How to Remove Balsamic Vinegar Stains from Clothes

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When you think of balsamic vinegar, you think of salad dressings, dips, and good vinaigrette. The last thing you want to worry about is cleaning the balsamic vinegar stains from your clothes. Since this type of vinegar is generally concentrated and made from grape juice, it stains very quickly.

You will find it hard to remove the stains that you accidentally spill on your dress unconsciously. That said, balsamic vinegar contains a blend of acetic acid and natural flavors and pigments. While the former is easy to get rid of from the clothes, the latter isn’t.

This article will explore everything you need to know about how to remove balsamic vinegar stains from clothes in no time.

Do Balsamic Vinegar Stain the Clothes Permanently?

You might be sitting there confused and thinking, “Don’t we normally use vinegar to get rid of stains from the clothes?” 

It is true. However, you need to realize that regular white vinegar is different from balsamic vinegar. From the contents to how balsamic vinegar is manufactured, there are a lot of differences.

Compared to other types of vinegar, balsamic vinegar is derived from grapes with a high tannin concentration, which gives it the characteristic dark color that you notice. The acetic acid in the composition is easy to get rid of, and it doesn’t stain. However, the tannins stain, and it is almost impossible to eliminate that stain from the clothes.

So, while balsamic vinegar might not stain your clothes permanently, it will stain the clothes to a degree where you need to get rough with the cleaning to eliminate the stains properly.

Also read: How to Get Rid of Mothball Smell? | Top 7 Ways

Will Cleaning the Clothes Immediately Remove the Balsamic Vinegar Stain?

If you have accidentally spilled balsamic vinegar on your clothes, the first thing you need to do is act quickly. The longer you wait, the stronger the stain becomes.

However, if you are somewhere outside where you can’t act immediately, rush to the nearest washroom and clean the stain with some water and a paper towel. If possible, you can also counteract the balsamic vinegar stain with plain white vinegar.

Acting fast and trying to get the stain immediately off the clothing can fetch you some time to later try and work on the stain and get rid of the permanent stain.

List of Best Home Remedies to Remove Balsamic Vinegar Stains

If you are worried about how to eliminate the balsamic vinegar stains off your clothes, we’d recommend using a few home remedies to sort things out.

1. Marseille Soap

Marseille Soap
https://pixabay.com/photos/soap-marseille-s-soap-toilet-673176/

If the balsamic vinegar stain is not on delicate clothes and you don’t mind roughhousing a bit with the clothes, you can use Marseille Soap to eliminate the balsamic vinegar stain from the said cloth.

However, Marseille soap isn’t very easy to source. In that case, you can switch to the standard laundry soaps available in your house. For the best results, you can rub the soap over the stain and let it soak for a few minutes.

When it comes to removing balsamic vinegar stains from clothes, this is the easiest and most practical method. If required, get a fabric brush to scrub over the vinegar stain. Once you have managed to remove the stain, throw the cloth in the washing machine.

We won’t recommend using this method if you are dealing with delicate fabric like silk or satin.

2. Combination of Baking Soda & White Vinegar

Baking Soda

Whenever it comes to any stain on clothes, the combination of baking soda and white vinegar works quite well. This method works for any piece of fabric. It can be harsh or delicate or neutral, or colored. 

  1. Take your clothing with the balsamic vinegar stain and sprinkle some baking soda over the stain. Let the baking soda soak into the fabric for 5-10 minutes.
  2. In a bucket, make a solution combining 50-50 vinegar and water. Add your clothing to the vinegar solution bath and let it soak again.

This is one of the easiest ways to eliminate the rough and tough balsamic vinegar stain from clothing. The combination of vinegar and baking soda works effortlessly. Not only will it get rid of the grease, but it will also disinfect the fabric.

Note: For better results, we’d recommend you use a combination of warm water, vinegar, and baking soda.

3. Diluted Oxygenated Water & Talcum Powder

Talcum Powder
Image Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeepersmedia/26795071995

This one is one of the most underrated yet effective methods to eliminate balsamic vinegar stains from your cloth. If you have accidentally stained white clothing, this is potentially your best bet.

  1. Spread out the stained clothing and then pour some oxygenated water over it. You have to emulsify the water with a toothbrush.
  2. Following that, you have to spread some talcum powder over that and let it soak into the fabric for 1 hour.

You need to understand that hydrogen peroxide can be abrasive on the skin. So, the last thing you want is to handle the chemical with bare hands.

Conclusion

Balsamic vinegar stains are adamant and quite challenging to eliminate if you don’t act quickly. If you don’t want the stain to damage the piece of clothing you are wearing ultimately, we’d recommend that you use these tips and tricks we have mentioned. Most of these home remedies are foolproof and work quite proactively. We hope this article answers how to remove balsamic vinegar stains from cloth.

Also read: How to Descale a Washing Machine: A Thorough Guide

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Does vinegar leave stains on clothes?

Standard white vinegar doesn’t usually leave stains on your clothes. However, balsamic vinegar has tannins, which stain the fabrics easily.

Will using lemon remove the balsamic vinegar stain?

Lemon won’t effectively remove the balsamic vinegar stain. We’d recommend using the vinegar and water mixture or vinegar with soda for the best results.

How do you get balsamic vinegar out of the carpet?

The best way to get rid of balsamic vinegar on your carpet is by using white vinegar and some dish soap solution.

What neutralizes balsamic vinegar?

Alkalizing agents like baking soda or baking powder eliminate the stain left by balsamic vinegar on the clothes.

Will balsamic vinegar bleach clothes?

The acetic acid concentration in the balsamic vinegar is relatively low, so you won’t have to worry about the same bleaching your clothes.

Does heat remove balsamic vinegar stain?

If you are using iron over the balsamic vinegar stain to remove it, be assured that this trick doesn’t show any good results on the clothes.

How long does balsamic vinegar stay on clothes?

If you remove the stain immediately, it shouldn’t stick around on the clothes. Otherwise, there are chances that the stain might not go away.

Does balsamic vinegar have alcohol?

For those who had a misconception that balsamic vinegar has alcohol in it, it doesn’t. The low sugar content in the vinegar is the reason why.

Will dish soap remove the balsamic vinegar stain?

Ideally, yes. If you use a mixture of white vinegar, dish soap, and baking soda, it should effectively remove the stain for good.

By James Edwards

James Edwards is a writer & editor with almost 15 years of experience from Murphys, California. He earned his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University.

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