How to Get Chocolate Out of Clothes

Chocolate stains on clothes can be frustrating, especially when the stain has already worked into the fabric. The good news is that you can often remove chocolate from clothes with a few simple household supplies and the right approach.

Whether you're dealing with a fresh chocolate mark or a dried stain, this guide covers how to remove chocolate stains from clothes and fabric without making the mess worse. The first rule is simple: don't rub the stain, as rubbing can spread the chocolate further into the fabric.

A Chocolatier's Laundry

It is true we chocolatiers have a dream job, whilst others are slumped over the office desk or stacking shelves we chocolatiers are filling our days with the heady scent of chocolate, stirring, whisking, melting and molding, fulfilling every childhood dream of working in the chocolate factory.

Yet despite this creamy, rich and dreamy profession, some days aren’t all they are cracked up to be, and this day is usually laundry day. Everybody loathes laundry, it’s no secret, but at Santa Barbara Chocolate we really loathe laundry. Now why is it whenever you see a photograph of a chocolatier they look angelic in their pristine whites with a bowl in one hand and a whisk in the other? This couldn’t be further from the truth, in reality we spend our days getting grubbed up and attacked by cacao. After producing one batch of our famous truffles we are caked from head to foot in chocolate, you could stuff us in a box, wrap us in a bow and sell us as a Valentine’s Day special – decadent dipped chocolatier’s made fresh on the premises!

How to Remove Chocolate Stains From Clothes: A Couple Secrets

So you can see why we hate laundry day, because day after day we look like we have been dragged through a vat of chocolate backwards. Does chocolate come out of clothes? Well for all of you chocolate professionals who know exactly what we are talking about, let us let you into a few choice secrets of the trade – stain removal!

First and foremost if you want to keep your whites sparkling white then don’t become a chocolatier.

Some people swear by vinegar, others declare its bleach or nothing, but then who wants to walk around stinking of bleach and vinegar? Well not us anyway but to each their own.

However rather than give up your dream profession due to dry cleaning bills we have a few tricks of our own up our grubby brown sleeves.

The Golden Rule to Chocolate Stain removal

The Golden Rule when it comes to all stains – especially chocolate –is do not rub, never ever rub a chocolate stain as you are just inviting the sticky little patch to spread and before you know it you have a chocolate crisis on your hands (and all over your shirt).

Let it Sit - Believe it or not sometimes you are best letting the chocolate harden before attempting to remove. Yes we know your mother always taught you time is of the essence when it comes to stains, but if you try to remove fresh, wet chocolate it could go terribly wrong for your laundry! Let it sit for a few minutes and get stiff and then you are able to take a dull knife and carve away most of the stain to get chocolate out of clothes.

Baking Soda is your Best Friend - Have plenty of baking soda at hand, baking soda should be a chocolatiers’ best friend, be sure to keep a secret stash in your apron and when that chocolate stain strikes simply sprinkle the stain with baking soda and dab with a damp cloth to remove chocolate from fabric. Remember fellow chocolatiers – no rubbing! Patting the stain will help loosen the smudgy chocolate from the fibers and will get the worst of the stain out in seconds.

Club Soda Anyone? Flushing a stain out with club soda works wonders, we don’t know what it is but all that fizz can help melt a stain away and leave you with nothing but a damp patch.

Turn yourself into a Walking Cake - Throw some cream on it –we hear you crying, what? I’m not trying to bake myself into a cake! But really, heavy cream makes the fat in the chocolate fresh and the milk can make all traces disappear. Just don’t forget to rinse and rinse again to be sure all the cream comes off!

If in Doubt - If in doubt use dish detergent, this is the home product people have been hailing for years! A little dish detergent, cold water and a rag will soon have that stain waving the white flag.

If at First You Don’t Succeed, Go Brown - If none of the above works then you only have one choice left – change your chocolatier uniforms to a rich brown and never worry about stains again!

Frequently Ask Questions

How to get chocolate stain out of clothes?

Let fresh chocolate harden, then gently remove the excess with a dull knife. Apply a small amount of dish detergent or another suitable stain-treatment method, blot with cold water, and rinse thoroughly. Always check the clothing care label before treating the fabric.

How do you remove dried chocolate stains from clothes?

Let the chocolate harden, then gently scrape away the excess with a dull knife or spoon. Apply a small amount of dish detergent and cold water to the remaining stain, gently dab the area, and rinse thoroughly. Check the care label before treating the fabric.

Can you remove chocolate stains from white clothes?

Yes, chocolate stains can often be removed from white clothes with prompt treatment. Gently remove excess chocolate, apply a suitable stain treatment, and rinse with cold water. Avoid rubbing the stain, as this can spread it across the fabric.

How do you remove chocolate from fabric without rubbing?

Let the chocolate firm up and carefully remove the excess with a dull knife or spoon. Dab the remaining mark with cold water and a small amount of dish detergent rather than rubbing it into the fabric.

Does cold water remove chocolate stains?

Cold water can help loosen a chocolate stain when used with a suitable detergent. Rinse from the back of the fabric when possible, then gently dab the area until the stain is reduced. Always follow the garment's care instructions.

LATEST UPDATE FEBRUARY 10, 2017

HOW TO REMOVE CHOCOLATE STAINS VIDEO: