Giving children liquid medicine is seldom pleasant. Drug manufacturers and pharmacists add flavoring and coloring (dye) to make the liquid medicine more palatable. But those same additives make getting the spills and stains out of laundry even more difficult. Most liquid medicines are alcohol-based and can be removed with the following method.

How To Remove Liquid Medicine Stains

As with most stains, liquid medicine stains will be easier to remove if they are treated immediately.

Use this same technique whether the stain is fresh or several hours old.

Flush the back of the stain with cold running water to force out as much of the product as possible. Mix one tablespoon of white vinegar with 2/3 cup of rubbing alcohol. Using a clean white cloth, sponge the stain with the vinegar/alcohol solution. Keep turning the white cloth to a clean area to blot away as much of the stain as possible.

When no more coloring is transferring to the white cloth, rinse the stain with cold water. Mix a solution of oxygen or non-chlorine bleach (OxiClean) in a sink of water following package directions. Allow the liquid medicine stain to soak for at least 30 minutes. Wash as usual using warm water.

If the stain remains after washing, repeat the steps before putting the garment in the dryer. High heat will set the stain permanently.

If the garment is dry clean only, point out and identify the stain to your professional cleaner. If you are using a home dry cleaning kit, be sure to treat the stain with the provided stain remover before putting the garment in the dryer bag.

For more stain removal tips: Stain Removal A to Z

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