Everyone including me always gets excited about the Easter Bunny! I thought I’d put up a quick note about how to remove a couple of Easter Bunny-related stains from the outdoor egg hunt and the melted/dripping/dropped chocolate bunny stains.

I LOVE Easter egg hunts (as long as I find the most eggs), but handling grass stains is certainly not any fun. These can be some of the toughest stains to remove, as that juicy green chlorophyll needs to be broken down and decolorized. Here’s what I suggest:

First, test the item to see if it can be bleached try this simple Bleachability Test: Add 2 tspn Clorox® Regular-Bleach to 1/4 cup water; apply a drop on a hidden colored area like inside seam, hemline or cuff; wait 1 minute and then blot with towel. No color change means it is safe to use bleach on the item. Any color change could also show you the amount of change in color that likely will occur if you proceed with the liquid bleach usage. (You can also see a demo of this on my blog – http://www.drlaundryblog.com – in the video titled “Laundry 101.”)

If the item can be bleached: I would do a good long presoak (at least 30-60 minutes) in warm water with a good enzyme containing powder detergent to loosen any dirt and mud and start breaking down the grass stains. Don't use hot water as this can "cook" the protein portion making removal tougher. Now, if there are just a few spots, try pretreating with Clorox® Bleach Pen® Gel. Then launder the item immediately in warm water with detergent and 3/4 cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach. Check for success before drying, in case additional treatments are necessary to achieve the desired result.

If the item cannot be bleached: Begin by presoaking the items (at least 30-60 minutes) in warm water with a good enzyme containing powder detergent to loosen any dirt and mud and start breaking down the grass stains. Next, apply Clorox2® Stain Fighter and Color Booster directly on the stain, and allow it to sit for 3-5 minutes. Now wash in warmest water recommended on the care labels using detergent and Clorox2®. Finally, always check for success before drying. Especially in this case, it might require multiple treatments to get the desired result.

Chocolate bunnies are an Easter favorite, but fine chocolate particles and oils can make chocolate a really stubborn stain to remove. If that rabbit hops out of your hands and onto your shirt, try this approach:

First, test the item to see if it can be bleached try this simple Bleachability Test: Add 2 tspn Clorox® Regular-Bleach to 1/4 cup water; apply a drop on a hidden colored area like inside seam, hemline or cuff; wait 1 minute and then blot with towel. No color change means it is safe to use bleach on the item. Any color change could also show you the amount of change in color that likely will occur if you proceed with the liquid bleach usage. (You can also see a demo on my blog – http://www.drlaundryblog.com – in the video titled “Laundry 101.”)

First, pretreat the stain with a good liquid detergent (apply, rub in, wait 3-5 minutes).
If your stained item can be bleached:
1. Rub chocolate stain gently with Clorox® Bleach Pen® Gel immediately before laundering; wait 3-5 minutes
2. Wash immediately in the hottest water recommended on the care label with detergent and ¾ cup Clorox Regular Bleach
3. Inspect the item before placing in the dryer. If any stain remains, repeat the steps above.

If your stained item cannot be bleached:
1. Apply Clorox 2® Stain Fighter & Color Booster, rub into the stain; wait 3-5 minutes.
2. Wash immediately in the warmest water recommended on the care label using detergent and Clorox 2.
3. Inspect the item before placing in the dryer. If any stain remains, repeat the steps above.