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How to get fabric softener stains out of clothes

To get fabric softener stains out of clothes, dampen the spot and rub it with a bar of plain soap or liquid detergent, then wash in the warmest water the label allows, with no softener this time. Softener is a fatty, positively charged film that clings to fibers, so water alone won't shift it, but soap lifts it. Check the item before drying and repeat if a mark remains.

Best method
Rub with bar soap or detergent, rewash without softener
Time
5 minutes plus a wash cycle
Difficulty
Easy

You will need

  • A bar of plain soap (not deodorant soap)
  • Liquid laundry detergent
  • Oxygen bleach, for traces that remain
  • Rubbing alcohol, for stubborn spots on sturdy fabric
Hands setting a jug of fabric softener beside laundry liquid and cleaner bottles

Step by step

  1. 1

    Wet the spot

    Dampen the greasy-looking spot with water so soap can lather into it.

    Why: Soap needs water to work, and a damp fabric spreads the lather into the weave instead of sitting on top.

  2. 2

    Rub with plain bar soap or detergent

    Rub a bar of plain soap (not deodorant soap) over the spot, or work in a little liquid detergent with your fingers. Cover the whole mark.

    Why: Softener is a fatty, cationic (positively charged) film. Soap and detergent surfactants surround and lift it so it can rinse away. Deodorant soaps add their own residue.

  3. 3

    Wash warm, with no softener

    Launder in warm water, or hot if the care label allows, with the normal dose of detergent. Leave out liquid softener and dryer sheets for this load.

    Why: Warm water helps dissolve the waxy residue, and adding more softener would put a new layer right back.

  4. 4

    Check before drying

    Look at the spot while the item is wet and again in daylight. If any shadow remains, don't use the dryer yet.

    Why: Texas A&M advises inspecting before drying, because heat can set the leftover residue.

  5. 5

    Soak away what's left

    Soak the item in a solution of bleach that's safe for the fabric (oxygen bleach for most colors, chlorine only for bleach-safe whites), following the product label, then relaunder.

    Why: This is Texas A&M's follow-up step. A soak gives the bleach time to break down any colored traces left behind.

  6. 6

    For stubborn spots, sponge with rubbing alcohol

    On sturdy fabric, sponge the spot with rubbing alcohol until it lightens, rinse and relaunder. Test on a hidden seam first.

    Why: Georgia extension lists alcohol for persistent softener stains. It dissolves residue that soap missed, but it damages acetate, triacetate, modacrylic and acrylic.

Why fabric softener leaves spots

Fabric softeners are cationic surfactants: fatty, positively charged molecules designed to cling to fibers and stay there after rinsing. That's what makes clothes feel soft. It's also why a spot of undiluted softener looks like a blue-gray grease mark and won't rinse out with water.

The American Cleaning Institute lists two usual causes: liquid softener poured directly onto clothes, and dryer sheets melting onto fabric when the load is too small, the dryer is too hot or the wrong cycle is used. Since the stain is a fatty film rather than a dye, the fix is the same as for a light grease mark: soap or detergent to lift it, warm water to rinse it out. For more on how pretreating works, see laundry pretreatment.

How to prevent softener stains

Put liquid softener in the machine's dispenser or the final rinse, diluted if the label says so, and never pour it straight onto clothes. Use dryer sheets with full loads at the setting the package recommends. Clean the lint screen regularly, too: softener residue can clog it and block airflow (see cleaning the dryer and dryer vent).

ACI also warns against using softener on children's sleepwear and other flame-resistant garments, because it can reduce their flame resistance.

By situation

Dryer sheet stains

Dryer sheet spots look like waxy, slightly darker patches. Treat them the same way: bar soap or detergent rubbed in, a warm wash, no new dryer sheet. Next time, dry fuller loads at a lower setting.

Fabric softener smell that won't wash out

A lingering softener scent is the same residue, built up over several washes. Wash in warm water with the recommended amount of detergent and no softener or dryer sheets, and pretreat heavily scented areas with detergent. Line-dry outdoors if you can, and use a fragrance-free detergent until the smell fades. Adding another fragrance only layers more scent on top; see perfume smell on clothes.

Stains found after the dryer

The residue may be harder to move. Rub in bar soap again, wash warm, and follow with the bleach soak. Repeat before drying.

Many items stained at once

If a whole load has spots, rewash it with detergent and no softener. Georgia extension suggests a dry cleaner for many stained items that won't respond.

Delicates, wool and silk

Use a gentle liquid detergent rubbed in lightly and a cool hand wash, not alcohol or chlorine bleach. Dry-clean-only pieces go to the cleaner.

What not to do

  • Don't pour liquid softener directly onto clothes. ACI lists this as a direct cause of staining and spotting.
  • Don't use dryer sheets with very small loads or on a too-hot setting. The softener melts and transfers onto fabric in concentrated spots.
  • Don't machine-dry until the spot is gone. Heat can set the remaining residue.
  • Don't use softener on children's sleepwear or flame-resistant garments. ACI warns it can reduce flame resistance.

Other methods that work

Rubbing alcohol

Sponge it onto stubborn spots on sturdy cotton or polyester until the mark lightens, then rinse and relaunder.

Caution: It damages acetate, triacetate, modacrylic and acrylic and can fade some dyes. Test first, and keep it away from heat and flames.

Dry cleaning

For many stained items, or anything you can't wash, Georgia extension suggests a dry cleaner.

Caution: Tell the cleaner it's fabric softener so they choose the right treatment.

Stain still there?

The spot faded but a shadow is still there

Repeat the bar soap rub and warm wash, then soak in a fabric-safe bleach. Two rounds are often needed for older spots.

New spots keep appearing

Check how softener goes in: it should go in the dispenser or final rinse, not onto the clothes. If you use dryer sheets, dry fuller loads at a lower heat.

Towels feel waxy and don't absorb well

That's softener buildup. Wash them a few times with detergent only, and use less softener or none on towels; see smelly towels.

Safety

  • Use rubbing alcohol in a ventilated room away from flames, and never put alcohol-soaked items in the dryer.
  • Never mix chlorine bleach with ammonia or acids.

Never mix cleaning products; see chemicals you must never combine.

Questions

Why does fabric softener leave stains on clothes?

Undiluted softener, or a dryer sheet melting in a small or hot load, leaves a concentrated fatty film. It looks like a blue-gray grease spot.

Are fabric softener stains permanent?

Usually not. Bar soap or detergent rubbed in and a warm wash remove them, as long as you don't dry the item hot first.

Does vinegar remove fabric softener stains?

The extension and industry guides for softener spots use soap, detergent and, if needed, a bleach soak or rubbing alcohol, not vinegar.

How do you get fabric softener smell out of clothes?

Wash in warm water with detergent and no softener or dryer sheets, line-dry outdoors, and switch to fragrance-free products until the scent is gone.

More laundry guides

Sources

  1. Laundering Problems and Solutions, American Cleaning Institute
  2. Fabric Softeners and Enhancers: A Comprehensive Guide, American Cleaning Institute
  3. Remove Stains From Fabric Softener, Bluing, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension (Textiles)
  4. Removing Stains From Washable Fabric, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
  5. Laundry Basics, American Cleaning Institute
  6. Care for Fabric Home Furnishings (Guide G-402), New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service

Last updated . Methods are drawn from the sources above; how we research and check our guides.