How to Remove Egg Stains

Fernie asked, “Anyone have any tips on getting a 3-year old egg yolk stain off of my shoe?”

Table of Contents:

Removing the Stain
Additional Tips and Advice
Sources

Many culinary delights require eggs as an ingredient, which often leaves the cook with egg stains on their clothes. However, a few simple steps can have your egg-stained item back to normal. Follow the steps below to remove the stain.

Removing the Stain

You Will Need:

A spoon
Salt
Water
A bowl
Dish liquid
Ammonia
Enzyme detergent

Steps to Remove the Stain:

Gently scoop off as much egg as possible.¹
Mix some salt with cold water in a bowl and soak the stain in the bowl.² For older egg stains, soak the stain for several hours.¹
Squirt some dish liquid into a cup of water, mix it well to make suds, then sponge the solution onto the stain.¹
If the stain persists, mix about 6 drops of ammonia into the cup of water with dish liquid. Test the solution on a small, hidden area first to look for any adverse reaction and, if safe, blot the solution on the stain. Rinse the area well with water.¹
For stubborn stains, use an enzyme detergent. Mix a powdered detergent with some water and apply the paste to the stain, or apply a liquid detergent directly onto the stain.³
If enzyme detergent is not available, use meat tenderizer. Mix the meat tenderizer with some water to make a paste, put the paste on the stain, and let it sit for about half an hour. Then, brush the paste off and rinse the area²

Additional Tips and Advice

Do not use any heat on the garment, such as hot water or drying the shirt in the dryer, until you are sure that the stain is gone. Heat can cause egg stains to set.³
If the egg stain is not easily removed or is on a delicate garment, have the item dry cleaned.¹
Always ventilate the area and use caution when working with ammonia. For more ammonia safety information, see Wikipedia.