the stain completely, it’s highly possible that the rest of the stain will be removed in the wash.
When removing pomegranate juice stains from clothing, use the hottest water that the clothing can handle. If you have it, you’ll want to use an enzyme-based detergent, but any detergent will work if you don’t have an enzyme-based one.
After washing the clothing, remove it from the wash and check the stain. If the stain is still there, you may want to repeat the pre-treatment process and wash it again. Once the stain is gone completely, you can put it in the dryer.
Conclusion
Pomegranate stains are not the easiest stain to remove, but they certainly aren’t the most difficult to remove either. In most cases, a commercial stain remover and enzyme-based laundry detergent will remove the stain. But, there are household products you can use as well. If you found this article helpful, share it with other pomegranate lovers and leave a comment. Thanks for reading!