How to remove cherry stains

Cherries contain natural dye, and can leave tough-to-remove stains when they land on your clothes, furniture, or even skin.

Fortunately, you can get rid of bright cherry stains on your clothes using lemon juice. If the stain is on your carpet, a vinegar and liquid soap solution will do the job. If it’s furniture that’s stained, try a detergent approach. 

Read on to learn how you can do each method in detail and see which one will work best for you.

Lemon juice, a natural stain remover

Lemon contains acid that can easily break down the natural dye stain cherries leave behind. Using lemon to get rid of cherry stains is an easy and cost-effective method. Just grab a slice of lemon, and you’re good to go.

Follow these easy steps to remove cherry stains from your clothes using lemon:

1. Pre-treat the stain by squeezing the lemon directly on the stained area.
2. Use an old toothbrush to rub the lemon juice into the stain. Doing this helps the juice penetrate more deeply and loosen the cherry stain from the fabric’s fiber.
3. Let the juice sit on the affected area for 5 minutes.
4. After 5 minutes, rinse the stain with clean running water. At this stage, the cherry stain should visibly lighten.
5. After rinsing, machine-wash the garment with laundry detergent as usual.
6. Let it air-dry or sun-dry if possible. The sun’s rays will help reduce the color of the stain from clothes because of its bleaching properties.

You can also use lemon juice to remove cherry stains from your skin by simply squeezing a lemon directly on the affected area, rubbing it and then rinsing with clean water.

Vinegar and liquid soap to treat cherry stains on your carpet

Removing cherry stains from carpet can be tricky. You need to be careful while doing the cleaning process because the stain can spread with one false move. To avoid this mess, you must act fast and use the right cleaning agents. And in this case, you’re going to use a white vinegar and liquid soap solution.

Follow these steps to eliminate cherry stains from your carpet:

1. Remove as much as cherry residue from your carpet using a dull knife or spoon. Make sure not to drop pieces of the residue on other parts of the carpet.
2. Gently blot the stained area with a clean cloth or paper towel. Be careful not to put too much pressure on the carpet. Start blotting from the edges of the stain towards the center to avoid the stain spreading.
3. Create a solution of 1 tablespoon white vinegar, one tablespoon liquid soap, and 1 cup of warm water in a spray bottle.
4. Spray the solution on the entire area of the stain. Make sure not to over saturate the solution on the carpet. Leave it for 5 minutes.
5. Grab a clean cloth, dampen it with the cleaning solution, and then blot the stain cherry stain gently.
6. Continue blotting the stain. You can try to use the ‘squeeze and twist’ motion for better results.
7. When the stain visibly lightens, rinse the carpet by dabbing the area with a clean, wet cloth.  Continue dabbing until the cloth soaks up all the residue from the cleaning solution.
8. Dry the carpet by laying paper towels on the treated area and placing something heavy on top. Leave overnight to dry.

Video: How to remove cherry stains from carpet with Vinegar and liquid soap

Use detergent to remove cherry stains from furniture

When you accidentally spill cherry juice on your expensive upholstery, it can be challenging to remove it with conventional cleaning approaches. Fortunately, you can use detergent to deal with this problem. Detergent is well known for its stain-removing abilities because it contains surfactants which let it cut through stains and dissolve dirt easily.

You can use a detergent and water solution to remove cherry stains on your upholstery by following these simple steps.

1. Scrape any cherry residue from the area using a dull knife or thin cardboard. Make sure not to spread the stain.
2. Use paper towels to absorb moisture from the stain.
3. Mix 1 tablespoon of detergent with 1 cup of warm water.
4. Grab a clean cloth, soak it in the solution, and then blot the stain starting from the edges towards its center. Make sure to avoid rubbing the stain to prevent it from spreading more.
5. Repeat the process until the stain visibly lightens.
6. When the stain is no longer visible, rinse the treated area. You can do this by blotting the area with clean water using a damp cloth.
7. Dry your upholstery with a clean, dry cloth.

Common questions about cherry stains.

How do I get cherry stains off my hands?

Use a slice of lemon to squeeze the lemon juice directly on the stained area of your hands. Rub your hands together to loosen the cherry stains from your skin and rinse with warm water. You may need to add liquid soap and repeat the process if the stain is persistent.

Do cherries stain teeth?

Cherries contain a natural red dye, and they can stain teeth, whether it’s cherry from a pie, juice, or the fruit itself. Their deep red color sticks to the tooth enamel (the thin outer covering of the tooth), which results in stains. But you can easily avoid these stains by simply rinsing your teeth after eating.

Why do cherries stain?

Cherries can easily stain everything in your house, including your clothes, carpet, kitchenware, and even your skin. This is because cherries contain a chemical called tannin, commonly used to dye leather and develop photos. It has a characteristic that allows it to grip tightly on the material it touches, leaving you with vibrant and tough stains.

Final thoughts

Cherry stains are notorious for being challenging to remove. It can be difficult to prevent them from staining your clothes, furniture, or carpet as the fruit is found everywhere from your favorite pies to in your fruit bowl. Luckily, you can deal with these stains using any of the methods mentioned above with ease, allowing you to munch away without worries.