How to Remove Caramel Stains

Whether you have a caramel apple or a generous drizzle of caramel on your ice cream sundae, this sweet topping is hard to beat. Caramel is a perfect treat—but what do you do when you notice the dreaded caramel stain color on your clothes? Read on to learn how to remove caramel stains!

Step 1

Remove remains

Allow the caramel to dry, and then gently scrape off any hardened pieces with the dull side of a butter knife, a spoon, or a spatula.

Scraping caramel off a shirt with the dull side of a butter knife

Step 2

Rinse

Use cold water to rinse the stain off in the sink.

Rinsing stain in sink

Step 3

Pretreat

Pretreat with laundry detergent that contains enzymes, like our Stain & Odor pods or Active Wash pods. Dissolve the pod in warm water and use it to treat the stain.

Adding a laundry pod to the sink for pretreating a stain

Step 4

Soak

Soak in cold water and gently rub at the stain every 3-5 minutes until it is removed.

Soaking a white t-shirt in cold water

Step 5

Wash

Wash the item as normal. Use an Oxi Booster for extra stain removing power if needed, particularly if the caramel contained food coloring!

Products to treat Caramel stain:
Stain & Odor Laundry Pods, Active Wash, Oxi Booster Pods