How to Remove Soy Sauce Stains from Colored & White Clothing

Soy sauce stains may look invincible, but they’re easy to remove using these laundry tricks

Last Updated: January 3, 2023

Colored Clothing

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White Clothing

Sushi night is the best part of your week… until a huge drop of soy sauce lands on your favorite shirt. Yikes! Luckily, soy sauce stains aren’t permanent, and they’re easy to remove if you move quickly. You just need to pre-treat the stain and let your washing machine do the rest of the work. Whether it's your favorite white t-shirt or a pair of dark jeans, here’s a step-by-step guide to remove soy sauce stains from all your clothes.

This article is based on an interview with our green cleaning expert, Susan Stocker, owner of Susan’s Green Cleaning. Check out the full interview here.

Things You Should Know

Blot the stain with a paper towel to remove excess soy sauce.
Rub liquid laundry detergent into the stain, and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Launder normally. If the stain remains after washing, do not throw it in the dryer: the heat will set the stain permanently.
For white clothing, apply bleach directly on the stain (after running a colorfast test).

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Colored Clothing

1
Remove excess soy sauce from the fabric with a paper towel. Act quickly to remove as much soy sauce as possible. Use a clean, white paper towel to blot the stain. Repeat until the stain no longer appears on the paper towel.^{[1]
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- Do not rub the stain. You could push the soy sauce farther into the fabric or cause it to spread.
- You can also sprinkle cornstarch on the stain before treating it. Cornstarch absorbs liquid, but make sure to dust off any excess powder before blotting.
2
Flush the stain with cold water from the back of the garment. Turn the garment inside-out and flush the stain with cold, running water. It’s important to rinse the stain from behind so it doesn’t seep into the garment any further.^{[2]
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3
Rub liquid laundry detergent into the stain. Pour enough detergent to cover the stain, then gently rub the spot with your fingers for 2-3 minutes. Any liquid laundry detergent works fine, but try Puracy Natural Laundry Stain Remover for extra stubborn stains.
- Before attempting to treat the stain at home, thoroughly read the care label of your garment: don't attempt to treat “dry-clean only” garments at home.
- If you’re out of laundry detergent, use a baking soda mixture instead: mix 4 tablespoons (59 mL) baking soda and 1 US quart (0.95 L) warm water.
- Alternatively, make a vinegar cleaning solution or make soap-based liquid detergent with borax.
4
Let the detergent sit for 10 minutes and then rinse. This allows the detergent to fully saturate the stain and work its magic. Set the garment on a flat surface where it won’t be disturbed, then rinse the spot thoroughly with cold, clean water.^{[3]
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5
If the stain remains, soak the garment in warm water for 30 minutes. Fill a medium-sized bowl with warm water. Apply liquid laundry detergent on the stain and rub it into the fabric for 2-3 minutes. Submerge the entire garment in water for half an hour.^{[4]
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- You can also soak the garment in the sink, but don’t forget to set the stopper before you put your clothes in–your clothes could catch on the stopper and rip.
- Alternatively, throw the garment into the washer and use the pre-soak (or pre-wash) setting: use normal laundry detergent, but be sure to select the option for warm water.
6
Launder the garment normally. It’s best to use the hottest water setting when removing stains, but read the care label to see if there are any special washing directions. After washing the garment, check if the stain has been removed before throwing it in the dryer: if the stain is still there, the heat from the dryer can set it permanently.^{[5]
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- If the stain remains, repeat the previous steps and launder again, or take the garment to a professional dry cleaner.
- If the stain is gone, machine-dry the garment as usual.
- Do not attempt to wash delicate fabrics, like silk or chiffon, at home.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

White Clothing

1
Remove excess soy sauce from the fabric with a paper towel. Gently blot the stain with a clean, white paper towel. It’s important to work as quickly as possible to prevent the soy sauce from drying and setting into the fabric.^{[6]
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2
Flush the stain with cold water from the back of the garment. Turn the garment inside-out and rinse the stain with cold, fresh water. Make sure to flush the stain from behind to prevent it from spreading out or going further into the fabric.^{[7]
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3
Run a colorfast test on a small fabric patch of the garment. Before using bleach to combat stains, it’s crucial to test for color changes in the garment. With a cotton swab, dab a bleach-water solution on a small patch inside the garment. If there’s no color change, the fabric is bleach-safe.^{[8]
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- To make a bleach-water solution, combine 2 teaspoons (9.9 mL) bleach with .25 cups (59 mL) water.^{[9]
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- Make sure to thoroughly read the care label of your garment before attempting to treat the stain at home. “Dry-clean only” garments should be taken to a professional dry cleaning service as soon as possible.
4
Spot-treat the stain with a bleach pen or solution. Always wear gloves when handling chlorine bleach. If you use a bleach pen, be sure to shake the pen before applying liberally. Work the bleach directly into the stain, and let it sit for 10-20 minutes.^{[10]
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- If you prefer natural bleaching agents, use lemon juice or distilled white vinegar instead.
- Alternatively, pre-soak the stain with hydrogen peroxide. Run a colorfast test with hydrogen peroxide, then soak the garment in the solution for 1-2 hours. Rinse and launder normally.
5
Launder the garment as usual. Read the care instructions on the garment, before throwing it in the washer. Wash with normal laundry detergent on the hottest recommended water setting.^{[11]
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- If the stain remains, do not throw it in the dryer–the heat can set the stain permanently. Repeat the previous steps until the stain is removed, or take the garment to a professional dry cleaner.
- If the stain is gone, machine-dry the garment as usual.