Housekeeping Laundry & Linens Stain Removal How to Remove Chocolate Stains from Clothing, Upholstery, and Carpet Chocolate stains are tricky, but one popular commercial stain remover is the secret to eliminating them. By Jolie Kerr Jolie Kerr Jolie Kerr is a cleaning expert and the author of the New York Times bestselling book, My Boyfriend Barfed In My Handbag ... And Other Things You Can't Ask Martha. Her work has appeared in GQ, Cosmopolitan, The New York Times and Town & Country. A graduate of Barnard College, Jolie lives in a tiny Manhattan apartment with her five vacuum cleaners. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on March 24, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Laura Moss Project Overview Working Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes Skill Level: Beginner Estimated Cost: $15 Chocolate stains can take the fun out of your favorite sweet treats. These unsightly combination stains can be difficult to remove and make a real mess of clothing, table linens, furniture, and carpeting. Luckily, a stain pretreatment product can easily remove most chocolate stains from clothing, upholstery, and carpet. However, there are times when a more intensive stain-removal process is required. This guide will explain how to remove chocolate stains and when to use a stain treatment product versus a deeper cleaning method. The 8 Best Laundry Detergents of 2023, According to Testing Before Getting Started: General Chocolate Stain Removal Tips Chocolate has a reputation as a tough-to-get-out stain, and it's a well-earned one: Chocolate is a "combination stain," meaning it's made up of more than one type of stain. In the case of chocolate, a combination of three things; tannins from the cocoa, proteins from the milk, and oil from the butter. Yikes! While there are many good stain removers on the market, one, in particular, is excellent at treating chocolate stains. Shout Stain Remover is the best choice for chocolate messes. However, there are plenty of other good options for how to remove chocolate stains, including diluted dish soap, which effectively breaks down combination stains and other commercially available stain removal products. As with most stains, it is best to treat chocolate stains as soon as possible—the longer a stain is left untreated, the more set-in it will become and the more difficult it will be to remove. If you can't make time to do a whole load of laundry, apply a laundry pretreatment product to a chocolate-stained item before tossing it in the hamper. If the stains are small, applying a small amount of Shout, massaging it into the fabric using your thumb and forefinger, and flushing with cool running water may eliminate the stain without requiring you to do a load of laundry. 16 Laundry Hacks That Make Wash Day So Much Easier What You'll Need Equipment / Tools Clothes and Linens Spoon or butter knife (optional) Upholstery and Carpet White cloth Spoon or butter knife (optional) Materials Clothes and Linens Shout Stain Remover or similar stain treatment product Laundry detergent Upholstery and Carpet Shout stain remover or similar stain treatment product Instructions How to Remove Chocolate Stains from Clothes and Linens Pretreat chocolate stains on clothing, table linens, and bed linens prior to laundering as usual. Remove Solids If there are pieces of chocolate stuck to the fabric, gently scrape them away using the edge of a spoon or a butter knife before applying a stain treatment product. Apply Stain Pretreatment Product Spray Shout Stain Remover or a similar stain treatment to the chocolate stains. Agitate Stain Pretreatment Product Use your fingers or a damp light-colored cloth to gently work the stain remover into the chocolate to help penetrate and break down the stain. Smaller stains are likely to disappear without requiring further action; larger stains can be coaxed out by alternating between applying the stain treatment, rubbing it into the fabric, and flushing it with cool running water, repeating as necessary. How to Get Grass Stains out of Clothes, Blankets, and More Launder as Usual Wash the item as usual. Check the care tag for any special instructions regarding water temperature and cycle speed, and follow those. Check Stain Prior to Drying After laundering a chocolate-stained item, check that the stain was eliminated in the wash. If there is still staining, don't put the item in the dryer, as heat will set the stain. How to Remove Chocolate Stains from Upholstery When it comes to cleaning upholstered furniture, check the care tag, usually located on the underside of the seat, for the code that indicates how the fabric can safely be cleaned. The code is as follows: W = Wet/water cleaning onlyS = Dry solvent cleaning onlySW = Dry solvent and/or wet cleaningX = Professional cleaning or vacuuming only These instructions are for W and SW upholstery only. Remove Solids If there are pieces of chocolate stuck to the upholstery, gently scrape them away using the edge of a spoon or a butter knife before applying a stain treatment product. Apply Stain Pretreatment Product Spray Shout Stain Remover or a similar stain treatment to the chocolate stains. A light mist is fine; you don't need to saturate the fabric, as doing so will make removing residue from the stain treatment difficult, which can leave a dark ring. How to Remove Coffee Stains on Clothing with 3 Household Products Blot at the Stain Use a damp white or light-colored cloth to blot the stain, being careful not to scrub, which can irritate the fabric. Repeat as necessary until the stain is gone. Remove Residual Stain Treatment Once the stain is gone, rinse the white or light-colored cloth with clean water and go over the area several times to remove residue from the stain treatment product. How to Remove Chocolate Stains from Carpet The process for removing chocolate stains from carpet is similar to that of upholstered furniture. In the event that a very large chocolate stain has soiled carpet or furniture, consider the use of a carpet and upholstery cleaning machine, which can be rented or purchased, and which will make shorter work of stain remediation than the method that follows. The 10 Best Carpet Spray Cleaners for Removing Dirt, Pet Stains, and Wine Spills, According to Our Tests Remove Solids If there are pieces of chocolate stuck to the carpet, gently scrape them away using the edge of a spoon or a butter knife before applying a stain treatment product. Apply Stain Pretreatment Product Spray Shout Stain Remover or a similar stain treatment to the chocolate stains, being careful not to flood the stain and soak the carpet. Blot the Stain Use a damp white or light-colored cloth to blot the stain, being careful not to scrub, which can abrade the carpet's fibers. Repeat as necessary until the stain is gone. Remove Residual Stain Treatment Once the stain is gone, rinse the white or light-colored cloth with clean water and go over the area several times to remove residue from the stain treatment product. When the area has dried, you may want to run a vacuum over it to restore the carpet's nap, which can become tamped down during cleaning.