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Miracle Stain Remover and a Healthier Alternative to Dryer Sheets

I’ve been keeping a secret from y’all and I just can’t live with it anymore. I have a miracle stain remover recipe that has time and again proven to work on some of the most stubborn stains. Plus, find out why we don’t need dryer sheets anymore!

miracle stain remover

Miracle Stain Remover and a Healthier Alternative to Dryer Sheets

Recently, Pretty Handsome Guy came back from a business trip with a stained button-down shirt. It had wing sauce on it AND it had been allowed to settle for a few days AND he hadn’t pre-soaked it or used any stain remover. (Have I not taught him anything?! Sigh.) I thought for sure the shirt was a goner. But, I decided to put my miracle stain remover recipe to the test. Low and behold after 24 hours of soaking in the concoction, the stain was magically gone! No scrubbing, it was simply gone. Can I apply for a magic wand now?

I can’t lay claim to the recipe. I found it on our local “Mommy” message board back when I was a new mom. But, this recipe has worked on more stains than I can count.


I mixed up a batch today to try on one of my son’s shirts that got blueberry jelly on it. My mom tried to wash it to get the stain out, but it was still there after laundering. Normally once a stain goes through the dryer it is set in. But, that didn’t deter the me from trying my Miracle Stain Remover. Sit back and learn young Jedis (we watched Star Wars last week, so it is on my brain.)

Miracle Stain Remover…

Ingredients:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Fill your basin with warm water then add the Oxi-clean, Clorox 2, and powdered Dish Detergent. Give it a swirl and mix until the powders dissolve and bubbles form.

Place the stained garment into the mixture, being sure the stain is submerged. After two hours you can take a peek! My stain was gone.

For tougher stains, let it soak overnight. Remove the clothing to behold the miracle! Normally I will throw the garment into the wash, but you could simply rinse and dry it.

And, this formula is also safe for colors as well!

Laundry Detergent…

In the spirit of sharing, I also have this recipe for Making Your Own Laundry Detergent for only $1.25 per year! I mean, have you seen the price of laundry detergent lately?! 200 oz. for “gulp” $35! Whereas the recipe I made yielded 250 oz. for….are you ready for this…$0.61! This is a 97% saving on detergent by making your own.

And the best news is that it is safe for HE washers. You only need 1/4 cup per load. Click Here to Get the Recipe for Making Your Own Laundry Detergent for $1.25 per year!

Drying clothes…

And since I’m talking laundry today, this post wouldn’t be complete without mentioning my secret weapon for drying clothes.

I use two of them! They may look like medieval torture devices or rabid animals, but these little hedgehog dryer balls have completely kicked our fabric softener sheets to the curb! I haven’t used dryer sheets in over 9 years now! At first I was concerned about static (the bane of my hair’s existence), but then a friend told me that you can eliminate static by not letting your clothes over dry. Simply shut off the dryer when your clothes are about 95% dry. Don’t let the dryer run and run and run until the clothes are piping hot and there isn’t a spot of dampness on them. Instead, let the moisture sensor (if you have one) do its job and it should shut off right before the clothes are dry. The waistbands in jeans or sweatpants may feel slightly damp, but everything else feels dry. And most importantly, pull out fleece, polyester, or synthetic clothes about halfway through the cycle.

The dryer balls (you should use two) work together to punch, separate, fluff, and dry your clothes. They also help keep wrinkles to a minimum, but I’m not afraid of a few wrinkles (see my no iron solution to wrinkles post.) The Dryer Balls cost less than $10, but the cost savings of not using dryer sheets is definitely worth it. Plus, you don’t have to stress about the chemicals that are in dryer sheets. These little wonder balls (I can’t believe I just typed that) last for a long time, but it’s good to have three in case one hedgehog loses a nose (it can happen.) I have been using mine for over nine years. They start to get darker on the nubs from dye in your clothing, but it doesn’t transfer and it doesn’t hurt their effectiveness.

I hope you found these laundry tips helpful. Please share with a friend!
miracle stain remover
126 replies
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  1. Sandra
    Sandra says:

    Can you tell me approx how much is in a scoop for your recipe. I’ve purchased a box of oxi- clean and the scoop is much much larger. I’m desperate at this point I have a quilt I made that the backing is red and ran into the front which is half white. I’m thinking of trying your recipe to see if it will turn the pink back to white, I know its probably a long shot but I have nothing to loose at this point.

    Reply
  2. Julie Thorsen
    Julie Thorsen says:

    Is the Miracle Stain Remover recipe for just 1 garment? If I wanted to do 10-12 similar colored garments together, can you recommend how much to use of the 3 ingredients?

    Reply
  3. Cyndi M
    Cyndi M says:

    The link for the laundry detergent is inactive. There’s no longer a blog by that name, busy-at-home. Can you please share the exact proportions of the three ingredients?

    Reply
  4. Mike Walsh
    Mike Walsh says:

    I do all the family laundry. Instead of buying those ball with rounded points I use old tennis balls. My daughter told me about them about 15 years ago. There are two types; don’t use the fuzzy ones as they pick up things. The other ones never get dirty. Plus they will remove long human hair from clothing. The hair is easy to remove from them

    Reply
  5. Arielle B
    Arielle B says:

    I just stumbled on this a few weeks ago, and I want to say that your magic stain remover is the only thing that has worked on my clothes.

    I had an off-white sweater with a giant coffee stain in it that had been washed and dried four times before I noticed, and after using your trick, not only did the stain completely go away, but I found out the sweater was actually supposed to be white! It’s so bright now!

    My white sheets were grey from incorrectly washing them over and over again. I tried White Brite, bleach… nothing worked. Soaked them for 2 days using your trick, and they are shining now!

    Thank you!!!

    Reply
  6. Megan
    Megan says:

    HELP! I forgot I left oxiclean stain remover on a white toddler romper and the remover has dried 🙁 It was on too long and now romper has a huge yellow stain on it. I already tried washing in washing machine twice, once with oxyclean detergent, and the second time with just distilled vinegar. I also soaked it overnight in the sink with 2 dissolved denture tablets. The yellow has fainted slightly but it is still there. Did I remove the whitening agent in the romper? Note the romper has a pink trim on it, so I’m worried about fading that color. Can I try to spot treat it with bleach to whiten it again (by using a toothbrush and avoiding the pink trim)??? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

    Reply
  7. Kamiko
    Kamiko says:

    the homemade laundry detergent doesnt work on uniforms and heavily soiled clothing, its good for linens and such you dont mind some stains on.
    i used that recipe for 4 years, to no avail, and had to switch to Arm & Hammer pods, with the Purex Color safe bleach.
    the homemade laundry detergent is good if you cant afford regular detergent, or you are out in the middle of nowhere and need something you can make yourself to last. no amount of soaking helped either.

    Reply
  8. Erica
    Erica says:

    I use this exact recipe for the homemade laundry soap and have for a couple of years now and I LOVE it! I add a bottle or 2 of the Purex crystals to my recipe and it smells awesome!

    Reply

Trackbacks & Pingbacks

  1. […] And, a while ago I shared with you that I make my own laundry detergent and stain fighting formula. […]

  2. […] included a bottle of my DIY laundry detergent. (A cleaned out glass milk jug works wonderful for this purpose.) I also tied the recipe onto the […]

  3. […] If you think this detergent couldn’t possibly work on dirty clothes, think again. I can tell you that I’ve been using this recipe for 2 years on my boys’ clothes and it works! Whatever stains don’t come out in the wash are no match for my DIY Miracle Stain Remover. […]

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