Grandma Campbell’s stain spray is so simple to make.
And saved my favorite shirt.
Okay. One of my favorite shirts.
It has penguins on it and I’m sure I’ll be wearing it for many years to come.
The first time I wore the shirt (FIRST. TIME.) I managed to spill a huge drop of olive oil right down the front.
The penguin shirt came out of the dryer with the EVOO stain still there. Oil stains are the worst… oil stains that have been through the DRYER are basically permanent. My penguin shirt was now a “wear around the house shirt.”
Or so I thought.
I pretreated with Grandma’s Stain Spray, let it rest overnight, and ran through the wash again.
I was so excited to pull the shirt out of the dryer with no more stain! 100% Gone.
Would you like some wonderful stain spray for your laundry room? Here’s how to make some of your own:
Fill an empty squirt bottle with equal parts
Water
Ammonia
JOY Dishwashing LiquidSpray on stain and gently rub in. For tough stains, let sit over night before washing
I strongly recommend using JOY dishwashing liquid. My family has tried other brands in the past, and for some reason the mixture would turn into an un-useable gel substance. JOY has always worked just fine.
I can’t guarantee the spray will take out every stain you come across, but it works just as well (if not better!) as the laundry stain sprays you’ll find in the supermarket. We’ve been replenishing the same squirt bottle for about 15 years.
I hope you have the same stain-fighting success!
WARNING: Whether cleaning your bathroom or doing laundry, NEVER use bleach and ammonia products at the same time. The combonation of the 2 produces a highly toxic gas. Be Careful, and happy cleaning!
You should probably warn people not to use this if they’re planning on ALSO bleaching something. You’re going to get people killed, man.
Just a tip that popped to my mind: Make sure if any other kind of dish washing liquid is used that it isn’t one with bleach in it. It can be easy to miss on the bottle, but if you mix bleach and ammonia it’ll make toxic fumes. I found this out when I tried to bleach my toilet, lol!
Thanks for the article, I’ll definitely try making it 🙂
Thank you for the reminder about the bleach. I added a warning to the post. We use bleach so rarely in our house, I didn’t think of it at first.
Thanks!
I’ve found that small oil stains generally come out if you dab straight dish detergent on them before washing them.
Cindy,
Wanted to let you know I ‘stumbled upon’ your site and my jaw dropped as we share the same name. I’m sure it happens all the time, but it was a first for me. I’ve enjoyed seeing what my doppel-name-ganger is up to on your website. If you’d like to learn more about me, see: kjo1055.com b947.com and khmyfm.com
Happy 4th,
Cyndee Campbell
Ive made it, used it and its great! Thanks!
I have used this for years and think it is great.
Also for oil or grease I have had success using hair shampoo, cuts the grease!
i find that flour/cornstarch/baby powder works well on oily stains. i just shake some over the spot, let sit, and wash as usual. it has worked for me almost every time. i have even “treated” spots on clothing i was still wearing!
Lestoil does the same (it must be lestoil not pine sol). Removes grease, grass, ink, almost anything even if it has been washed and dried. Let soak 15 minutes.
i like the idea a lot. has any one in the UK tryed it with a available washingup detergent???
“Grandma’s Stain Spray” really works ..I now have stains on everything.
Just tried it on a grease stain that had been through the dryer. Can’t believe it worked!
Thanks for the tip.
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Thanks
This stuff is GREAT!! It got dried up blood out of egyptian cotton sheets, and dried-on puke out of my polyester comforter! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
I’m sorry I guess I didn’t catch the amounts to use for this spot remover.
I have always used equal parts of the 3 ingredients… so as long as you use the same measuring decice for all 3 ingredints, you’re set! (i.e 1 cup of water + 1 cup ammonia + 1 cup Joy dishwashing liquid)