A person in a pair of jeans stained with chocolate cake

Simple Steps to Remove Chocolate Stains

Everyone loves chocolate - it's one of life's greatest comfort foods and a timeless way to show affection.

The sweet stuff can be enjoyed in many different, delicious forms, and they all have the potential to leave messy stains. Chocolate stains might look dark and difficult, but they don't have to leave their mark on your clothes. Follow Tide’s handy stain removal tips and learn how to remove chocolate stains out of a white shirt, your carpet, or from your furniture!

Removing Chocolate Stains from Clothes and Sheets

The most important step to get rid of chocolate stains is pre-treating, which can mean the difference between good-as-new and forever stained. And remember, when it comes to chocolate stain removal, heat and time are working against you, so try not to let the chocolate melt (any more than it already has) and get to work quickly to keep if from setting and staining permanently.

Step 1

Remove Excess

First, brush off any excess from the garment. Make sure that you do it carefully, so as to avoid rubbing the chocolate further into the fabric or spreading the stain. In case of solid chocolate, put the clothing item into the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes, then scrape it with a butter knife or a spoon. If you’re dealing with liquid chocolate, use a clean cloth or paper towel to blot away any excess.

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How to Remove Chocolate Stains from Carpets

Although any drop of chocolate that ends up on your carpet and not in your tummy is a tragic waste of deliciousness, it’s not the end of the world. Just act fast and follow the below steps and your carpet will be chocolate-free in no time!

Remove Any Chocolate Flakes. If the stain was caused by solid chocolate, use the hose of the vacuum cleaner (with no attachment) to carefully hoover up any loose flakes without rubbing the stain. If you find there’s still some excess left on your carpet, hold an ice cube on it for a minute then scrape carefully in case of hard chocolate, or use a clean cloth or paper towel to blot away the excess in case of liquid chocolate.
Apply Stain Remover. Gently dab stain remover with a clean toothbrush over the chocolate stain. Do not rub the chocolate deeper into the fabric of the carpet. Rinse off the toothbrush in between dabs to prevent the further spread of the chocolate. Let the stain remover do its work by allowing it to sit for five to ten minutes.
Rinse and blot. Next, blot the soapy stain with a clean towel without rubbing or layer a few sheets of paper towel atop the stain. Carpets are usually deep and thickly wound so the chocolate stain may not come out the first time. In that case, repeat the process until you can no longer see the stain.

Once you’re confident the soap is removed, blot the area with a clean dry cloth or layered paper towels.

How to Remove Chocolate from Upholstery

Got a bit of chocolate stain on your couch? Don’t worry, removing chocolate stains from your upholstery is a lot like dealing with carpet stains, but even simpler:

1. Remove Excess

Whether you lightly dab a towel over melted chocolate or use the vacuum hose while scraping off an old chocolate stain, remove as much chocolate as you can before applying any cleaning products.

2. Apply Stain Remover

Check if your upholstery is able to withstand chemicals before applying any dry-cleaning solvent or stain remover. If the furniture is stain remover-positive, gently blot a bit of solvent on the chocolate stain with a clean cloth until it is completely absorbed into the upholstery.

You can still see a bit of leftover chocolate stains? In that case, continue to apply the cleaning solution and blot the stained upholstery with a clean white cloth until you can no longer remove any chocolate.

Why Chocolate Stain is a Tough One to Remove

To find out why chocolate stains are hard to remove, you have to take a closer look at the two main chocolate ingredients: cocoa powder and cocoa butter. Cocoa powder is an issue because it contains dark-colored tannins, while coca butter gives the resulting stains its oily texture.

But there’s no need to panic, as long as you follow the steps on how to clean chocolate stains laid out above, you can still get those dark stains out from anything!

Effective Stain Removal for a Variety of Stains

Dessert stains may have other friends. Whether it’s the sauce from an earlier meal or the soft drink that went with it, Tide knows how to remove those stains, too.

For chocolate stain removal, or any other dessert, you can trust Tide to make your favorites look new again. Use Tide to help with tough stain removal, and although you can’t get your clothes to taste great, you can get them smelling and looking their best.

Products to treat chocolate stains

Tide Ultra Stain Release Liquid Laundry Detergent

Tide Original Scent Liquid Laundry Detergent