How to remove toothpaste stains

Brushing your teeth is part of your daily oral hygiene routine, and toothpaste is a necessity for fresh breath and a clean mouth. Unfortunately, toothpaste inevitably ends up on your clothes once in a while. Luckily, it can be treated with straightforward methods using products you have at home.

It’s pretty straightforward to remove toothpaste stains from fabric and other surfaces. You can just use regular laundry detergent and a few gentle rubs. Using hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar is also a simple and effective option for getting rid of stray toothpaste.

Remove toothpaste stains on clothes with liquid laundry detergent

One of the components of some toothpaste is the titanium dioxide powder, which clings on the fabrics of your clothes. In this method, the use of liquid laundry detergent is the only way to lift toothpaste stains by loosening the grip of titanium dioxide powder on fabrics. You can employ this method when dealing with light and stubborn toothpaste stains.

Dealing with light toothpaste stain using laundry detergent alone

This is a gentle approach using liquid laundry detergent, since light toothpaste stains are easy to get rid of. The use of a microfiber towel for gentle scrubbing is ideal when toothpaste stains are on clothes because it is non-abrasive. 

1. Scrape the dried toothpaste off your clothes using a dull knife.
2. Moisten a clean cloth with lukewarm water and use it to wipe excess toothpaste stains off your clothes’ fabric.
3. Add 2 to 3 drops of liquid laundry detergent in a cup of water to make a solution. Mix well until it forms a lather.
4. Wet a microfiber towel by dipping it in the solution and use it to scrub the toothpaste stain on your clothes.
5. After 3 to 5 minutes, rinse the stained area by wiping off the foamy layer caused by scrubbing with a clean, damp cloth.
6. Hang the clothing afterwards and allow it to air dry.

Eliminating toothpaste stains using white vinegar and laundry detergent

This approach uses agitation to get rid of settling stubborn toothpaste stains on fabrics. Also, the use of distilled white vinegar in this technique will serve as the pre-treatment to slough off toothpaste stains on clothes. This is because of the fabric softening property of vinegar. You can use this approach in white and colored toothpaste-stained clothes.

1. Remove the excess toothpaste on clothes using any blunt-surfaced object.
2. Wipe the stained area with a pre-moistened cloth or baby wipes.
3. Make a solution by mixing one part of distilled white vinegar to two parts water.
4. Use this solution to wet the toothpaste stain. Let it sit for two to three minutes.
5. Then prepare a mixture using a few drops of liquid laundry detergent with 1 cup of water.
6. Moisten the stained area (the area you previously wet with the white vinegar solution), using the mixture you prepared.
7. Scrub the area using a soft-bristled brush for a minute or two.
8. Rinse the area and air dry.

The direct application of the detergent on clothes will require more effort when rinsing. To lessen your work, you must dilute the liquid laundry detergent with water when using any of the two liquid laundry detergent methods.

Using hydrogen peroxide to remove toothpaste stains on clothes

This method is a desperate measure when gel toothpaste is the one responsible for staining your clothes. Usually, gel toothpaste stains are more stubborn and can cause a deep discoloration on your fabrics. This method uses hydrogen peroxide to bleach the discolored fabric. With its bleaching effect, you can only apply this method when eliminating gel toothpaste stains from white clothes.

1. Pour a generous amount of 3% hydrogen peroxide on a cotton ball.
2. Use this to moisten the toothpaste-stained area.
3. Allow it to sit for at least two minutes.
4. Rinse the area with a cloth dampened with lukewarm water.
5. Dry the area by blotting with a paper towel or any absorbent cloth.

When encountering a gel toothpaste stain, it is better to respond quickly to keep it from setting in and causing discoloration.

Removing toothpaste stains on carpet and upholstery

Although a rare event, toothpaste can also stain carpet and upholstery. These surfaces cannot be subjected to washing, so you must work diligently with the toothpaste stains individually. The removal of this stain from carpet and upholstery needs the gentlest approach to avoid further damaging these kinds of fabrics.

1. Create a liquid mild dish soap and water solution.
2. Apply this solution on stained spots using a clean cloth.
3. Let it sit for a minute, then wipe the toothpaste stains by making an upward-lifting motion until toothpaste stains are removed.
4. Blot the solution out of your carpet or upholstery using a paper towel.
5. Afterward, rinse the area with a wet cloth.
6. Blow-dry when necessary.

You will notice that this method is like the previous procedures. However, you must emphasize the upward-lifting motion when removing toothpaste stains to take care of your fabrics. Unlike removing toothpaste stains on clothes, dislodging the excess dried toothpaste is not that important because it can impose a risk of further damage.

Common questions about toothpaste stains

Can toothpaste bleach black clothes?

Toothpaste does not only stain black clothes but it can also bleach them. This happens when whitening toothpaste comes in contact with your black or dark-colored clothes. The reason for the bleaching is mainly due to the hydrogen peroxide composition of this type of toothpaste.

How do you remove whitening toothpaste stains?

Whitening toothpaste has hydrogen peroxide that can stain your fabrics and bleach them at the same time. To promptly remove whitening toothpaste stains, you must use a non-citrus based liquid hand soap to lift the stain before bleaching occurs. You can strictly follow these steps:

1. Remove the whitening toothpaste as soon as possible by wiping it off using a moistened cloth until no excess toothpaste remains.
2. Create a mixture of water and liquid hand soap.
3. Dip a sponge in the mixture.
4. Scrub the stained area using the sponge.
5. Rinse with a clean cloth, dampened with lukewarm water, and air dry.

How does gel toothpaste stain white clothes?

Gel toothpaste usually contains a dye responsible for any discoloration on your fabrics when there is prolonged contact. The dye can form streaked or spotted stains on your white clothes, but you can still remove it by using liquid laundry detergent. Afterwards, you must hang your clothes in direct sunlight because sun rays have a natural bleaching effect, which can bring back your white clothes.

Final thoughts

Toothpaste is soluble with water, so is the stain it leaves behind. Although toothpaste stains are easy to eradicate using only common household products, toothpaste stains on some fabrics need special care. In a rare event like this, it is better to rely on professionals to remove them. But most often, fabrics that caught toothpaste stains are manageable through the help of simple methods.