Homemade stain remover that comes together in just a few minutes and works even better than the Shout you buy in the store. I save a ton of money making my own laundry detergent and DIY stain remover. This stuff is safe for your HE machines as well! You will want to thank me. I promise 🙂
This is what my kitchen looks like. Can you even call that a kitchen? My mantra right now that I continually repeat in my head is, “It will be amazing when it is done. It will be amazing when it is done….”
I could blabber on for pages on the struggles of cooking for my family right now, but I’ll just smile and be honest with you.
Since little to no cooking is coming out of my kitchen right now, I thought it was a perfect time to post my next laundry recipe: my homemade stain remover. Yep, I use it and love it! And again, I just use my old Shout bottle to store it in.
I’ve posted many cooking and baking recipes over the years which resulted in messages saying how much you love them. Should I be offended though that all of those emails pale in comparison to the response I got about the homemade laundry detergent recipe? I’m confident this homemade stain remover recipe will follow the same pattern. It is fab!
This is a baking/cooking blog after all! I guess I should just be happy that you are trying stuff out, even if you can’t eat your results.
Print
Homemade Stain Remover
Use this recipe for your DIY stain remover and be shocked at how it works better than the store bought version!
Ingredients
- 2/3 C Dawn dish detergent
- 2/3 C ammonia
- 6 Tb baking soda
- 2 C warm water
Instructions
- Mix together all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Using a funnel, pour into an old Shout bottle or other spray bottle.
- To use, shake the bottle well because the baking soda does settle to the bottom. Spray as you normally would on a stain then launder. Do not use on anything that will be washed with chlorine bleach due to the ammonia!
Jennifer says
Carole, do you know from experience if your stain remover recipe will work on grass stains?
Carole says
Jennifer: Yes! With 6 kids, I get a lot of grass stains. Spray it on as soon as you can, rub it in and let it sit for a bit before washing in the washer.
amills says
Hello, I am getting prepared to try out your stain remover recipe and was wondering if the liquid dish soap has to be Dawn brand specifically?
Anonymous says
It really is the best but I’ve used lemon Joy in a pinch.
Wendy says
It probably has to be detergent not just dish soap. Dawn & Joy are both detergents.
Carole says
Amills – the honest answer to your question is that I don’t know. The original recipe that someone gave me listed Dawn specifically, but I can’t imagine a different brand impacting the end result too greatly.
DIana says
I’m thinking it needs to be the BLUE Dawn and not other – my hubby tells me there is a difference.
Anonymous says
There is a difference in dish soaps. The blue dawn is the best to get grease outta things…
Anonymous says
I have used the green apple dawn on “baked in” grease stains on clothing…I just covered the spot with the dawn and let it sit for about an hour before washing and the grease spot comes out even after it went through the dryer on the first wash!! Love Dawn.
Leah says
Jennifer, I love, love your blog and all the great ideas you share. So far I’ve made the laundry soap and started to make the shout. Do you think washing soda would work instead of the baking soda, I have been letting the baking soda soak for two days in water, but its not breaking down. What do you think?
Thanks, Leah
Carole says
Thanks Leah for your comment! I think washing soda would work. Baking soda is great for whitening but I think the washing soda should have similar results.
Anonymous says
Leah,
Try washing even though you do not think it is breaking down. My husband slid down the bank fishing and I let his soak and it did not look like it was breaking down. I went ahead and washed and most came out. I am going to try this formula tonight to hopefully get the remainder out.
~*~ Shar ~*~ says
TY for the DIY Shout recipe!
Your kitchen will be more of a blessing and enjoyment to you when it’s finished than if you had a ready-made one. When we put in the work and deal with the inconvenience, we get to enjoy it even more and the pride of getting the job done is immense!
Carole says
Mrs T – The ammonia smell is not strong at all, but it is there.
Mrs. T says
Does it have a strong amonia smell?
https://motherhoodandmoney.blogspot.com
Maulfair1277 says
I to am a stay at home mother of 5 kids 3 are 5 and under and we go threw laundry like water so im so looking forward to trying you laundry soap but do you think your shout will take our car greese and tractor greese?
Carole says
MaulFair – I think it should do a great job on your grease stains because of the Dawn. Let me know how it goes!
kylee528 says
I am so excited to try this! I just got back from walmart and got all of the stuff for the detergent AND the shout! Question: is the shout safe for front loaders? A few weeks ago I pretreated some stains with dawn dishsoap (not very dilluted though), and the suds were coming out of our front load washer like crazy!! We’ve only had the front loaders for a few weeks, so we’re still learning how they work! 🙂
Carole says
Kylee: I have an HE machine as well, but it is a top loader version. I have never had trouble using it in my HE machine.
kylee528 says
Thanks Carole. Last night i whipped up some shout, fabric softner, and detergent! About to go do some loads of laundry! Thanks for the tips!
Unknown says
I hate ammonia. Do u think I can still make this and it be effective?
Carole says
I wouldn’t try it. The ammonia does such a great job with greasy stains.
Terri says
Oh my stinking word!! I love your blog!! I am a writer for thelaundrymom.com and I am going to quote you and give you credit. We are a new blog. I would love for you to check us out. Good work here!!
Anonymous says
Could you use peroxide in place of the ammonia?
Carole says
Honestly, I don’t know. I would hesitate to do so just because I know peroxide is great at bleaching things, and that isn’t what you want on colors.
Anonymous says
Love all the comments! 1. For oily spots, the best thing is to rub in talcum powder as soon as possible. Just pour some on & rub it into the spot Throw garment into hamper & let sit until you do your laundry. The spot will be gone. The talcum absorbs the oil and then washes right out. Much better for front loaders than detergent. I use this on my husbands expensive dress shirts. 2. Washing soda is simply baking soda which has been baked to make it drier & more crystaline. 3. Peroxide works well on blood and similar stains. Can be used in place of oxygen cleaner. Hope this helps.
Stephanie H says
I will have to try this. I have used another recipe with GREAT success.
1 part dawn soap and 3 parts Hydrogen peroxide and a tad of baking soda
This even fixed the stains under the arms.
Anonymous says
A tip for grease stains if nothing else works try pour rubbing alchol on the grease spot then sprinkle with table salt, let dry and shake off the salt & wash.
Anonymous says
Just don’t use this mixture with bleach.
chemistry.about.com/od/toxicchemicals/a/Mixing-Bleach-And-Ammonia.htm
~April~ says
Does this get baby spit up out??? I spend a fortune on Shout just for spit up…
Carole says
I have never used it directly on baby spit up but many other stains that I consider a lot harder to get out than spit up. And with six kids, I know my baby spit up 🙂
~April~ says
Thanks 🙂 I have a little one with Acid and we spit up a lot… I have to treat all her clothes, 🙂
Sage says
I use liquid castile soap with this and I find it works better than Dawn. Especially on the “Mechanic grease” stains. Also on “Forgotten” coffee stains.
amy jean says
How long will this keep?
Carole says
Amy-indefinitely! I make a huge batch which lasts me about a year.
fathom says
I use to work in a grocery store and even though our tops were white you couldn’t bleach out the normal wearing stains. I ended up trying Shout to keep these shirts clean. Since then its been the only thing to pull stains right out. Even from the cuff of my favorite hoody, without destroying the colour or fabric. So you can see I’ve become addicted to the stuff, but it is quite expensive and only comes in a little bottle (in my town). I’m excited to try to make my own and add it to my recipe box of home made things!
Tammy says
Hi, I’d really love to try this but with a front loading washer I already know what’s going to happen. 🙁 The dish detergent will cause too many suds & the machine will stop with SUDS on the screen. I have this happen when there is too much soap left in the dish cloth from the kitchen sink that is put in the laundry. Is there an alternative for the Dawn for making this when you have a washer requiring HE products?
Carole says
Tammy: You must have one smart HE machine! I have an HE machine as well and no problems.
Hetal says
Hi.
I made your recipe. First the ammonia smells so strong; my eyes water. I want to know if it’s probably because of a different dishwash liquid I may have used. Or maybe 2/3 cups of liquid ammonia is a lot! !
Kindly enlighten!
Carole says
Hetal- ammonia does have a very strong odor. I only use dawn dish washing liquid so I am not sure about the ingredients of other brands. The amount is perfect for the ammonia!
Sarah Metcalf says
What about using lemon juice instead of ammonia? I have heard it done in other ‘diy’ laundry things. Wonder if it would work here?
Nicole Campbell says
Thanks for the info-I go through Shout like crazy. Does anyone know if you can pretreat and leave it or should it be washed soon after? Shout states up to 7 days. Thanks
Posto says
Will this work on make up stains
Carole says
Posto- I would think so but having never used it specifically for that, I can’t give you a guarantee. With the dawn, it is great with grease stains so I think it would do well with make up for similar reasons.
Anonymous says
is it safe for all fabrics?
Anonymous says
Can you substitute ammonia for hydrogen peroxide? So it’s safe to use with bleach.
Carole says
I am not sure about that substitution. Honestly, I use this shout on all my clothes, even those that go into bleach. The amount of ammonia in a couple sprays in minuscule. If you try the substitution, let me know how it works!
Sarah says
Thanks for posting this recipe! I was looking for something like this!
Carole says
Glad i could help you out Sarah! Come back soon and find something else to give a try
Marlene says
Will this mixture get old grease out of my husbands work shirts and pants. He works on machines at a factory and sometimes gets really dirty and I have yet to find something that works.
Carole says
Since I’ve never used this on that specific stain, I can’t guarantee it but with the Dawn in the mixture, it does a great job on grease stains
Sheila says
I have been making a version of this for years using regular laundry detergent and ammonia. It works great. I use it with my whites, which get bleached. Never had a problem, because the wash water dilutes it enough and I believe there is a chemical reaction that takes places with the water, so you’re not getting the toxic gas. Just be sure to put the bleach in after the water, and you should be fine. Not sure about dawn, but I have never had an issue with suds in my HE either. I am really looking for something a little more Eco-friendly, though. I may try my Zote or Castile soap instead. But beware of using peroxide. It will bleach and eat holes if left to sit or on delicate, less color fast fabrics- stick with the ammonia, despite the smell.
Carole says
Thanks Shelia for sharing your experiences!
Suzanne says
I live in Australia and how I wish we could buy Dawn of any colour, let alone blue. We used to have it but it is not sold in Australia any more. Your site is fabulous!
Carole says
How interesting Suzanne! Any chance you could buy it online without costing a ton?
Mano says
Do I have to use ammonia in this? Is there an alternative to use?
Carole says
Hey Mano! It really does make all the difference. There might be an alternative but I can only attest to the recipe as written.
Katherene says
I use the blue creme hand cleaner that mechanics use on hands to get out diesel and grease off work clothes. I worked at the railroad and would come home on Fridays with overalls covered in grease stains.
Just smear it on by hand and wash. Comes in a can.
Carole says
Thanks so much for the tip Katherene!
Maudlyn says
I ran out of dawn and I had palmolive that had oxyclean to the remaing dawn, and “good God” it worked just fine. Lawd Jesus it was better that shout, no joke!!!
Carole says
Right Maudlin?!?
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Tiffany says
My daughter believes EVERYTHING is finger food… including chili. This recipe saved one of her dresses. The dress went through the DRYER. I didn’t realize it was stained until I took it out. I put this on it and washed it the next day. It’s not perfect, but much better. I even took before and after pics!
Carole says
Glad to hear it Tiffany!
Terry Burbee says
I am a widower and I eat foods that sometimes drip on my shirts and I can’t get the grease stains out even with products shout-out or straight Dawn soap. I’ve tried over and over I will try your recipe and hope it works better. Thanks, Terry
Carole says
Good luck Terry! I hope you come back and let me know how it works for you!
Aunt meme says
I have a few shirts that I call round the house shirts and they had a stain or two on them.so to try and save a dollar or two I found this home version and to my surprise it did really well.each time I wash a load of my round the house shirts I spray,may wait a load or next day to wash but i believe each time i use it it takes out more of the stain.really like it thank you.
Aunt meme says
Just for a little scent would adding some fabric softener change the formula of this homemade shoutout?
Carole says
Not at all! Go for it!
Karen says
I cannot get ammonia. Is there an alternative?
Carole says
Hi Karen! Unfortunately not.
Merilyn says
It has been a long time since anyone left a comment but I just needed to let you know that this stain remover is the best! I have a pair of light brown slacks that I love. I had an ink pen in my purse that I forgot to put the cap back on and it made contact with the fabric of the purse. All the ink drained out of the pen and without knowing this I set the purse on my lap. The ink was transferred to my slacks. The entire left leg was covered in ink. Using your recipe for stain remover I allowed to sit for several hours and then washed in hot water. Every trace of the ink was totally gone and no smell at all. Thankyou very much.
Carole says
Thank you Merilyn for coming back and leaving your review! It helps so much and I’m glad you loved it!
JoElla D Lane says
Would this be suitable for grease and flour stains? My son works at KFC and his clothes are covered after a shift of frying chicken. I’ve tried many store-bought products that don’t do a complete job.
Carole says
I’ve never tried them on KFC stains but if you give it a try, please let me know how it goes!
Vielee says
This homemade laundry stain remover is awesome! My son got red ink stains on a white jacket and one use and the ink stains were removed as well as some old stans. Truly amazing! Thanks for the recipe. This will be a permanent use in my house!
Carole says
Thank you Vielee for coming back and leaving your review! It helps so much 🙂
Mirandom says
It’s late Sunday night, and I have to wash my 3 boy’s school uniforms for the week. Getting the load ready, I noticed that the 9 year old obviously gets bored during class and apparently has taken up drawing on his pants to pass the time. Since it’s about midnight, there’s no way to get stain remover right now. Did a Google search for a homemade stain remover, and this is one of the many sites I came across. This is the only site within the grist 10 results, however, that either a) didn’t involve peroxide (I’m currently out), or b) included water, and c) could v stored for an extended period.
I searched the comments to see if anyone had questioned whether or not the baking soda was absolutely necessary (since I’m almost out) and didn’t see it asked at any point. So I ask: Is it a must in order to get the results similar to other readers?
I know I won’t be able to get a response before the laundry has to be done, but I’m still wondering. I’m going to give it a shot while keeping my fingers crossed though…
Carole says
Hi! Unfortunately, yes it is required. The baking soda does such a great job removing stains. I hope you have luck getting your stains out!