How to Remove Sap Stains

When attacking a sap stain that has found its way onto your favorite t-shirt or pair of pants, it is important to consider what makes up a sap stain. Sap is an inner component of trees and plants and contains a variety of nutrients and sugars essential to a healthy plant. Any sap stain must not only be treated for the discoloration brought on by the stain, but also treated for the base components of the stain.

The first aspect of dealing with a sap stain is to take swift and decisive action when you spot the stain. More often than not, a sap stain happens quite casually from leaning or sitting against a sap covered surface underneath a tree versus the usual accidental drop stain while eating. Since these stains occur "casually" they are not always noticed right away. When you do notice the stain, immediately begin a pre-treating process.

Sap stains are not going to readily leave behind large deposits that can be scraped off or scooped off to remove a large section of the stain, so pre-treating will largely be an immediate soak in cold water to help loosen the stain slightly (hot water can tend to spread a syrupy textured stain such as sap). Working in small sections, use a sponge to daub at the stain with a solution of laundry detergent and water. Make sure to use a laundry detergent with enzymes to help break down the building blocks of sap. Work the detergent into the shirt or pants from the back side of the stain to help force the sap away from your fabric fibers instead of pressing the sap further into the material. Systematically attack the entire surface area of the sap stain in small sections.

After each section has been given an initial treatment of detergent and cool water, examine the progress made. If the garment is clean, then launder as usual. If the sap stain is still set however, use your favorite stain removal spray, stick, or gel to further attack the stain. Again, it is best to use a stain remover formulated with enzymes that will actually break down the raw materials (i.e. the nutrients and sugars mentioned above) that make up sap. Use the stain remover and allow it to set according to manufacturer's recommendations.

After the stain remover has been allowed to work, wash it off of the garment and then transport the article of clothing to the washing machine and wash it according to care instructions using the enzyme containing detergent featured above. Double check the shirt or pants for sap stains before adding it to the dryer.

When treating sap stains, if you treat the base ingredients your results should be spectacular.

Sources:

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/stain-buster/stains-sap-may07

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_sap