How to remove a chocolate stain:
A sweet paste that will discolour even more when washed

A story from life

"My son bit into a bar of chocolate and half of it ended up in his palm and on his shirt. I thought it would come off on its own - but after washing it, there was a dark smudge. Then I remembered the lemon and soda and added washing paper. The T-shirt is as good as new."

- Alena, EcoHaus customer

Why chocolate is a problem

Chocolate contains:

fat (cocoa butter, milk fat) - absorbed deep into the fibres
sugar - sticky, can caramelise
cocoa - natural dye that oxidizes and darkens

In addition, chocolate hardens and leaves a brown to grey shade, especially if not processed properly and quickly.

How to stain chocolate step by step

What helps:

Cold water
Baking soda
Citric acid or lemon juice
White vinegar 10%
EcoHaus Washing Papers
Sodium percarbonate - ideal for white or light fabrics

Procedure:

Gently wipe the chocolate off with a spoon or the dull side of a knife - just don't rub it in.
Rinse the stain with cold water on the reverse side - to get the dye and grease out.
Apply a paste of baking soda and lemon or citric acid.
Why it works: the baking soda absorbs the fat, the acid breaks down the cocoa pigment.
Leave it on for 10-15 minutes, blend lightly.
Wash with EcoHaus washing papers at 30-40°C.
For light-colored laundry, add sodium percarbonate.
Why it works: Active oxygen will clean up any remaining pigment and brighten the fabric.

What to watch out for

Do not use hot water when pre-treating. You'll seal the grease and pigment into the fibers.
Don't wait. The longer the chocolate dries, the harder it is to remove.
Don't scratch the fabric. The cocoa will get pushed into the fibers and darken.

➙ Tip from Grandma Petra

Soda and lemon always helped with chocolate - gently rub it in and leave it for a while. For white linen, add percarbonate and let dry in the sun. The stain will disappear as if it was never there.

➙ Tip from Vlaďka - the cleaning lady

Dried chocolate? First vinegar, then soda - let it bubble. For light-coloured laundry, I recommend adding percarbonate and washing with washing paper. If it's on a towel or cotton t-shirt, it works great.

Looking for another stain?

At Spotters ...you'll also find recipes for cocoa, oil, mayonnaise, tomato, ketchup and smoothies. And if you don't know what to do, write to Vlaďka - you'll find her in the bottom right corner.

Share your procedure

Do you have your own chocolate trick? Post a comment or send your tip to marketing@ecohaus.cz - we'll post the best ones and help others save their favourite bits.

Summary

Chocolate is great in your mouth, but on a t-shirt it's a different story. But when you know how to take it down with the power of nature, it disappears as quickly as it appeared. Clean, organic and stress-free.