Most people I know love bananas. After all, it is a sweet, refreshing, and nutritious fruit. Sadly, the same sweet words cannot describe its stains.
Bananas produce some of the toughest stains, and they become tougher the longer they stay on the fabric. This is because, with time, it oxidizes to form black stuff that is set into the fabric.
That said, banana stains are still removable. Hang on, and learn how to remove banana stains and a few other tips.
The easiest way to remove banana stains is to use dish soap. Scrape off the excess banana material on the stain. Next, flush out the stain spot with water, pretreat with dish soap, and wait for 30 minutes before washing normally.
Removing Banana Stains With Commercial Stain Remover
Commercial stain removers are excellent in stamping out stains from clothes. With a great product from a renowned brand, you’re on your way to restoring the clothes to their original status. All you have to do is to follow a few steps, and the stain will be gone in no time. Let us explore the steps below.
Preparation
Before embarking on the process of removing banana stains from clothes, it is crucial to observe a few guidelines:
Read the care instruction label. These instructions should override any other stain-removing advice you may receive anywhere else. The reason is that different garments are manufactured with specific properties. Therefore, manufacturers take the trouble to list out instructions on ironing, washing, and dry cleaning. Deviating from these instructions will only result in ruining the garments.
Take immediate action. The earlier you deal with the stain, the easier it is to remove. And this is true with most stains. Fresh stains are easier to remove than older stains, as the more they stay on the garment, the deeper into the fabric they set.
Pretreating is key. This allows the required time for the stain remover to work on the stain and soften it before the actual washing.
Examine if the stain is cleared before drying. In general, drying and especially tumble drying, is not recommended for drying clothes with stain residues as it sets the stain.
Testing is important. This will help in knowing whether the stain remover will react with the garment. To test, apply one or two drops on an indiscrete corner of the clothes, and observe how it reacts with the clothing.
Having dealt with that, the next step is to scrape any banana material on the stain. You can do this with a butter knife, an old credit, or any blunt-edged item that can scrape the material.
Afterward, turn the garment inside out to avoid pushing the stain into the garment in the next step. Run cold tap water on the stain to soften, and dislodge some of the stain materials.
Pretreating the Stain
Once you soften the stain, it is time to pretreat the stain. While you can formulate your own stain-removing agent at home, commercial stain removers have their merits. For example, they are formulated with specific stain-removing enzymes. That means they can be quite effective against organic stains such as banana stains.
Additionally, they also have other additives and surfactants, boosting the stain-removing power. Besides, they can easily be bought both online and offline. One terrific example is Zout Triple Action Enzyme Stain Remover.
To remove the stain with Zout Stain Remover, spray it sufficiently to cover the stain spot. If the stain remover is the soaking type, you can put the required dose of the stain remover in a basin and soak the garment with it.
Ensure you completely soak the spot in a basin, and wait for a minimum of 1 hour. The longer the soaking duration, the higher the chances of removing the stain. Ideally, you should soak the stain overnight.
Remember to avoid soaking certain garments such as wool, silk, or rayon, as they can be digested by the enzymatic stain removers.
After soaking, you can load the garment into the washer, measure the normal dose of a heavy-duty detergent and launder under the warmest water setting. Don’t forget to check whether the stain has been removed before tumble drying.
Other Methods of Stain From Clothes
Other than the commercial stain removers, you can formulate your stain remover at home. If you formulate them correctly, they are as good as the store-bought ones. Let us take a look at a few below.
Using White Vinegar
Vinegar is a commonly found product around our homes with a variety of uses; cooking, weed control in the garden, etc.
But in case you didn’t know, vinegar is excellent for banana stain removal too.
All you have to do is make a solution of equal parts vinegar and water, stirring briskly to make it a homogenous solution. However, remember white vinegar is mild bleach.
So for color clothes, you might want to be sure of the colorfast status before proceeding. If it is safe, you can soak the garment in this solution for one hour and thereafter launder normally.
Using Borax
Sodium Borate, also known as borax, is a powerful agent when it comes to cleaning banana stains. Strongly alkaline, Borax is able to clean most organic stains, including banana ones. Furthermore, it is readily available in the most convenient store, making it a handy cleaning agent.
To use borax, first, soak the stained spot with water to enable the borax to soak into the stain.
Then pour about ½ teaspoonful of borax over the stain, and spread it to form a thin layer. The cleaning amount is adjustable depending on the spread of the stain.
Once done, let it sit for an hour.
Thereafter rub the stained part of the fabric against itself several times, then run it again under a hot water tap.
As banana stains are stubborn, this may take several attempts to completely remove the stain. So keep on examining the stain as you clean it and repeat it if need be.
Finally, rinse the garment under hot water before washing with your normal detergent rinsing and drying.
Cleaning With Glycerin
Glycerin has wide use in the medical and manufacturing fields. This includes making home-use products such as toothpaste and detergents.
But that aside, glycerin is a fantastic cleaning agent on its own. This is courtesy of its natural solvent properties that break down banana stains.
Glycerin is readily available in most chemists and home improvement stores.
To start off, make a solution of glycerin to warm water in the ratio of 1:1. Stir this mix in a bowl to form a solution.
Next, evenly spread enough of the paste on the stain to cover the spot. Allow this to sit for one hour, then rinse off to clear the glycerin. Then run it into the washer under a hot wash setting.
Lemon Juice
Lemon is not only a nutritious fruit, but its juice is an effective cleaning agent as well. That makes it a hardy cleaning liquid to effectively stamp out banana stains from clothes. In the absence of lemon fruit, you can also buy lemon liquid from any convenience store, and it will work as fine.
But remember, before you proceed further, lemon has bleaching abilities. So, it can only be used on white or colorfast clothes.
To start off, cut your lemon into two, and squeeze the lemon juice on the stain.
Be sure to spread the lemon juice evenly until it soaks the entire stain spot.
Leave the stain spot to sit for 30 minutes, then scrub on the stain with a mild brush before rinsing it with cold water.
You can then load the washer with a heavy-duty detergent and wash under the warmest wash setting.
Using Bleach
Bleach is another great cleaning agent you can use to remove banana stains from clothes. With bleach, you want to be sure the garment will not bleed before using it.
Fortunately, there are two types of bleaches you can use depending on the fabric types.
Chlorine and oxygen bleach. For white clothes, use chlorine bleach, as its bleaching potency is much stronger.
The alternative is the milder oxygen bleach that you can safely use on colored clothes. But as always, test, or read the care label for compatibility.
Once you sort this out, you can prepare a solution of one tablespoon of bleach and ¼ cup of water in a bowl and stir briskly for uniformity.
Next, using a white piece of cloth soaked in this solution, dab on the stain several times to soften it before letting it sit for thirty minutes.
After this duration, you can dab on the stain until it is removed, rinse the spot and wash with normal detergent under a warm setting.
Using Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol is a brilliant banana stain remover. But before starting off, you need to be cautious of its bleaching features too.
If satisfied, then you can use a cotton swab soaked in alcohol and rub the banana stain with it.
First, ensure you adequately swab the entire stain spot with it. Keep in mind that rubbing alcohol is harsh, and to prevent its harsh effects on clothes, do not over-saturate it on the clothes.
Additionally, for the same reason, do not allow the rubbing alcohol to stay on the clothing for too long before washing.
Finally, you can rinse the stain spot with water and wash with the normal detergent under a warm washer setting.
As usual, be sure to check if the stain is cleared to avoid setting.
Hydrogen Peroxide
This is another fantastic cleaning agent to use to obliterate banana stains from clothes. A strong alkali hydrogen peroxide acts on the organic banana stain dissolving it effectively.
The only downside with hydrogen peroxide is its bleaching effect on clothes.
However, the most commonly used 3% hydrogen peroxide is milder in comparison to other hydrogen peroxide varieties.
Overall, hydrogen is great for use on whites and colorfast clothes. But remember to be safe; testing is key.
To use it, dip a piece of white cloth in hydrogen peroxide and use it to dab the stain.
To make it even more potent, you can mix one teaspoon of 3%hydrogen peroxide with non-gel toothpaste to make a thick paste.
Apply this paste to the banana stain and wait for an hour.
Afterward, rub the stain spot with a microfiber cloth, and rinse off the peroxide, before washing and rinsing again.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can I Remove Banana Stains From the Carpet?
To remove banana stains from the carpet, scrape off the loose banana materials from the carpet with a butter knife.
Next, make a solution of one tablespoon of dishwashing liquid and two cups of cool water.
Using a white piece of cloth dipped into this solution, dab the stain until it is removed.
Afterward, you can use a vacuum cleaner to remove any residue stains from the carpet.
Can I Remove the Banana Stain From the Countertop?
You can remove banana stains from the countertop by following a simple procedure. Mix baking soda with water to make a light paste.
Next, apply the paste to the stained countertop spot and spread it uniformly with your hand.
Cover the spot with a paper napkin to avoid the moisture from immediately evaporating, and wait for an hour.
Finally, with a microfiber cloth, scrub the spot in a circular motion before wiping it entirely out. You can then use another sponge or fiber to wipe out and clean any residues.
Are Banana Stains on Concrete Removable?
It is possible to remove banana sap stains from concrete by using some stain-removing techniques. One is to use a bleaching agent and mix it with water according to the dosing instruction on the bleach label.
Then, allow approximately 10 minutes for the solution to soak on the stain.
Keeping the soaking duration short is essential to ensure the soaking solution doesn’t dry up and create a stain of its own.
Afterward, scrub the spot with a hard bristled brush, and soap, before rinsing with clean water.
Next, you can check out my guide on how to remove berry stains from clothes.
I’m an expert wardrobe organizer and a bit of a clean freak. I created this website and its YouTube channel to share practical guides about laundry and organizing. My teachings have been featured in multiple large news publications, and I’ve self-published two wardrobe organizing books and an entire course on the subject.
