How To Remove Cola, Soft Drink & Soda Stains

Soda stains, also referred to as soft drink stains, cola stains, pop stains, or fizzy drink stains, can happen anytime of the day or night in our homes since we all seem to drink our soft drinks all over the house.

This is especially true if there is a party, especially a children's party, because one of the first things to happen is that someone will get an orange soda stain all over the carpet.

Below are step by step instructions for removing soft drink stains from clothing, upholstery and carpet.

Generally, this article is geared toward dark colas, such as Coke stains.

However, it will also be helpful in removing stains caused by other colored and flavored sodas, and states different stain removal techniques for the different types of sodas and pops within the instructions.

Removing Soda Stains From Clothing

Step 1: Presoak the clothing in a solution of liquid laundry detergent and cool water (approximately 2 tablespoons of detergent to one gallon of water) for at least thirty minutes (if the stain is very old it may need to sit overnight).

Step 2: Pretreat the stain with a laundry prewash stain remover.

Step 3: Launder in the hottest water the fabric will allow to get out the spot, and either chlorine bleach if the fabric will allow it, or color safe bleach if not.

Hint: Make sure the stain is gone after washing, but before you place in the dryer or you may set it. Repeat if necessary.

Step 4: If the above method did not remove the spot completely, and you are removing orange soda stains (or those with other bright food dyes), for example, create another presoak solution to place the stained fabric in for at least 30 minutes, and possibly as long as overnight. This presoak solution should contain oxygen bleach and water.

Hint: More suggestions are contained in the article about removing food coloring stains.

Step 5: After this presoak is complete, launder as directed above in step 4.

How To Remove Fizzy Drink Stains And Soft Drink Stains From Upholstery

Step 1: Mix a solution of two cups cool water and one tablespoon dishwashing liquid (add one tablespoon of white vinegar if you are trying to remove a soda stain containing dyes such as red, orange or purple dye).

Step 2: Using this solution, sponge the spot with a clean white cloth.

Hint: For each of these cleaning solutions suggested be sure to get the upholstery only as wet as necessary to remove the spot.

Step 3: Next, blot until the liquid is absorbed.

Step 4: Repeat steps 2-3 until the spots are removed from the upholstery, or at least as much of the stain as possible.

Step 5: Now get plain cold water and a new white cloth and sponge the area to remove the cleaning solution, and then blot dry.

Step 6: If the stain is removed, stop. If not, next, sponge the stain with rubbing alcohol, blotting at the stained area until as much of the soda stain comes off as possible.

Step 7: Now get plain cold water and a new white cloth and sponge the area to remove the rubbing alcohol, and then blot dry.

Step 8: If the stain is removed, stop. If not, next, mix a solution of two cups cool water, one tablespoon dishwashing liquid, and one tablespoon of ammonia.

Step 9: Using this solution, sponge the pop stain with a clean white cloth.

Hint: Ammonia can be harmful to some upholstery so be sure to spot test this stain removing solution in an inconspicuous area first to make sure you will not harm your upholstery.

Step 10: Sponge the upholstery with the ammonia solution, blotting at the spot until it is removed.

Step 11: Now get plain cold water and a new white cloth and sponge the area to remove the ammonia solution, and then blot dry.

Hint: The elaborate instructions listed above are best suited toward removing soda stains caused by colored sodas such as orange, red or grape.

If you have a brown cola stain, before trying all these different stain removal solutions, I suggest trying to remove the stain with dry cleaning solvent.

You can get more information on how to clean upholstery here.

Further, here's a tip for how to clean cola stains on car seats.

Removing Cola Stains From Carpet

The instructions for removing soft drink stains from carpet is the same as for upholstery.

Recommended Soda Stain Removers

Perhaps you don't want to make your own stain remover, but instead want to use something designed to remove cola stains.

Here are some articles and reviews on this site which discuss various products that are designed to remove these stains, or where someone mentioned they had luck removing these stains with a specific product:

Carbona Stain Devil #8 To Remove Dark Cola

Carbona Stain Devil #6 To Remove Food Dye Stains, Such As In Some Colored Colas

Getting Out Of Carpet Using Dishwashing Liquid

Ivory Snow Detergent For Delicate Clothes

Biz Powder

Zout Laundry Pretreater

Whink Wash Away

Shout Advanced Ultra Gel

Oxygen Bleach For Colored Colas On Upholstery

Removed Strawberry Fanta Vomit From Car Carpeting With Fels Naptha

Oxydol Powder

You can also share your own stain remover reviews here for other removers that work on soda, or any other stain.

Do You Have Any Tips To Share For Removing These Stains?

I'm always looking for more tips and ideas for how to remove stains. You can share your stain removal tip here, for removing soda stains or anything else.

Did You Know Coca-Cola And Other Sodas Can Actually Clean Things Too?

This page is devoted to how to remove soda stains from items when that soda gets everywhere.

Therefore, it may come to suprise you that the phosphoric acid contained in Coca-Cola and many other soft drinks is actually used by some people to clean and remove stains from things.

Click here to learn more uses for Coca-Cola and other sodas for cleaning and stain removal around your home. You can also share your own tips and uses for these items here.

Get Even More Stain And Spot Removal Help Here

Are you a stain magnet like me? If so, check out the A to Z Stain Removal Guide which gives directions for how to remove over 100 types of stains from all kinds of surfaces.

Fifth photo by poolie

Related Pages You May Enjoy

A-Z Guide: Step By Step Instructions For Removing Over 100 Types Of Stains

Go From Removing Soda Stains To Home Page

CAUTION: This website is provided for informational purposes only. It is provided as is, without warranties or guarantees. Some stains and messes just won't come out, and are permanent. Further, some cleaning methods can harm your item, so if what you want to clean or launder is sentimental or expensive call a professional. See disclaimer of liability for more information.