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Written by Grove Collaborative

We tried it: Does natural stain remover spray really work?

Last Updated: May 10, 2021

Who’s not on the constant search for the tackle-anything stain remover? Stains are finicky beasts, which is why Grove writer, Carly Reynolds, wanted to see how Grove Co.’s natural stain remover actually performs.

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Stains happen in any busy household, and they always seem to occur on a brand-new piece of clothing or an absolute staple in your wardrobe. In my home, we have three active kids that love to put my laundry skills to the test, and one of those kiddos is very sensitive to artificial fragrances and chemicals in laundry detergent.


Thus, my seemingly endless search for the be-all, end-all stain remover that can tackle anything from chocolate to grass stains is never ending.


I have been trying to slowly weed out as many chemicals and artificial ingredients as possible in our home and make the switch to natural products — but I still need my laundry detergents, stain removers, and other laundry products to work.


So here’s my real-life test run of Grove’s Stain Remover Spray — and all the dirty details about how it worked.

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The claim: Stain be gone! — the safe & natural way

Grove’s handy squirt bottle of natural stain remover claims to be the end of your everyday stain woes, using a combination of enzymes and plant-derived ingredients to combat basically any stain you can throw it at.


The instructions say that for the best results, spray the stain, and allow the product to rest on the item for at least five minutes before washing.


Nitty-gritty details:

This liquid stain remover comes in an 8-ounce spray bottle with my favorite features:


  • The gentle formula is purported to be safe to use on all machine-washable fabrics, colors and all.
  • The rotating nozzle allows you to choose between off, spray, and stream.
  • The stream feature provides a powerful but narrow burst of stain remover with each squirt.
  • The spray feature provides a softer but much broader application of the stain remover.

The experience: Can the Grove Stain Remover Spray tackle three tough stains?

Over the course of two weeks, I tested out this stain remover on three stubborn stains — including on my son’s white baseball uniform.

The stain: Chocolate on a tablecloth

The kiddos left a not-so-sweet chocolate stain all over a white and blue striped, 60% cotton/40% polyester tablecloth that I kinda like. So I sprayed the stain thoroughly and allowed the stain remover to do its thing for about 10 minutes before washing the tablecloth as usual.


After the wash cycle was complete, I checked the stain, which was diminished by about 50 percent — so I applied the stain remover a second time and repeated the wash cycle.


After a second application, the stain was almost completely gone, with just the most subtle of hints that something nefarious had happened.

Before: Chocolate on tablecloth

After: Two applications, two washes

The stain: Grass on a white baseball uniform

With an avid baseball player and softball player in the house, grass stains aren’t an occasional occurrence around here — they’re an everyday way of life. I’ve always kept my eye out for a magical remedy that will keep his head-to-toe white uniform looking sharp at the plate, so I put the Grove Stain Remover Spray to the test.


I attacked the stains with the remover, and let it sit a little longer than the recommended 10 minutes, since this stain was a beast. After one wash, the stains were significantly better but not completely gone. I didn’t try to give the uniform a second go. While it didn’t remove all the stains, it did just as well as any other stain remover I tried, and it was game time!

Before: Grass and turf stains on a baseball uniform

After: Stains as gone as they’re gonna get — and that’s good enough!

The stain: Makeup on my bathrobe

Ode to my beloved, everyday bathrobe, that soft, comforting part of my morning routine that inevitably gets slimed with an onslaught of hair products and makeup. I wondered how those makeup stains would fare against Grove’s Stain Remover Spray, so I sprayed the robe and let the remover do its thing for about 10 minutes.


After one wash, the stain was much better, but remnants of my daily war paint still remained, so I gave it a second round of product and another washing. While not flawless, I was happy with the results, considering I had to put in very little effort.

Before: Makeup stain on my robe

After: Makeup stain (mostly) off my robe

The verdict: I’ll add Grove’s Natural Stain Remover Spray to my arsenal of laundry-room weapons

Some stains are tougher than others to get out, and we’ll probably always be on the search for that one miracle stain remover that’s color-safe and 100% effective on every type of stain there is. Is that really too much to ask?


While Grove Stain Remover Spray isn’t the miracle we’re all searching for, it’s a solid, stand-up, nontoxic, natural stain remover that works just as well as the conventional stain removers I’ve been squirting on clothes for the last however-many-odd years.

What I like about Grove Stain Remover Spray

  • It’s fragrance-free, and since my household can be very sensitive to artificial fragrance, this product won’t exacerbate allergies
  • It’s chemical-free, which is important to me
  • It works well overall

What I don’t like as much

  • The stain remover generally required two applications and two cycles through the washing machine — which meant I got through a lot less laundry (and used more water) than I normally would
  • Double applications mean you go through it twice as fast

So, did I find the holy grail of stain removers? Not quite. But will I keep using the Grove Stain Remover Spray? Absolutely!


I found that this stain remover is as effective as any I’ve used, and I love that it’s healthier for my children and a great way to green up my laundry habits—so far, I’ve switched to natural laundry detergent and dryer balls, and now I have natural stain remover too.


It feels good to make better choices for the environment, and when it comes to run-of-the-mill light stains that happen literally every day in my household, Grove has shown itself up to the task.

About the author: Carly Reynolds is a writer and a mom of three, trying hard to keep everyone clean and clothed.

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