How to Remove Yellow Stains From a Cotton Tablecloth

White cotton tablecloths make the perfect backdrop for virtually any table decor – as long as they're crisply pressed and perfectly clean. There's no disguising yellowing stains and spots on white cotton tablecloths. Luckily, there are lots of ways to get stains out of washable white fabric. Yellow stains on a cotton tablecloth are often caused by oils that were on the fabric before it went into storage, but they can also be caused by food spills or prolonged sun exposure. Whatever caused them, you can remove stains from a white cotton tablecloth using things you already have at home.

Back when there were fewer laundry products available, people might not have known how to clean white tablecloths without basic liquid bleach (chlorine bleach). Using chlorine bleach can certainly still be an effective way to restore stained white cotton to its former glory. But because handling chlorine bleach can irritate your skin and eyes, and because bleach is harsh on fabrics, you might want to save this method for extreme all-over staining rather than spot-treating minor discoloration.

Chlorine bleach must always be diluted before you use it on fabrics. Wearing gloves, submerge stained tablecloths in a solution of 1/4 cup bleach per gallon of cool water. Wait 10 minutes and rinse the fabric in cool water.

If yellow staining remains, machine wash tablecloths in a load by themselves with more bleach and hot water. Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup bleach (depending on stain severity) to your machine's bleach compartment, or wait until the machine has filled with water to add the bleach; don't pour it directly onto the fabric. Air dry bleached tablecloths.

Oxygen bleach can be nearly as effective as chlorine bleach for stain removal, without the toxic fumes. Because it's gentler than chlorine bleach, you may elect to use this method if you're washing a vintage tablecloth or one that incorporates embroidery or lace.

Oxygen bleach is available in powdered and liquid forms. You can even buy oxygen bleach stain removal spray or oxygen bleach stain removal pens, which make it really easy to spot-treat yellowing areas on white tablecloths. Follow package directions to bleach stained tablecloths with oxygen bleach. If you're treating all-over yellow stains, you'll typically get the best results from both pre-soaking fabrics and adding oxygen bleach to the washing machine along with detergent.

Hydrogen peroxide is the key ingredient in many brands of oxygen bleach, so it can also safely be used to brighten dingy or stained white cotton fabrics. It's not quite as effective as oxygen bleach or chlorine bleach but is much quicker and easier to use. Simply add 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide to the water when machine washing white cotton tablecloths.

If you prefer to use all-natural stain removal methods when possible, removing stains from white cotton tablecloths is the perfect laundry challenge for you. You can safely experiment with a few DIY stain removal methods without worrying that you're going to damage or discolor the fabric.

White vinegar, perhaps the single most important DIY cleaning product in your home, can help whiten cotton. Saturate stained areas with vinegar for about 30 minutes before washing them with detergent. Or, make a paste of baking soda and water to rub into stains. Let the paste dry, then wash tablecloths like normal. You can even try adding 1 cup of lemon juice to the washer, as long as you're only washing a load of white cotton.