How to Clean a Shirt with Hand Cream & Aloe Stains

Shirts on coat hangers on washing line

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Lotion and aloe stains on a shirt may look disastrous, but you don’t have to toss the shirt out. Aloe is non-greasy and will typically come out in the wash. Lotion, however, is often oil-based, and the stain will likely need to be treated for complete removal. Treat the shirt immediately to ensure the greatest success in stain removal.

Scrape off any gobs of lotion or aloe from the shirt using a butter knife. Take care when scraping so that the lotion and aloe do not spread further.

Apply a laundry pretreatment product to the stained spots on the shirt. Let it sit for one minute.

Apply a few drops of heavy-duty liquid laundry detergent to the spots. Use your fingers to work the detergent into the fabric.

Wash the shirt in the hottest water allowed for the fabric. Inspect the shirt for any traces of the stain immediately after washing.

Launder the shirt with chlorine bleach or oxygen bleach if any traces of the stain remain. Use oxygen bleach for colored shirts or delicate materials and chlorine bleach for whites and durable fabrics. Refer to the label on the bleach for the specific amount to use according to load size.