How to Get Out Tough Grass Stains

A warm, grassy spot is hard to resist. But move too much while lounging, and you have a grass stain to deal with. And if you're a parent, you've probably said goodbye to many a pair of minijeans that have been skidded across the grass. It's time to stop fearing green fields of goodness! We put four eco-cleaning solutions to the test to find out what works best on this tough stain.

The Test

Since jeans are often the victim of grass stains, we cut five squares and gave each a good rub on the lawn. Grass stains are tricky — made up of natural discoloration from the grass and often a bit of dirt mixed in. This creates a double stain that really sticks to fabrics. We picked four cleaning options that promised to lift stains without any scrubbing and left one alone to see how it faired untreated.

Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda

Mix together equal parts of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to create a paste, and smooth it over the stain. Hydrogen peroxide naturally lifts stains while baking soda tackles tough marks. They bubble together into a serious stain cleaner — but be careful! This combo can discolor clothing. We let our fabric square soak for 10 minutes before washing.

Vinegar

Coming highly recommended for tackling grass stains, we covered one of the grass stains in vinegar with high hopes. Vinegar is a wonderful all-purpose cleaner that cuts through grease and is also naturally antibacterial. After a 10-minute treatment, the vinegar-soaked section of jean was ready for the washing machine.

Stain Stick

We put our own stain stick to the test on another square of grass stain. Made with Fels Naptha and castile soap, the stain stick was generously rubbed on the stain before washing.

Dish Soap

Made to bust through grease and big messes, dish soap also works wonderfully as a laundry pretreater. We squirted a bit of our favorite dish soap on the grass stain and let it sit for 10 minutes.

The Results

We gave the squares a spin in the washing machine with Puretergent and waited impatiently for the results. Fresh from the wash, most of the squares looked pretty good. After drying, there was a clear winner — hydrogen peroxide and baking soda!

When dealing with grass stains, it's best to treat as soon as possible. And avoid rubbing the material too much, which will further set the stain. If fabric still has remnants of the grass mark after washing, don't toss it in the dryer! Go ahead and retreat — especially if you really love the article of clothing!