How to Get Grass Stains Out of Jeans

Denim forms a significant part of many people’s wardrobes. It’s reliable and never goes out of style. Regardless of how much care you exercise when wearing denim jeans, sometimes life happens, and you can easily stain your favorite pair of denim jeans.

As any outdoor lover knows, grass stains qualify among the worst and most stubborn stains to handle. Grass adheres to the fibers in clothing similarly to the pigments in fabric dye. Moreover, a grass stain often combines plant material, dirt, debris, and natural compounds from the grass to create a super stubborn stain.

That’s why grass stains prove challenging to remove. So, how do you get grass stains out of jeans? Wait, do grass stains even come out?

The short answer is yes. With a few simple steps, you can easily remove stubborn grass stains before they become permanent. So, before you throw in the towel and rush to replace your grass-stained jeans, give a few expert stain-removal hacks a spin.

In most cases, getting grass stains out of denim requires less effort than you imagine. In this post, our hygiene technicians from Martinizing Dry Cleaning will discuss how to get grass stains out of jeans.

Stain Removal Basics                                                            

Let’s start with a few basics on removing stains from clothes.

  • Deal with the stain as early as possible. A stain that has less time to soak in requires less effort than one already set in.
  • Don’t mix clothing you’ve treated with a cleaning product with any other laundry.
  • Don’t mix stained clothes with other laundry.
  • Follow fabric care instructions when laundering.

The Best Cleaners for Removing Grass Stains from Jeans

Knowing which cleaners work best for grass stains can simplify the stain removal process. Some common cleaners work well for grease and other stains but will only worsen grass stains. Steer clear of ammonia, alkaline detergents, and degreaser.

Helpful cleaners for grass stains include:

  • Vinegar
  • Dish soap
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Non-chlorine bleach
  • Enzyme detergent
  • Baking soda

You probably already have some of these simple cleaners in your pantry. If not, you can get them at your local store.

May Find This Helpful: Organic Dry Cleaning

6 Easy Steps on How to Get Grass Stains Out of Jeans

Soak the Jeans in Cool Water

Fill up a tub or bin with cold water and let your denim soak. The water temperature matters when getting grass stains out of jeans. While it may seem natural to use hot water, you want to avoid that because high temperatures will set the stain, making it even more challenging to remove.

The colder the water, the more problems you might have with detergent. Find a proper balance in water temperature. Let the jeans soak at or below room temperature for at least half an hour.

Pretreat the Stain with Vinegar

Pull your jeans out of the tub and lay them on a flat surface. Then, mix one part warm water and one part vinegar. You want to saturate the stained area thoroughly by pouring it or using a clean cloth to dab it. Let the vinegar water sit and work on the stain for about five minutes.

Spot Treat the Stain with Detergent

Apply an enzyme detergent or non-chlorine bleach directly to the grass stain. If you opt for a powdered detergent, mix it with water to make a paste and spread it over the stain. Use a soft-bristled brush to massage the cleaner into the stain gently.

Let It Sit

Give the enzymes about 10-15 minutes to work on the grass stain.

Rinse and Check

Run cool water over the stained area and check to see the progress. If the stain hasn’t disappeared, repeat the steps above until you get satisfactory results.

Hang Dry

Once you can no longer see the stain, hang the jeans up to dry. Only dry your jeans after removing the stain completely. Sun-drying your jeans might do the job if you have trouble getting the last bit of green pigment out.

However, remember that drying grass-stained jeans, especially in the clothes dryer, can set the stain and make it much tougher to remove.

More Tips on How to Get Grass Stains Out of Jeans

Using Rubbing Alcohol

You may want to avoid washing your jeans for various reasons. Have you ever wondered how to get grass stains out of jeans without washing them? Rubbing alcohol is quite handy when you need to remove grass stains from your jeans without washing them fully.

Follow the steps below to remove grass stains from jeans using rubbing alcohol:

  • Depending on the size of the stain, use a cotton ball or sponge to saturate the stained area with alcohol
  • Give it ample time to dry, then rinse it with cold water
  • Put some liquid detergent on the stained spot and rub it until the stain fades
  • Rinse the jeans with cold water and hang them to dry

Using Plain White Vinegar

When you decide to use only vinegar to remove grass stains from your jeans, the process is like the one mentioned above, with some minor tweaks. Once you’ve mixed one part vinegar with warm water, rub it onto the stain vigorously. Keep rubbing until the stain begins to disappear and goes away completely.

After completing this step, you can wash the jeans as you usually do. If you plan to put the jeans in a dryer, inspect the previously stained area for any residue. Remember that the dryer’s heat will completely set any remaining residue.

If you notice any grass particles left over, simply repeat the steps of rubbing the vinegar in and re-washing your jeans.

Using Banana Oil

Banana oil works quite well at helping to remove chlorophyll that makes grass stains so stubborn. If you don’t have banana oil at home, you will often find it in larger drug stores. Start by rubbing the oil gently on the stain.

Let it sit for about five minutes to work its magic. Finally, rinse the jeans with warm water to remove the oil. When you’ve washed the oil off, you shouldn’t see most of the stain.

You also want to wash the jeans fully to make sure you no longer have a stain.

Using Commercial Cleaners

While household items offer an easy way to remove grass stains from jeans, sometimes you may opt for something chemically engineered to remove grass stains from clothes. Commercial products may cost more than household remedies, but they also get the job done. Keep a few things in mind if you decide to go the commercial route.

First, always try the product on a small, inconspicuous area of the jeans to see if it discolors the fabric. Make this a habit every time you apply something new to a fabric.

Use cool or room-temperature water as it helps to dissolve the detergent best. Cold water works, but it will slow down the process.

Hot water might also work, but you want to avoid setting the grass stain and making it challenging for most commercial products to remove.

Follow the product instructions diligently, and make sure you read and understand the instructions on the clothing tag.

Using Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda

As a household staple, hydrogen peroxide works wonders when it comes to knowing how to get grass stains out of denim. To treat grass stains with hydrogen peroxide, mix one part hydrogen peroxide with three parts cool water and rub it into the stain, along with baking soda. The chemical reaction between hydrogen peroxide and baking soda helps to lift the grass out of the fibers.

Alternatively, add a few drops of hydrogen peroxide to a tablespoon of baking soda to form a thick paste. Smear the paste onto the stained area and let it sit for about half an hour. Then scrub with a soft brush before rinsing with cool water and washing in detergent.

Using a brush helps to get the paste into every last fiber, which will help to remove the stain thoroughly. Finally, do a final rinse in cool water.

Super Stubborn Grass Stains

Some grass stains require an extra effort to remove than others, but this doesn’t mean you should give up just yet. Here’s how to get grass stains out of jeans that you probably left in the laundry basket for a while.

Start by saturating the stain in vinegar, then let it sit for about 10 minutes. Saturate once more and sprinkle baking soda over the spot. Rub the solution gently to create a paste that works on the grass stains.

Let the mixture break down the stain for 30 minutes before rinsing with cold water. Is the stain still visible? Soak your jeans overnight in a gallon of water mixed with a quarter cup of vinegar.

This bath will help to rid your jeans of grass stains.

How to Get Grass Stains Out of White Pants?

A pair of white denim pants makes for a lovely summer look when on holiday or at home, but it’s also, unfortunately, extremely stain-prone. Nothing can kill your summer vibe like noticing a big grass stain on your white denim pants. The following steps can help you remove grass stains out of white pants.

Submerge the Jeans in White Vinegar

Vinegar tops the list of best tools for combatting grass stains, and here’s why: its mild acidic properties prove effective for dissolving stains. To get grass stains out of your white denim pants, fill a bucket or tub with one part vinegar and one part cool water.

Let the denim steep for half an hour. Consider treating the entire garment rather than spot cleaning.

Combat Set in Stains With Bleach

Bleach can effectively treat grass stains on white jeans. This brightening agent can effortlessly take your white denim from grass-stained to as good as new. Bear in mind that bleach is harsher on fabric than other cleaning solvents. So, rather than use it to spot treat your jeans, add ½ cup of bleach to the wash with laundry detergent.

Again, remember to use cool water as hot water sets in stains.

Sun Dry

Did you know that the sun is a natural brightener? After treating the grass stain and tossing the white jeans in the wash, hang them out to dry. Sunlight will brighten your denim and help to get grass stains out of your jeans.

Nothing beats the feeling of freshly washed, sundried jeans. With these steps on how to get grass stains out of jeans, your white denim pants will stay fresh and clean no matter your plans.

Related: How to Get Dirt Stains Out of Clothes

Bottom Line

Whether you’re a hiking enthusiast, parent, soccer player, or someone who loves an occasional walk in the park, you need to know how to get grass stains out of jeans. Regardless of the grass stain removal method you choose, you need to remember a few universal rules.

Time matters. The faster you can remove the stain, the higher the chances that you can actually remove it completely. Waiting longer gives the stain time to set in, and nobody wants that to happen.

Remember to use cool or room-temperature water when removing a grass stain. This will help the cleaners and detergents work optimally, increasing the chances that you can remove the stain successfully.

Avoid rubbing the stain excessively unless you’re actually cleaning it. Rubbing the stain makes it easier to dig deeper into the fabric fibers, spreading the stain further and making it harder to remove. Touch the stain only when rubbing a cleaning product onto it.

Armed with these tips on how to get grass stains out of jeans, you can lie on the lawn and enjoy the outdoors without any worries. Yes, even in your white denim.

Get Help from Professional Dry Cleaners

Martinizing in East Bay is your one-stop shop for all of your dry cleaning needs. If you need more information on how to get grass stains out of jeans, and you’re in the East Bay, contact us for a free consultation or call our dry-cleaning team today at (925) 232-4843, and we’ll help you restore your jeans to brand-new condition.

Call to Schedule Service!