Remove Mud and Soil Stains with a Potato

Written by Charlotte Wood (last updated October 23, 2023)

It's inevitable that you'll suffer the inconvenience of a mud or soil stain. It just happens with life as you go about your daily activities. You'll fall on the way to class, the bus will splash up dirty slush on your jeans, you'll play with your kids outside and inevitably you get dirty. Alas, some of the hardest stains to remove are those made by mud and soil. They contain certain minerals and other "earthy" materials that will undoubtedly set into your clothes. How can you get them out?

You should always try basic stain removers and stain removal techniques first. You always want to try the orthodox before attempting a new remedy (especially one involving a potato). Try your standby spot removers, baking soda, vinegar, and a few washings, and if all else fails here is something you can try: the potato technique.

Slice a potato in half and rub it on the mud and soil stains. Keep rubbing the potato on the spot and make sure to really work the potato into the fabric that has the stain. Press hard and you'll start to notice that the stain is coming out of the fabric and showing up in the white of the potato. You may have to try a few times before ultimate success, but it's definitely worth a few tries.

Who knows why this works? Is it the potato juice? Is it the nature of the stain itself? Is the naturalness, outdoor-sy quality of the mud and soil stains finding affinity with the organic potato? Is the potato a "stain sponge?" Who really knows? Regardless of its mechanics, the potato stain-removal method is one you should definitely try if what you're already trying doesn't work. It may seem a bit odd and you your clothes might smell like a garden (until you wash them), but if the stain is gone then what else matters?

Author Bio

Charlotte Wood

MORE FROM CHARLOTTE

How to Pick the Right Type of Bra

Finding the right bra can be frustrating and exhausting. With so many options and choices in just one area of the ...

Discover More

Nail Art to Help You Stand Out

Nail art can be either fun or frightening and it's up to you to make that call. You want your nail art to be an outlet ...

Discover More

Getting a Tan without the Sun

Summer is a great time to be tan, but sometimes you may not want to expose yourself directly to the sun because direct ...

Discover More

The Power of Microfiber! Zwipes Microfiber Cleaning Cloths will become your favorite tool for every cleaning task. This 36-cloth package is perfect for hundreds of uses in the garage, kitchen, bathroom, laundry, and all around the house. Each cloth is tough, streak-free, lint-free, reusable, and washable. Check out Microfiber Cleaning Cloths today!

More Cleaning Tips

Mold Cleaning

Mold is a problem for many people. The key is to remove it using the proper tools and eliminate the source of the mold.

Discover More

Removing Pet Odor

Anyone that has a pet can tell you that one of their major drawbacks is having to potty train them. Usually this entails ...

Discover More

Remove Lipstick Stains

Lipstick has a nasty habit of making its way onto shirts. To remove lipstick stains, you can treat them with normal ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in Cleaning Tips from Tips.Net. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is six minus 5?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in Cleaning Tips from Tips.Net. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.