It's happened to all of us. We're dressed and ready to go, but we have one last thing to do before heading out the door: brush our teeth. In our haste, we somehow manage to get some toothpaste on our shirt, and as we all know, it can leave a nasty stain if not removed quickly and properly. So ahead, we've created a step-by-step guide for how to get toothpaste out of clothes so that you know exactly how to respond the next time it happens to you—and it probably will.
1. Remove the excess toothpaste
The first step when removing toothpaste from your clothes is to scrape off the excess with a knife or a spoon. Be very careful, however, when you are going over the stain with a knife. If you press too hard, you may end up damaging the clothing, so make sure you are using a gentle scraping motion to remove the surface-level toothpaste.
2. Moisten a soft cloth in a water solution
After you have removed the majority of the toothpaste using a gentle scraping method, moisten a soft cloth in a solution of warm water and laundry detergent. (Sidenote: Never put the detergent directly on the stain!)
3. Blot the stain with the damp cloth
Gently blot or scrub the area with the damp cloth. Once the detergent penetrates the toothpaste stain, it should release itself and lift out of the fabric.
4. Rinse the stain
Next, use a fresh, damp cloth to blot the area and rinse out the detergent.
5. Let it dry
Last but not least, allow the area to air dry. Never use heat, as this can cause the stain to set into the clothing. If there is still white residue left over once the area has dried, wash the garment as you normally would or repeat the above steps again.
Next up, learn how to clean white mesh sneakers in five simple steps.