How to Get Poop Stains & Smells Out of Clothes

Accidents happen. Learn how to remove poop stains from clothes. Find out how to wash and clean set-in poop from clothing and get rid of the poop smell.

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Use as directed.

We won’t ask how it happened. When it comes to getting poop stains and smells out of fabric, you have a couple of options. It’s easiest to work with bleach-safe whites or colors that are colorfast to bleach, so start by checking care labels and confirm that your items are made of bleach-safe fibers like cotton or polyester (always avoid bleaching wool, silk, mohair, leather and spandex). Because some colored items are actually bleach-fast, you can also test for colorfastness to bleach. You can’t just tell by looking what might pass; it all depends on the dye used and how it was applied. Fortunately, we have a quick test to check: How to Test Fabric for Colorfastness to Bleach.

Once you have determined if your items pass the bleach test, let’s start with bleach safe fabrics and colors. Note: Always avoid bleaching wool, silk, mohair, leather and spandex.

What you need

Steps to remove poop stains from clothing with bleach

  1. Rinse excess solids

    First, be sure to rinse away excess solids with a little cool water.

  2. Machine wash

    Machine wash the load in the hottest water recommended on the care label using detergent and 1/3 cup of Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach.

  3. Air dry

    Air dry and check for success — lighter stains should come out but super heavy stains or items that require cooler wash temperatures may need a second treatment.

Now, let’s tackle poop stains and smells from clothes that are not bleach safe.

Steps to remove poop stains from clothing without bleach

  1. Rinse excess solids

    First, be sure to rinse away excess solids with a little cool water.

  2. Pre-treat

    For small stains, apply Clorox 2® for Colors Stain Remover directly and let set for 5 to 10 minutes. For large stains, dilute Clorox 2® for Colors with water and soak garment for up to 60 minutes. Do not let the product dry on the fabric.

  3. Machine wash

    Machine wash the load in the hottest water recommended on the care label using detergent and more Clorox 2® for Colors Stain Remover.

  4. Air dry

    Air dry and check for success — repeat the treatment if needed.

Steps to remove poop smells from clothing

  1. Rinse excess solids

    Always rinse away solids prior to laundering.

  2. Add Clorox® Laundry Sanitizer

    Pour the appropriate sanitizing amount of Clorox® Laundry Sanitizer to your machine’s fabric softener dispenser or directly to rinse cycle.

  3. Machine wash

    Machine wash the load in the hottest water recommended on the care label using detergent and select heavy duty cycle.

  4. Air dry

    Air dry and check for success — repeat the treatment if needed.

One more thing to consider is the washer: It’s a good idea, especially if a lot of items were affected, to run a washer clean-out cycle with bleach in an empty washer to disinfect the drum and keep future loads smelling fresh.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Clorox 2® for Colors Stain Remover to pre-treat before placing my clothing in a High Efficiency washing machine?

Yes, Clorox 2® for Colors can be used with both standard and HE washing machines.

Can Clorox 2® for Colors Stain Remover extend the life of my clothes?

Yes. Clorox 2® for Colors can help your colors avoid looking dull from stains and from washing, extending the life of your clothes. Pretreat for best results.