How to Remove Orange Juice Stains From Clothes

By
Mary Marlowe Leverette
Mary Marlowe Leverette 2018
Mary Marlowe Leverette

Mary Marlowe Leverette is one of the industry's most highly-regarded housekeeping and fabric care experts, sharing her knowledge on efficient housekeeping, laundry, and textile conservation. She is also a Master Gardener with over 40+ years of experience and 20+ years of writing experience. Mary is also a member of The Spruce Gardening and Plant Care Review Board.

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Updated on 09/29/23
How to Remove Orange Juice Stains From Clothes

The Spruce / Michela Buttignol

In This Article
Project Overview
  • Working Time: 5 - 15 mins
  • Total Time: 15 mins - 12 hrs
  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Estimated Cost: $10

Whether you enjoy drinking fresh orange juice or using it in recipes, spills are possible resulting in orange stains. Orange juice stains aren't as bright and dramatic as you might imagine. In fact, fresh orange juice seldom leaves a glaring mark on fabric, but it can create a permanent blemish or bleached spot if not handled properly. The acid in citrus juice can act as a bleaching agent, especially when exposed to sunlight.

Orange juice concentrates and orange-flavored drinks are more likely to impart orange stains; some even contain added food coloring or dyes. Learn how to get orange juice out of clothing so that you're not stuck with a permanent reminder of a spill.

Tip

Never use natural soap in a bar or soap flakes to treat a juice stain because these products can make plant-based pigments more difficult to remove.

Stain Type Pigment-based
Detergent Type Laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid, oxygen bleach
Water Temperature Hot
Cycle Type Normal

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • 1 washing machine
  • 5 paper towels or clean cloths

Materials

  • 1 bottle oxygen bleach
  • 1 bottle laundry detergent
  • 1 bottle dishwashing liquid

Instructions

Items for removing orange juice stains

The Spruce / Ana Cadena

How to Remove Orange Juice From Washable Clothes and Linens

  1. Blot With Clean Cloth

    Immediately blot the juice spill from the fabric with a clean white cloth or paper towels.

    Blotting an orange juice stain on clothing

    The Spruce / Ana Cadena

  2. Soak in an Oxygen Bleach Solution

    Mix a solution of warm water and oxygen-based bleach (brand names include OxiClean, Nellie's All-Natural Oxygen Brightener, or OXO Brite) following package directions. For stains on synthetic fabrics such as polyester or nylon and colored or printed clothes, color-safe oxygen bleach is a better choice. 

    Completely submerge the stained items, and allow them to soak for at least four hours or overnight. Then wash as usual.

    Soaking the stained garment in an oxygen bleach solution

    The Spruce / Ana Cadena

  3. Launder

    Washing the garment or linens with a high-quality detergent (Tide and Persil are highly rated and considered heavy-duty) in the hottest water recommended for the fabric on the care label.

    Tip

    After any stain removal treatment, check the stained areas before placing clothes in a hot dryer. The high heat can set the stains, making them very difficult to remove.

    Adding detergent to the washing machine

    The Spruce / Ana Cadena

  4. Check Before Drying

    Examine the stained area to make sure no pigment remains before drying the item. A dryer's heat will permanently set the stain. If some stain remains, repeat the soaking and washing process.

    Examining the garment to make sure the stain is gone

    The Spruce / Ana Cadena

Additional Tips for Handling Orange Juice Stains

As with most food stains, it's best to treat orange juice spills quickly to reduce the chances of permanent staining. Older juice stains or color-enhanced orange drinks may need additional treatment.

In the case of an older or more stubborn stain, you can use chlorine bleach to remove the stains from cotton white garments and linens (follow the product directions carefully). Alternatively, for items that are not colorfast, mix a solution of oxygen-based bleach in cool water following package directions. Dip a clean cloth into the solution, and working from the outside edge of the stain toward the center, work the solution into the carpet (do not over-wet).  Allow the solution to remain on the stain for at least 30 minutes before blotting away.

When to Call a Professional

If the stained garment is dry clean only, gently blot as much of the juice as possible, then take it to a professional cleaner as soon as possible. Point out and identify the stain to your professional cleaner so it can use the proper stain-removing chemicals.

Tip

If you decide to use a home dry cleaning kit, be sure to treat the stain with the provided stain remover before putting the garment in the dryer bag.

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  1. Laundry Stains. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.