Does Hand Sanitizer Stain Clothes? [Tips to Remove]

Now more than ever, hand sanitizers have already become a regular part of people’s daily hygiene and everyday life. Does hand sanitizer stain clothes? Can hand sanitizer bleach clothes? Can hand sanitizer remove stains from clothes?

You will get all the answers shortly and we will also show you an effective way to remove hand sanitizer stains.

Does hand sanitizer stain clothes

Will hand sanitizer stain clothes

Unfortunately, hand sanitizer will stain clothes and leave some ugly marks and blemishes on clothing. There are some hand sanitizers that contain alcohol that is a known stain remover. There are also others that contain benzalkonium chloride, a type of bleaching agent. The moment the hand sanitizer comes into contact with your clothes, this can remove the fabric’s color. These marks are what you call bleaching spots.

This means that while hand sanitizers help keep you protected from germs, illnesses, and viruses, you need to keep your clothes protected from their bleaching properties.

Does alcohol hand sanitizer stain clothes

While hand sanitizers don’t necessarily stain clothes, there are ingredients present in most brands that can damage some fabrics. Every time you apply sanitizer, this can splatter or spill not only on your clothes but also other surfaces. Once the liquid finds itself on fabric, this can for small discolored spots that may appear as stains. These marks are where the fabric was bleached.

Alcohol is among the key ingredients in hand sanitizers because of its antibacterial properties. As you already know, alcohol is a popular stain remover. It might cause some issues when your clothes are concerned. For alcohol doesn’t know the difference between colors and stains.

Alcohol’s properties for effective stain removal are due to its ability of acting as a bleaching agent. Simply put, this changes the appearance of an item as it removes its color. Unfortunately, since the alcohol lands in tiny amounts on random places, the bleaching process will only work on the affected areas that leave behind a spotted effect on fabrics.

Does Purell hand sanitizer stain clothes

Purell hand sanitizer is made up of 70% ethyl alcohol, which means that while it won’t stain clothes, the fixings found in it can harm certain textures. As you apply Purell hand sanitizer, this can splatter or spill on your clothes and many other surfaces. At this point, once the fluid runs down on the fabric, it shapes small marks that can appear like stains.

Does clear hand sanitizer stain clothes

Yes, even clear hand sanitizer can leave stain-like marks on clothes. Most clear hand sanitizers still contain alcohol that can remove stains as well as the dyeing specialist benzalkonium chloride. When the clear hand sanitizer has come into contact with your clothes, this can remove the texture’s shading. These imprints are also called fading spots.

Does Bath and Body Works hand sanitizer stain clothes

Bath and Body Works hand sanitizer also contains alcohol and as mentioned above, it can cause harm in the form of stain-like bleaching.

Does hand sanitizer discolor clothes

Yes, hand sanitizer can discolor clothes. Hand sanitizers leave stains that look like marks on clothes. Some sanitizers, depending on the manufacturer contain alcohol, while some contain benzachlorium chloride which causes bleaching on clothes. When it beaches your cloth, it can cause discoloration.

Can hand sanitizer remove stains from clothes

Since the primary ingredient in many hand sanitizers today is alcohol, you could also try using these products to treat things that rubbing alcohol often tackles. This means that you could use it to remove stains from your clothes such as hot sauce stains, pen marks, grass stains, grease, and almost all kinds of makeup including lipstick.

But, you have to remember that this hack for stain removal will be most effective when the stained spots are treated at the soonest time possible. This means that if you are eating lunch and a piece of food drops on your clothes or you are out running some errands, don’t wait before you take out your hand sanitizer and deal with it.

Does hand sanitizer remove the coffee stain

Yes, hand sanitizers will remove coffee stains. Although coffee stains are one of the toughest stains to deal with, however, sanitizers contain alcohol which is an effective stain remover. However, if you are dealing with old coffee stains, it is better to opt for more aggressive cleaning.

Does hand sanitizer remove permanent makers from clothes

Yes, hand sanitizers will remove permanent makers from clothes. Hand sanitizers can be effectively used to remove permanent marker stains from clothes. However, this depends on the kind of hand sanitizer you have though. Alcohol-based sanitizers are the best for treating most stains.

Can you use hand sanitizer on clothes

This substance laden with alcohol safely works on some types of fabrics although you might want to ensure that you don’t use this on silk, acetate, wool, or rayon. You can use this on cotton shirts and even most carpets and leather. Just don’t forget to spot test this first before you go all-in on using alcohol on all your precious and beloved pieces.

How to remove permanent marker from clothes with hand sanitizer

You can use your alcohol-based hand sanitizer to remove permanent marker from clothes. All you have to do is squeeze a dime- or quarter-sized amount of hand sanitizer over the stain that depends on how large the stain is.  Just spread the hand sanitizer gently and carefully on the stain using a clean sponge in a circular motion.

Allow this to settle for around 15 minutes. If there is still a lingering stain, just repeat the process until you remove the stain. Since hand sanitizer is meant for your skin, it has the tendency to be gentler compared to other alcohol-based choices that makes it a great option for clothes and fabrics that are more delicate.

Use cold water to rinse the fabric after you use alcohol-based hand sanitizer so that you can remove the product from the fabric after you got rid of the marker stain. If the specific fabric is machine washable, this can be run through in the laundry using your usual detergent after lifting the stain.

How to remove hand sanitizer stains from clothes

There is actually no easy and simple way for removing hand sanitizer stains from clothes. You may try reducing the damage’s size or hide it in one way or another. Leaving the hand sanitizer longer on your clothes will only cause more damages. Please follow the below 5 steps to get hand sanitizer out of clothes.

  1. To remove the hand sanitizer, scrape off the sanitizer as much as possible and as gently as you can and ensure that you don’t rub too hard.
  2. Wash garment right away. There is no guarantee that the process will work yet this is still worth a try.
  3. Repairing the fabric might be a bit tricky because the hand sanitizer can bleach it. if the item is dark colored, you can use a fabric marker pen closely matched to the fabric color to help conceal the damaged parts.
  4. You can also hide it using embellishments like patches and buttons depending on the specific location of the damage.
  5. If your clothing article is suede or leather or has special finish, it is best to bring it to the professional cleaner. Trying to clean it on your own may only lead to more damages, including holes or rips.

Other hand sanitizer stains removal guides

How to remove hand sanitizer stains from leather

You can effectively use mild soap and coconut oil to remove hand sanitizer stains from your leather surfaces. Check below for directions on how it can be used.

  1. Both as much of the hand sanitizer stains as possible from the affected surface.
  2. Do not rub, but instead, dab on the stain so that you don’t end up spreading the stains to other unaffected spots.
  3. Create a solution from the mixtures of a bowl of water and a tbs. of dish soap and stir thoroughly until it becomes foamy.
  4. Soak the affected spot with the solution.
  5. Leave it to sit for a few seconds
  6. Dip a clean towel or cloth into the solution, squeeze to get rid of excess water, and begin to scrub the stain as gently as you can until there are no more stains on the surface. (Do this for a few seconds and make sure to run gently in a circular motion)
  7. Once the stain is completely gone, gently rub the stains for the last time then wipe the treated spot with a clean microfiber cloth.
  8. Leave the treated surface to air-dry.
  9. Apply a thin layer of coconut oil or baseline on a microfiber cloth and begin to rub the leather surface. Repeat this process making sure to buff and allow the surface to air dry before reapplying the coat. This is important to keep the leather surface moisturized and have a healthy layer of oil to protect it from damage in the future.
  10. Leave the leather item to air dry completely before use.

How to remove hand sanitizer stain from suede

You can remove hand sanitizer stains from your suede item with white vinegar. Check below for details on how it can be used.

  1. Make a solution from the mixtures of water and vinegar in equal proportion in a bowl or spray bottle.
  2. Dip a clean towel or cloth in this solution and dab on the stains. However, you have to be careful not to rub too hard though because doing so can spoil the nap of the suede material. 
  3. Soak a microfiber cloth in a bowl of water, wring to get rid of excess water, and wipe on the treated surface to get rid of the vinegar/water solution.
  4. Place a clean cloth on a flat surface and place the suede cloth on it to completely air dry.
  5. Use a suede or soft-bristled brush to brush the suede surface to restore the item to its original texture.

How to remove hand sanitizer stain from wood

  1. Press a clean cloth on the stained spot to absorb some of the hand sanitizer stains.
  2. Soak a cloth with water, pour a tbs of cigarette ash, and leave the ash on the surface for about a minute to soak up moisture from the cloth.
  3. Rub the moisturized ash on the stained spot and leave it to sit for about 2 minutes, then wipe it off using a damp cloth.
  4. Make a paste from the mixture of lemon oil and ground rottenstone.
  5. Apply the paste to the stained spot and butt for about  2 minutes.
  6. Wipe a damp cloth on the treated spot to remove the paste.
  7. Leave to air dry.
  8. If you want, you can restore the moisture of the wood by rubbing polish into the wood using a clean cloth.

How to remove hand sanitizer stains from the floor

  1. Pour undiluted distilled white vinegar on the stained spot.
  2. Leave it to sit for about 15 minutes
  3. Wipe off the treated spot afterward with a damp cloth.
  4. If the stain persists, proceed to step 4
  5. Apply baking soda to the affected spot and leave it to sit for about 15 minutes.
  6. Wipe afterward with a damp cloth.

How to remove hand sanitizer stain from plastic

  1. Make a solution from the mixtures of 1 cup of water and 1 tbs. of vinegar.
  2. Pour the solution into the stained container and leave it to sit for about an hour or 2.
  3. Wipe clean the treated spot, rinse and leave to dry afterward.

How to remove hand sanitizer stains from shoes.

Getting rid of sanitizer stains from shoes may be a little harder and you might have to use strong cleaners like acetone or sapphire renomat to get rid of the stain. Check below for directions on how to use sapphire renomat.

  1. Apply some renomat on a clean cloth
  2. Rub the cloth on the stained spot applying medium to minimal pressure moving from part to part until the stain is gone.

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