Blackberries are a delightful treat, but when their vibrant color finds its way onto your clothes or fabrics, it can be a real stain challenge.
In this guide, we’ve compiled effective methods to bid farewell to those stubborn blackberry stains so you can enjoy your berries without any worries.
How to Get Blackberry Stains Out
Method 1: Lemon Juice
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Number of Steps | 6 |
| Time Needed | Approximately 30 minutes |
| Materials Needed | Fresh lemon Cold running water |
Lemon juice is very effective for tackling fresh blackberry stains. However, be careful not to use it with dark-colored clothes, as the acidity of lemon juice can bleach the fabric.
- Start by rinsing the stained area under cold running water to help remove excess berry residue.
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice directly onto the stain. Ensure it’s well-saturated with lemon juice for optimal effectiveness.
- Allow the lemon juice to work by letting the stain soak for approximately 30 minutes. This gives the natural acids time to break down the stain.
- Rinse out the lemon juice thoroughly after the soaking period.
- Check if the stain is completely gone; if not, consider repeating the process.
- Wash your garment as you normally would to ensure any residual stain or lemon juice is removed.
Method 2: White Vinegar and Detergent
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Number of Steps | 4 |
| Time Needed | Approximately 20 minutes |
| Materials Needed | White vinegar Liquid laundry detergent Cool water |
- In a quart of cool water, mix 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and ½ teaspoon of liquid laundry detergent. Ensure the solution is well-blended to maximize its effect.
- Soak the stained fabric in the prepared solution for approximately 15 minutes. This soaking period helps the cleaning agents penetrate and loosen the blackberry stain.
- After the soaking time, rinse the fabric thoroughly with cool water to remove the solution and any dislodged stain particles.
- Wash the clothing once more as you always do to ensure that any remaining discoloration or stain traces are effectively removed.
Method 3: Stain Remover and Heavy-Duty Detergent
| Difficulty Level | Moderate |
| Number of Steps | 6 |
| Time Needed | Approximately 30 minutes |
| Materials Needed | Stain remover Heavy-duty liquid detergent Soft-bristled brush or old toothbrush Cold running water |
- Hold the stained area under cold running water and flush from the opposite or back side of the fabric to force out the stain.
- Use a stain remover to pretreat the stain. Work the stain remover into the stain with a soft-bristled brush or an old toothbrush.
You may also dab heavy-duty liquid detergent on the stain for effective pretreatment if you don’t have a stain remover.
- Allow the stain remover or detergent to remain on the stain for at least 15 minutes for the cleaning agents to break down and lift the stain effectively.
- Wash the garment using a heavy-duty detergent, and be sure to use the hottest water recommended on the item’s care label for optimal stain removal.
- Check if there are no more stains remaining. If you want to put your clothes in the dryer, be sure there are no more stains before doing so because putting a berry-stained item in the clothes dryer can make the stain permanent.
Method 4: Bleach
There are times when you will have to use bleach if the blackberry stain is very hard to remove. But first, you need to ensure that the bleach you’re going to use is compatible with the fabric that got stained.
Chlorine bleach is suitable for natural white fibers like cotton and linen, while oxygen-based bleach is preferable for white synthetic fabrics or colored clothes.
Also, before applying bleach to the entire stained area, be sure to do a spot test first on a small, inconspicuous part of the fabric.
Chlorine Bleach
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Number of Steps | 3 |
| Time Needed | Approximately 45 minutes |
| Materials Needed | ¼ cup of chlorine bleachwater |
- Mix 1/4 cup of chlorine bleach per 1 gallon of water.
- Soak the stained clothes in this solution for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Rinse well after soaking to remove bleach residues and wash as you normally would.
Oxygenated Bleach
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Number of Steps | 3 |
| Time Needed | Approximately 4 hours |
| Materials Needed | Oxygen-based bleach Warm water |
- Follow the specific product’s directions for mixing warm water and oxygen-based bleach.
- Completely submerge the stained clothes in the solution and allow them to soak for at least four hours or overnight.
- Then, wash the items as you normally would.
Hydrogen Peroxide
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Number of Steps | 5 |
| Time Needed | Approximately 1 hour |
| Materials Needed | 3% hydrogen peroxide Eye dropper Clean cloth or paper towel |
If you don’t have oxygenated bleach available, you may also use hydrogen peroxide as an alternative.
- Use an eye dropper to place a few drops of 3% hydrogen peroxide directly onto the stained area.
- Allow the hydrogen peroxide to work for at least one hour to break down the blackberry stain.
- Blot the stained area after the allotted time. Use a clean cloth or paper towel to gently blot away the hydrogen peroxide and the loosened stain.
There’s no need to rinse the fabric after using hydrogen peroxide since it naturally converts to water when exposed to light.
- If the stain persists, repeat the process as needed.
Method 5: Glycerine
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Number of Steps | 3 |
| Time Needed | Approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes |
| Materials Needed | Liquid glycerine Lukewarm water |
- Mix 1 part liquid glycerine with 1 part lukewarm water to create a stain-fighting solution. Be sure to thoroughly blend them for optimal effectiveness.
- Immerse the stained clothes in the glycerine solution, and allow them to soak for a minimum of 1 hour.
- After soaking, remove the berry stain using any of the cleaning techniques in this article.
Method 6: Boiling Water
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Number of Steps | 4 |
| Time Needed | Approximately 20 minutes |
| Materials Needed | Heat-resistant bowl Rubber band Boiling water |
- Begin by rinsing the stained garment with cold water to help remove any excess berry residue.
- Stretch the stained fabric over a heat-resistant bowl, and secure it with a rubber band to prevent movement and ensure a targeted application of the boiling water onto the stain.
- Carefully pour boiling water onto the stain from a height of approximately 30 inches until the bowl is filled. The heat and force of the water help in breaking down the stubborn blackberry stain.
If the stain is not entirely removed, repeat the process.
- Wash the clothes as usual after the stain has been removed.
Method 7: Whitening Toothpaste
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Number of Steps | 4 |
| Time Needed | Approximately 30 minutes |
| Materials Needed | Non-gel whitening toothpaste Water |
- Start by rinsing the stained garment in cool water to help remove any excess blackberry residue.
- Gently massage non-gel whitening toothpaste onto the stained area using your fingers. Be sure to press the toothpaste into the stain rather than rubbing aggressively.
The gentle pressure applied during massaging helps the toothpaste penetrate the fabric and work on the blackberry stain.
- After the stain is treated with toothpaste, rinse the garment thoroughly to remove both the toothpaste and the loosened stain.
- Hang it in the sun to dry.
Method 8: Detergent and Water
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Number of Steps | 5 |
| Time Needed | Approximately 30 minutes |
| Materials Needed | Detergent Water White cloth |
- Mix a small amount of detergent with water to create a cleaning solution.
- Apply the detergent and water mixture to a white cloth.
- Work the solution in gently, starting at the outer edges of the stain and moving toward the center.
Be sure to only blot the stained area with the detergent-soaked cloth. This gentle blotting motion helps lift the blackberry stain without causing damage to the fabric.
- Repeat the process several times if needed to completely remove the stain.
- After the stain is successfully removed, blot the area with clean water.
Method 9: Denatured Alcohol
| Difficulty Level | Moderate |
| Number of Steps | 4 |
| Time Needed | Approximately 30 minutes |
| Materials Needed | Cloth Denatured alcohol Water |
When nothing else works, denatured alcohol may be your last-resort solution. Just be sure to use this method with caution, as denatured alcohol can damage fabrics and cause color bleeding.
- Dip a cloth into denatured alcohol.
- Gently dab the denatured alcohol-soaked cloth directly onto the blackberry stain.
- Soak the stained area well, but be sure not to let the alcohol stay on your clothes for too long to minimize potential damage.
- Rinse your clothes to remove the denatured alcohol and wash them as you normally would to remove any residual denatured alcohol and ensure a thorough cleaning.
Method 10: Dishwashing Liquid and Water
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Number of Steps | 6 |
| Time Needed | Approximately 15 to 30 minutes |
| Materials Needed | White paper towel or old white cloth White cloth, sponge or paper towel Dishwashing liquid Lukewarm water |
For carpets, you may use dishwashing liquid and water to remove blackberry stains. Here’s how to use these materials for blackberry stain removal.
- Use a white paper towel or old white cloth to blot up as much of the stain as possible. Work from the outside edge of the stain toward the center to prevent it from spreading.
- Prepare a cleaning solution by mixing 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid with 2 cups of lukewarm water.
- Dip a white cloth into the cleaning solution. You can also do it with a sponge or paper towel.
- Blot the blackberry stain and keep moving to a clean area of the cloth as the stain lifts from the carpet.
- When no more stains are transferred to the cloth, dip another clean white cloth in plain water.
- Blot the stain again with this new cloth to remove any detergent residue that might attract soil.
