Tea tree oil is one of the essential oils that have different uses. Among others, tea tree oil is used as a hand sanitizer, insect repellant, mouth wash, and healing wounds. If tea tree oil splatters on your clothes, the splatter could end up becoming a stain.
If you have tea tree oil stains that are still fresh in your clothes, the ideal way to remove the stain is to wash the stained clothes with dish soap and warm water. If the tea tree oil stain has set in the fabric, you have to treat the stain first before washing the stained clothes.
You can treat tea tree oil stain by applying baking powder, vinegar, cornstarch, or rubbing alcohol on the stain and scrub with a soft bristle brush. After that, wash the clothes in the washer.
This article discusses seven basic methods that you can use to get rid of tea tree oil stains from your clothes with household products that you already have in your house. The article also explains how to get tea tree oil smell from clothes and how to remove tea tree oil from the carpet.
Does Tea Tree Oil Stain Clothes And Sheets?
Tea tree oil will stain your clothes when undiluted oil splatters on the clothes. Likewise, if the oil splatters on your sheets, the sheets will be stained.
Tea tree oil stains clothes since when the oil splatters on the clothes fabric, tea tree oil molecules get trapped inside the fibers and the pores of the clothing. The tea tree oil spilled then conceals the fabric surface where it rests, and as a result, the color of the oil is reflected by light, thus making the tea tree oil stain visible.
When you notice the tea tree oil stain on your garments, you should purpose to remove the fresh stain immediately. Fresh tea tree oil stains can be easily removed by either handwashing the stained clothes with dish soap or by washing the clothes in a normal washing cycle in the washer.
If tea tree oil stains have dried or set in the fabric, the stain will have to be treated with a stain remover so that the stain molecules can be broken down and eventually removed from the clothes through washing.
You should never dry your clothes stained with tea tree oil stains since if you do, the stains will be ‘pushed’ further inside the fabric’s fiber, and this will almost make it impossible for you to remove the stains as they will become permanent.
To avoid your clothes being stained by tea tree oil, you should do your best to avoid tea tree oil coming into contact with your clothes. For example, instead of applying tea tree oil to your skin when you are going to bed, you should apply the oil to the skin during the day or when you are not going to bed so that you avoid your sheets being stained.
Does Tea Tree Oil Ruin Clothes?
As one of the popular essential oils, such as peppermint oil and lavender oil, tea tree oil has different uses. When using tea tree oil, it might accidentally splash on your clothes and make you worried about whether it will damage your beloved piece of clothing.
The nature of the tea tree oil that you are using will determine whether tea tree oil will ruin your clothes or not. If the tea tree oil is undiluted and it splatters on your clothes, the stain might be hard to remove from the clothes.
Indeed, if you don’t embark on removing the undiluted tea tree oil stain on your clothes when it’s fresh, there is a high chance that the stain could become a permanent stain.
In addition, undiluted tea tree oil stain could also ruin your clothes, specifically if the clothes are made from synthetic fibers. If undiluted tea tree oil comes into contact with polyester fabric which is mainly plastic, polyester fibers may be discolored and, in extreme cases, get twisted.
Undiluted tea tree oil can leave horrible spots on your clothing. If the tea tree oil discolors your fabric, you can’t fix the discolored part of your garment. However, it is very rare for tea tree oil to bleach clothes or sheets since you most probably have diluted tea tree oil that cannot ruin clothes.
Does Tea Tree Oil Come Out Of Clothes?
Whether or not you remove tea tree oil from clothes will be determined by what you do after you have seen the stain.
As with most stains, if a tea tree oil stain is removed when still fresh, the stain will quickly come out of the clothes. However, if the stain is dry and has set in on your clothes, it will be challenging to remove the stains.
Fresh tea tree oil stains can easily come out of clothes by washing the stain with dish soap or just washing the clothes in the washer when the stains are still fresh. For old and dried tea tree oil stains, the stain needs to be treated before you can wash the clothes in the washer.
7 Methods To Get Tea Tree Oil Out Of Clothes
To remove tea tree oil from clothes, you can use different household products that you already have in the house. You do not need to go shopping for special stain removal products.
One of the best household products to remove tea tree oil stains is dish soap since dish soap is rich in surfactants capable of breaking down the tea tree oil stain molecules and lifting them from the fabric’s fibers.
If you don’t want to use household products to remove tea tree oil stains, you can treat the stain with a stain remover, and the stain will be removed. Any stain remover available from the retailers can be used to get rid of tea tree oil stain on your clothes.
Before you can start removing the stains, you must ensure that you have absorbed most of the tea tree oil from your stained fabric. To absorb the oil, you can use a paper towel or a clean towel that is highly absorbent.
Gently blot out any extra tea tree oil on your clothes using your towel. However, note that if your tea tree oil stain is dry, it is impossible to blot out any oil. If that is the case, you should proceed to the stain removal process.
Blotting oil from the fabric is important since it ensures that the extra oil in your fabric will not be spread to other parts of the fabric during the stain removal process.
1. Talcum Powder or Baby Powder
Baby powder, also known as talcum powder, can be used to remove tea tree oil stains from your clothes. Baby powder is good in absorbing moisture, and since it comes in fine form, it fills the gaps existing between the fibers of the clothes and absorbs tea tree oil.
What You’ll Require
Baby powder/talcum powder
Soft bristle brush
Towel
Procedure
Step 1: Apply Baby Powder On The Stain
Apply a generous amount of the baby powder to the stain. Make sure that the stain is fully covered by the baby powder. If you have a dried tea tree oil stain, you can spray some water on the stain to freshen it before applying the powder.
Step 2: Leave Baby Powder On The Stain For At Least 30 Minutes
Leave the baby powder on the stain and let it soak for at least 30 minutes. If the stain is stubborn, let the powder soak on the stain for a few hours.
Baby powder has high absorbing power, and as it soaks the stain, it will pull out the tea tree oil from your fabric.
Step 3: Gently Scrub Baby Powder On The Stain Using A Soft Brush
Using the soft brush, gently scrub the powder into the stain. By scrubbing the powder into the stain, you will ensure that any tea tree oil that has not been absorbed by the powder when it was soaking the stain will be absorbed.
Ensure that you lightly scrub the powder with a soft bristle brush since you don’t want to ruin your fabric. If you don’t have a soft bristle brush, you can use a toothbrush.
Step 4: Wash Your Clothing
Wash the clothes in a normal wash cycle. If you are not sure about the correct washer setting, wash your clothes in a delicate wash cycle. You can also hand wash your clothes if you want.
Step 5: Dry Your Clothes
After the clothes are washed and rinsed, check whether the stains have been removed before drying the clothes. You can repeat the stain removal process if the stains are still there.
You should never dry your clothes in the drier until you are certain that the stain was fully removed. If you dry clothes when the stain is still there, the stain could become permanent.
2. Dish Soap
Dish soap can be used to remove most stains in clothes. The reason why dish soap is one of the best stain removers is that it is loaded with surfactants which are responsible for cleaning fats and oil in utensils.
In the stain removal process, the surfactants break down tea tree oil stain molecules, thus making it easy to wash the stains off later in the washer.
What You’ll Require
Dish soap
Soft bristle brush
Water
Wash Basin
Procedure
Step 1: Apply dish soap to the stain
Apply the dish soap to the stain and ensure that the dish soap covers the stain.
Step 2: Let Dish Soap Soak The Stain For 30 Minutes
Leave the dish soap on the stain so that it soaks the stain for at least 30 minutes.
You can also mix the soap dish with water and soak the stained clothes in the mixture for 45 minutes before washing the clothes in the washer.
Step 3: Using The Brush Gently Scrub The Dish Soap Into The Stain
Use the soft bristle brush to scrub the dish soap into the stain gently. Since the dish soap will have dried, apply some water to the stain when scrubbing.
Step 4: Rinse The Clothing
After scrubbing the dish soap on the stain, rinse clothe with water. Even if this is not a must, it is important you rinse the clothing before washing it in the washer.
Dish soap produces a lot of foam, and if your clothing has a lot of dish soap on it and you wash it in a washer, a lot of foam will be produced, and if not careful, the foam could damage your washer.
Step 5: Wash the cloth
After rinsing your clothing, wash it in the washer. You should use a normal wash cycle.
Once the wash cycle is completed, inspect the clothing and confirm that the stain has been removed before drying your clothes. If the tea tree oil stain is not fully removed, repeat the stain removal process.
3. Baking Soda
As an alkali, baking soda can interact with the tea tree oil stains and draw out the stains from the clothes by trapping them out.
What You’ll Require
Warm water
Spray bottle
Baking soda
Mixing bowl
Procedure
Step 1: Mix baking soda with warm water
Mix baking soda with warm water in the mixing bowl. Ensure that you mix enough paste to cover your tea tree oil stain.
Step 2: Put Warm Water In Spray Bottle And Spray The Stain
Using the spray bottle, spray warm water on top of the stain. Ensure that you spray enough water on the stain so that you refresh it.
Step 3: Apply The Paste On Top Of The Stain
Apply the paste made of baking soda and water on top of the stain. Ensure that the stain is fully covered with the paste.
Step 4: Let The Paste Sit In The Stain
Let the baking soda paste and water sit in the stain for at least one hour. During this period, baking soda will be work on the stain and will be removing the stains from the fabric.
Step 5: Rinse The Clothing
Rince your clothing with warm water and inspect the clothing to determine whether the stains are entirely removed. If the stains are still there, you should repeat the stain removal process.
4. Cornstarch
Cornstarch has the same impact on the tea oil stain as baking soda. Indeed, if you apply cornstarch on a tea tree oil stain and leave it for some time, cornstarch will absorb the oil from the fabric and remove the stain.
What You’ll Require
Cornstarch
Water
Mixing Bowl
Soft Bristle Brush
Procedure
Step 1: Mix Cornstarch And Water
In a mixing bowl, mix an equal amount of water and cornstarch together. Ensure that you have mixed water and starch well till you have a paste.
Step 2: Apply the Paste On Top Of The Stain
Use your fingers to apply the paste made from baking soda and water on top of the stain. Ensure that all the stains are well covered with the paste.
Step 3: Let The Paste Sit For At Least 10 Hours
Let the paste sit in the stain for a minimum of 10 hours. During the 10 hours, baking soda will absorb the oil staining your clothing.
Step 4: Brush Away The Paste
Using the soft bristle brush, gently brush away the paste on the stain so that there will be no cornstarch in your clothing.
Step 5: Wash Your Clothing
Even if the stain will be removed from your fabric by now, wash the clothes in a normal wash cycle. If the stains are not entirely removed, you can repeat the process.
5. Rubbing Alcohol
As a solvent-based agent, rubbing alcohol can remove tea tree oil stains from clothes. Specifically, rubbing alcohol will dissolve the stains on your clothing, thus removing them.
To ensure that rubbing alcohol does not ruin your stained clothes, spot test rubbing alcohol on a small section of the clothing and proceed with the procedure once you have confirmed that your fabric will not be ruined.
What You’ll Require
Rubbing alcohol
Sponge/towel
Procedure
Step 1: Pour Rubbing Alcohol On The Stain
Pour rubbing alcohol on the tea tree oil stain. Ensure you pour enough rubbing alcohol so that alcohol sits on the stain. You can also pour rubbing alcohol on your towel and then blot the stain with the towel.
Allow the alcohol to sit in for at least 15 minutes.
Step 2: Use A Sponge To Rub The Alcohol Into The Tea Tree Oil Stain
Using a sponge or a towel, lightly rub the rubbing alcohol over the stain in a circular motion.
By rubbing alcohol against the stain, the alcohol will lift the stain from your fabric. Repeat this process until all the stains are removed.
Step 3: Wash Your Clothes
After the stain has been removed, wash your clothes in the washing machine. Before drying your clothes, ensure that the stains have been removed. If the stains are still there, you should repeat the stain removal process.
6. Vinegar
Vinegar has acetic acid, which can break down stains and make it easy to wash them off. Specifically, the astringent properties of the acetic acid in vinegar disintegrate and remove the tea tree oil stains.
What You’ll Require
Vinegar
Bowl
Procedure
Step 1: Pour Vinegar In The Small Bowl
Pour vinegar into the bowl. Make sure that your bowl is big enough to soak the stained part of your cloth.
Step 2: Soak The Stained Part Of The Cloth In Vinegar
Put the stained part of your cloth in the bowl and ensure that you have soaked it for at least 25 minutes.
Step 3: Wash Your Clothes
Wash the clothes in a gentle wash cycle. Once the wash cycle is over, remove the clothes from the washer and inspect to confirm that stains are entirely removed. If you can still see the stains, repeat the process.
7. Lemon Juice And Salt
Just like vinegar, lemon juice has acetic acid. The acid can break down the stain, thus getting rid of the stains in the clothes. Salt is a strong dehydrator and will lift the stains from your clothing.
Take note that since lemon and salt can have a bleaching effect on fabric, you should first spot test lemon juice and salt in a small section of your garment and only continue if your fabric will not be bleached.
What You’ll Require
Lemon
Salt
Water
Soft brush
Knife
Procedure
Step 1: Cut the lemon into two halves and squeeze lemon juice on the tea tree stain
Cut the lemon into two halves. Squeeze the juice directly into the tea tree oil stains. Ensure that all the splatters are well covered with lemon juice.
Step 2: Pour salt on top of the lemon juice
Pour some salt on the lemon juice already covering the tea tree oil stain. Ensure that you apply enough salt on the top of the stain.
Step 3: Using the brush, rub the salt and lemon juice into the stain
Gently rub the salt and lemon juice into the stain using the soft bristle brush.
Step 4: Wash the clothes
Wash the clothes in a normal wash cycle. If the stains are not removed, repeat the process.
Does Tea Tree Oil Bleach Clothes?
Tea tree oil is an excellent alternative to bleach. Just add a few drops of tea tree oil to your washer and wash the clothes in a normal wash. The oil will help brighten and whiten fabrics.
However, do not use undiluted tea tree oil as a bleach since if you do, the oil will ruin clothes made with synthetic fibers.
For example, polyester is mainly made of plastic. When undiluted tea tree oil comes into contact with polyester fabrics, the oil will break down the bonds that hold polyester fibers together, leaving your polyester clothes faded and twisted.
Can You Put Tea Tree Oil In Your Laundry?
Since tea tree oil can stain clothes, you might be wondering whether you can use tea tree oil when washing your clothes.
You can use small amounts of tea tree oil in your laundry and get a pleasant fragrance on your clothes. Just add two or three drops of tea tree oil to the unscented laundry detergent.
When you wash the clothes with the detergent that has been mixed with tea tree oil, your clothes will come out of the washer smelling fresh.
You mustn’t add a lot of tea tree oil in the laundry since if you do, your laundry could be stained by the tea tree oil.
How To Get Tea Tree Oil Smell Out Of Clothes
While some people love the tea tree oil smell, some people can’t stand the smell. If your clothes have a tea tree smell, you can be able to remove the smell by following a simple procedure.
Some of the best methods to get tea tree smell out of clothes entails applying baking soda to the clothes that are smelling like tea tree oil, adding activated charcoal to the washing detergent, and adding distilled vinegar in the washer washing detergent compartment.
Baking soda is a good smell absorber since it has the ability to neutralize different types of smells. By applying baking soda in your clothes before throwing the clothes in the washer, baking soda will absorb all the smell during the washing process and ensure that your clothes come out of the washer free of the tea tree oil smell.
Activated charcoal has normally gone through the heat treatment process in order to make the charcoal porous. Usually, the higher the porosity of activated charcoal, the high the ability of activated charcoal to absorb odor-causing smell molecules in the air.
Add a teaspoon of activated charcoal to your washing detergent and use the mixture in the washer. After the end of the wash cycle, the tea tree oil smell will not be there. Vinegar can also be added in the washing machine detergent washing compartment during the rinse cycle and you will be able to get rid of the tea tree oil smell in your clothes.
Concluding Thoughts
Even if tea tree oil can be of great benefit, the oil can stain and, in some cases, ruin clothes. If your clothes have been stained by tea tree oil, you can use different household products to remove the stain from your clothes.
However, if the tea tree oil stains are fresh, you can remove the stain by washing the stained clothes in the washer in a normal wash. Let us know how you got along with the stain removal process.
