Removing Chocolate Stains

Chocolate, while a delicious treat for many, can be a nuisance for those who have to clean up the mess. Here are a few tricks to put up your sleeve to get rid of those chocolate stains.

For a chocolate drip (or more) on the carpet, you need to first blot away as much of the excess chocolate as possible. Then, if the carpet is light colored or colorfast, try a solution of one spoonful of ammonia to one cup of water. Put the solution in a spray bottle and spray it onto the stain. Blot the solution away, being careful that the moisture does not soak all the way to the bottom of the carpet and get onto the backing. When you blot, use a white paper towel or a white cloth. If the carpet is darker, you can blot with any color wet cloth.

Try to remove as much of the chocolate as possible with a kitchen knife—slide the knife in between the fibers and bring it up under the chocolate. Once you have removed as much of the chocolate as possible with a knife, remove any remaining chocolate by blotting the chocolate stain with a solution of 3 squirts of detergent with ¼ cup of water. Rinse the stain using a spray bottle of tap water, again being careful not to get the carpet backing wet. Soak up the remaining liquid with a towel or several paper towels, placing them on top of the stain and pressing them down.

For chocolate on clothes, first remove as much of the stain as possible by scraping the chocolate gently with the back of a butter knife or the edge of a credit card. Next, run water through the back of the stain to loosen the chocolate and perhaps get more of the stain out. Once the stain is thoroughly wet, rub liquid detergent onto the stain and let it sit for 10 minutes before soaking the stained area in a sink full of cold water. Every few minutes, rub at the stain to get more of the chocolate out. Once the stain seems loosened, remove the garment from the sink or basin and rinse it well. If there still appears to be some chocolate, rub more detergent on, wait, and repeat the soaking and rubbing process.

Sometimes, after you have removed all of the chocolate, an oily stain remains. You should be able to remove this residue by simply applying a stain remover spray or stick and throwing the garment into your washing machine as normal. Remember to check for the stain before putting your clothes into the dryer so you don't set the stain by drying it.