7 Proven Ways To Get Poop Stains Out Of Underwear

Everybody poops, and unfortunately, sometimes you can leave evidence of this fact in your underwear. That’s right, we’re talking about skid marks, otherwise known as gross poop stains. They’re a common occurrence in potty training toddlers, but even adults have the occasional issue with leaving skid marks in their underwear.

how to get poop stains out of underwear

The good news is that while unsightly, skid marks often don’t leave permanent stains. This article will discuss the best ways to get poop stains out of underwear. We’ll also give you some tips to keep from leaving those stains in your underwear in the first place.

How To Get Poop Stains Out Of Underwear

If you’re doing laundry and notice poop stains in some underwear, set them aside. Before putting those underpants in the washing machine, try some of these methods to get the poop out without setting the stains.

baking soda and vinegar

1. Wash In Cold Water

The first thing you need to know about removing poop stains from underwear is that you should always use cold water.

Using hot or warm water will cause the stain to set in and make it much more difficult to remove with even the toughest stain fighters.

2. Treat With Distilled White Vinegar

Distilled white vinegar is a housekeeping super tool. The acidity of the vinegar breaks down bacteria that cause stains and odors, leaving your clothing refreshed.

Of course, vinegar will leave its own scent behind, but it will disappear as soon as you wash your clothes. 

To harness the stain-fighting power of vinegar, just mix a tablespoon of vinegar into a quart of cold water. If the stain is small, you can put your solution into a spray bottle and spritz it onto the item.

If the stain is large, you should put your vinegar mixture in the sink and dip the garment to thoroughly saturate the stain. Let the solution soak in for a few minutes, then rub the clothing against itself to remove the stain.

3. Use Baking Soda

Like vinegar, baking soda is well known for its odor-removing ability. It’s also become a staple in many laundry rooms because it’s excellent at getting tough stains out of clothing without using chemicals.

To use this method, first, wet your poop-stained underwear with cold water, then sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda across the entire stain.

Leave the baking soda for about 15 minutes to let it soak, then scrub the material against itself to work the stain out.

4. Soak It in Vodka

It may surprise you to learn that plain vodka can help to remove poop stains from underwear. All you need to do is put some vodka on a clean white cloth, then dab the stain.

You could even put the vodka in a spray bottle and spritz it onto the stain. Let the vodka sit for about 15 minutes, so it has time to work its way into the stain, then blot the excess moisture with a clean cloth.

Allow the alcohol to dry naturally to remove all traces of poop from your clothing.

5. A Splash of Lemon

The citric acid in lemon juice makes it an excellent solvent for removing stains. This acid can also have a bleaching effect, so make sure you don’t use it on dark clothes.

To use this method, just squeeze some fresh lemon juice onto the stain, work it into the fabric, and let it sit for about half an hour to work its magic.

When that time is up, rub the fabric against itself to get the remaining stain out, then throw the underwear into your washing machine with the rest of your laundry.

6. Add Some Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is one of the active ingredients in oxygen bleach. It has the stain-fighting power of bleach but is still safe to use on colors.

The secret to this solution is that hydrogen peroxide doesn’t actually remove stains; it just makes them invisible. The oxidization process breaks down the chemical bonds that create the stains, thereby removing their color.

To harness the power of hydrogen peroxide, you can put some on a clean cloth or in a spray bottle and apply it directly to the stain.

If you’re treating colored clothing, you should do a spot test first by applying peroxide to a cotton swab, then dabbing it onto the item in an inconspicuous location to make sure it won’t remove the dye.

Since this solution doesn’t actually remove the stain-causing bacteria, be sure to throw the soiled clothing into your washing machine immediately.

7. Scrub It Out With Ammonia

If the poop stains are fresh, the best thing you can do is scrub them out. First, scrape off any excess poop from the clothing, then soak it in a sinkful of cool water and ammonia for 30 minutes.

When it’s finished soaking, scrub the item with a stiff scrub brush or rough cloth to remove any remaining stains.

Ammonia is a strong chemical, so if you choose this method, please be sure to ventilate your laundry room well by opening a window and turning on a fan.

If the stain remains after using ammonia, you can use other methods listed here, but avoid using hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is a weakened form of bleach, and mixing bleach with ammonia can produce toxic chlorine gasses.

Here are some separate tips for cleaning your actual toilet.

How To Stop Getting Poop Stains In Your Underwear

Now that you know how to remove poop stains from your underwear, let’s explore a few ways to keep from getting the stains in the first place.

toilet bidet

1. Change Your Diet

Eating healthfully is best to avoid skid marks in your underwear. Adding fiber to your diet can allow your stomach and colon to process your food properly, thereby hardening your stool and adding bulk to it.

The harder your poop is, the less likely it will be to stain your underwear. You should also avoid eating too much food that causes you to feel bloated and gassy. If your food causes too much flatulence, you may leak a little poop when you fart. 

2. Wipe The Right Way

If it’s not flatulence causing your skid marks, you may be wiping incorrectly. Even if the toilet paper comes back clean, little bits of poo may be stuck on your bottom that can transfer to your underwear.

If you find that you have skid marks, no matter how well you wipe with dry toilet paper, you may want to consider adding wet wipes to your bathroom supply list.

Just make sure you throw these wipes away rather than flushing them. They won’t break down the way toilet paper does and could end up clogging up your pipes.

3. Invest In A Bidet

If you don’t want the hassle and extra expense of wet wipes, consider installing a bidet to eliminate poop stains in your underwear.

Although they’re not very common in most Westernized countries, bidets are an excellent way to clean your bottom and reduce the amount of toilet paper you use.

They can also be very luxurious if you purchase a toilet seat model with a heated water option and a warm air blower. Those luxuries can be expensive, but the wall-mounted spray bidets are both cost-effective and efficient.

Not only can they clean your bottom, but you can also use them to rinse out cloth diapers or give your dog a bath.

4. Purchase Durable Underwear

If you find that you’re getting poop stains in your underwear no matter what you do or if you have a child that hasn’t mastered the art of wiping well, the best thing you can do to avoid having permanently stained clothing is buy high-quality undergarments.

That doesn’t mean they have to be the most expensive underwear you can find; you just need to make sure they’re made of durable material, like 100% cotton.

That way, if you have to scrub them often, they won’t fade, pill, or fall apart.

Conclusion

Finding poop stains in underwear happens to everyone at some point in their lives. Fortunately, if you treat them correctly, these stains don’t need to be permanent. If you find a skid mark in your underwear when you’re doing laundry, set them aside to pretreat them to avoid setting the stain.

Always pretreat poop stains with cold water before putting them in the washing machine. If you need to use a cleaning solution on the stain, you can try distilled white vinegar, baking powder, lemon juice, vodka, hydrogen peroxide, clear vodka, or ammonia.

You can reduce the number of skid marks in your underwear by watching your diet, using wet wipes in addition to toilet paper, or installing a bidet. If all else fails, be sure to purchase high-quality undergarments made of durable material that can withstand a lot of scrubbing.

Shauna Stone