This is an old post that I originally published in 2011 but I’m reposting today since it’s too good of a trick not to know.
Clumsiness runs in my veins. More times than not I knead food coloring into fondant or playdough straight on the countertop without thinking that it might stain it. Over the years I have become a pro at getting it off quickly and easily. My husband had no idea this huge pink stain was on the counters yesterday until he saw the pictures tonight. I’m that good. You can be too.
Really this technique works anytime you need to draw color out of a laminate or non stone surface. If you have granite or quartz counters than you are very blessed and this might not work. It did work to get permanent marker off of my engineered marble bathroom vanity so it might work on yours.
All you need to do is pour dish soap on the stain and let it set.
I poured a huge puddle of Dawn dish soap on all the food color stains left from the playdough and let it set. When Damion walked in the room, I just quickly grabbed the nearest towel and covered it up so he wouldn’t go postal.
Let it set 10 minutes for a fresh stain and a few hours for an old stain.
Now just start wiping it up with a dry cloth….
keep wiping…
It will wipe off!
Any stubborn stains that are left, just reapply the soap and do it again.
And your husband will never be the wiser….. unless he sees the pictures.
Now can someone tell me how to get this off?
I use bleach quite a bit. That takes just about anything off. My hands are not that delicate, so I never worry about it burning my hands.Many times I use Pop’s grease remover from the garage. I keep a can of it in the bathroom, since I am prone to be using any and everything imaginable during my daily activities.I have a bad habit of using whatever it takes to remove different things. If at first I don’t succeed, I’ll try and try again(with whatever product I can find till I hit on one that does work).
I had to bleach my hands to get easter egg dye off before I went engagement ring shopping with Damion 9 years ago. My skin accepts dye really easily and keeps it! I also try a lot of products but my mom taught me this soap trick when I was little to get the kool aide stains of the counter and it’s always worked perfectly! I always smile when you leave me a comment talking about Pop. I love that you call him that.
Try washing your hands with baking soda
I also scrubbed my counters with some and it took it right off!
)
(I found your blog through Kristens WFM linky
Thanks for sharing this tip! It is so helpful for food dye stains, and for Kool Aid too! That is the worst stain to get on your counter! I liked your tip so much I featured it on my website’s weekly link round up. You can see it here:
Cleaning, Laundry & Stain Removal Links For The Week
Thanks again!
Mix a teaspoon of sea salt with a teaspoon of lemon juice and massage into hands to get rid of stains. Next mix a teaspoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of honey and massage into hands. Put on disposable deli gloves and relax for 30 minutes and then wash hands. Nice!…..Annie
P.S. You should wash off salt/lemon before oil/honey….. :O)
Toothpaste works too! And it makes less of a mess, I had to get it off my countertops last year after my Christmas cookies. It also removed Sharpie off of new hard wood desk.
WD 40. It is amazing what it will remove and it will not harm most things either. I have granite counters and had a clumsy crafter moment: I left a blue sharpie open and it leaked onto the granite. Major freak out moment. I mixed a paste of baking soda with dawn, spread it over the stain, then covered it all with wax paper. Left it overnight and POOF! it was gone. The paste was bright blue! However, when my daughter accidentally got gorilla glue on the granite (long story) it was the WD 40 that removed it. Accidents happen…..but it’s how you handle them that counts!
You saved me tonight! I almost got busted by my husband for getting food coloring on our quartz counter tops while dying Easter eggs. I tried another website’s idea of mixing flour and hydrogen peroxide into a paste. It worked like play doh and drew out some of the stain but the dish soap did the trick in the end. Thank you!
You’re welcome!! I do stuff like that all the time and it has never failed me.