One of life’s simple pleasures is enjoying a piece of a chocolate bar at the end of a long day. But, if you’re like us, this melty delicacy has a way of always ending up on your shirt, pants, or worse, your couch. Don’t worry: Carolyn Forte, director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, is here to help. “Chocolate soaks into fabric a bit more slowly than other liquids, so get to it quickly and you’ll have the most success,” says Forte — and here’s how.
Clothing
Scrape off excess chocolate. Pretreat with a prewash stain remover, then launder as usual. If the stain remains, launder again, using the type of bleach that’s safest for the fabric.
Upholstery
Scrape off excess chocolate. Mix one tablespoon of liquid dishwashing detergent, with two cups of cool water. Using a clean white cloth, sponge the stain with the detergent solution. Blot until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat until the stain disappears. Sponge with cold water and blot dry. If that doesn’t work, use a clean white cloth, sponge the stain with a dry-cleaning solvent. Blot until the solvent is absorbed. Repeat until the stain disappears.
Carpeting
Start by attempting the method used for upholstery. If the stain remains, mix one tablespoon of ammonia (caution: never mix chlorine bleach and ammonia, as the resulting fumes are hazardous) with two cups of warm water. Sponge the stain with the ammonia solution. Blot until the liquid is absorbed. Sponge with cold water and blot dry.
