We haven’t come across a person who doesn’t like munching on pickles, be it on their own or as a side dish. While they are extremely delicious, they are notorious for staining fabrics if you end up dropping them onto your clothes or upholstery.
Children in particular tend to mess when they eat so it’s good to know how to remove the stain.
Pickles don’t only leave a stain, but their juice also has a strong odor of vinegar and spices that can be difficult to remove especially if you drop the whole jar.
With this article, we are sharing more information on this topic to help you get rid of the pickle juice stain and smell!
Does Pickle Juice Stain?
Yes, pickle juice leaves a stain on most fabrics plus there’s an odor issue. Let’s look at what is in the pickle jar to determine what creates the stain.
What’s In A Jar Of Pickles?
Pickles are usually made of miniature cucumbers or onions. There may be a garlic clove or two and a chili added for an extra bite. The liquid consists of brine (salt water), vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, and dill. The vinegar and brine preserve the cucumbers or onions.
How To Deal With Spilled Pickles
Clean up the mess as soon as possible to prevent any stains or odors from lingering. First, pick up any broken glass being careful not to cut yourself. Dispose of this safely.
Next, clean up any solid bits like pickles and spices using a small broom and dustpan. Now, use an old towel, kitchen paper towel, or old newspapers to mop up the liquid part as much as possible.
Cleaning pickle juice stains from clothes
If you have spilled pickles or juice on your clothes, here is a series of instructions for you to follow to prevent staining.
- First of all, you need to use cold water, not hot, for rinsing the stain out. Hot water will set the stain. Make sure to run the cloth under cold running water for at least five minutes. Then, fill a basin with cold water and let the garment sit for about twenty minutes after that.
- Next, get a bucket filled with warm water and clothing detergent and soak the clothing piece in this mixture for a few hours. You can also leave the stained cloth soaking overnight if you have time as this will loosen the stain and make it easier to remove.
- Now that the soaking part is over, take the garment out of the water, sprinkle some powdered laundry detergent on the stain, and scrub it gently with a brush. Use circular motions being careful not to damage the fabric.
- Take the garment and put it in the washing machine, on a normal washing cycle with detergent. In addition to this, make sure that you fill the washing machine with the hottest water that’s suitable for the garment’s fabric. This will ensure that any odors are removed.
- Once the cycle is complete, remove the garment and hang it out to dry naturally. Do not put it in a dryer because it there’s any lingering stain, the dryer will set it, making it impossible to remove later.
- Check once the garment is dry whether the stain has been removed. If the stain is still there, repeat the process, using a special stain-removing laundry product.
Cleaning pickle juice stains from carpeting
Now that we have shared how you can remove stains from garments, let’s move on to removing them from carpets and rugs.
- First of all, you need to blot the area as soon as possible with a clean, absorbent cloth or kitchen paper towel to remove any excess liquid.
- Next, mix a solution of a cupful of white vinegar, a tablespoon of liquid dish detergent, and a cupful of warm water.
- Use this mixture to cover the stained area. Apply it with a clean cloth or sponge.
- Apply pressure with a sponge or cloth to rub the stained areas. Rinse the cloth in a bucket of warm water as you go.
- Use a clean dry cloth or old towel o blot away any excess moisture.
- The stain should now be gone. Try not to walk over that area of carpet until it has completely dried.
Cleaning pickle juice stains from your upholstery
- Start by scraping off the pickles and blotting any excess moisture with kitchen paper or an old towel. Make sure you don’t spread the pickle strain
- Make the same mixture of warm water, dishwashing detergent, and white vinegar as explained under the carpet instructions.
- Use this mixture for wiping the stain, being careful not to wet the upholstery too much. It’s best to use a clean white cloth.
- Start blotting the stain with a dry cloth or towel and continue till the excess moisture has been fully absorbed.
- You might have to continue the blotting and wiping steps a few times to eliminate the stain.
- If the stain remains, try using some commercial upholstery detergent or call a professional cleaner.
To Conclude
We hope this has been helpful and that you manage to remove the pickle stains. Let us know in the comments what worked for you and if you have any further tips for us.