How to Remove Popcorn Stains

Don't you just love the big tub of popcorn when you go to the movies? And isn't it fun when the movie gets to a particularly startling scene and whoever is holding the tub jerks their arms and you are showered with popcorn? Five seconds of funny, and a couple of hours or more with butter or other oils on your clothes, and you have popcorn stains.

Relax and enjoy the rest of the movie. Those stains are not as bad as you think. One of the simplest solutions around is to use a grease cutting solution. Many pre-soaks are petroleum based, and as odd as it may sound, it can take grease to cut grease. Spray your stains with the solution, let it set for half an hour, than launder as usual.

If the stain is quite deep and has dried, like on clothes your children wore a week ago and didn't tell you about the mess, try this additional step: spray the stain with a grease remover and allow to set. Take a liquid soap or detergent (Dawn is excellent), and work it into the stain with a toothbrush. Let it set for another 15 minutes, and then launder as usual.

When the stain is fresh, you can also just spray with the grease lifter and launder. Some people report success with using shampoo worked into the stain, which is reasonable, since shampoo does cut hair grease, but that oil does not have the same structure as butter or vegetable oils. One household hint guru recommends Cheese Whiz. If you're facing defeat, it's worth a try, and you can have a sandwich while you're waiting for the washing machine to shut off.