How to Remove Barbecue Stains from a Variety of Surfaces.

How to Remove Barbecue Stains

Let’s face it. A barbecue is not a barbecue if a barbecue stain didn’t happen somewhere. Having a good old barbecue anytime of the year is a tasty treat for sure but summer is my favorite time as everyone can hang outside and visit while grilling outdoors.

Speed Is Key!

As with most types of stains, being quick to clean them up is the best thing for successfully removing the stain. That does not mean it cannot come off otherwise, but your chances of full stain removal are better when you work on a stain quickly.

Overall Barbecue Stain Removal from Fabric

Here is the best way to get barbecue stain out of out of fabric.

• Use a dull knife or other product to scrape away as much of the barbecue as possible. You want to be careful not to rub it into the carpeting or fabric more so than it already is.
• For clothing, run the back of the stain under cold water. This will force it back out. Run the water through it for several minutes or until you feel the water has done all it can do to remove much of the stain.
• Use a mild liquid detergent (or liquid dish soap if you don’t have a liquid laundry soap) and gently work it into the stain with your fingers. Let this sit for at least 10 minutes.
• Rinse.
• For white clothing or fabric, you can use a bleach pen or hydrogen peroxide on the garment. Be sure no other part of the fabric is touching a clean area so the barbecue stain does not transfer.
• Rinse thoroughly.
• If the stain has not been removed completely, you should use a stain removing product and allow it to set as directed by the product.
• Launder the item as you would any other time, but do not place it in the dryer. Allow to air dry.
• This allows you to go back and determine if the stain is completely gone before the dryer sets that stain permanently.

If the stain is still visible after washing, apply liquid laundry detergent and let sit for 30 minutes and wash again.

What about Cleaning Barbecue from My Carpet?

Again, as mentioned above, remove as much of the barbecue as possible with the dull knife or something similar.

• Use a clean cloth to blot the stain to remove as much of the remaining stain as possible.
• Do not rub it. Blot from the outside of the stain in towards the middle of the stain.
• Mix one tablespoon mild laundry detergent with two cups water and go over the stained area again being careful not to spread the stain. Dip the cloth often and move to a clean place on the cloth as needed. Repeat as needed.

If some of the stain is remaining you can try sprinkling baking soda over the stain, then apply some white vinegar over that and let it bubble up. This may help to lift more of the stain. Gently blot the stain after the fizzy reaction.

After cleaning, cover with a clean dry towel until dry.

Removing Barbecue from Granite Countertops

Granite is porous, which means it can absorb liquids making it susceptible to staining. If you get to the stain right away, plain old water (and maybe a little mild soap) will more than likely remove any stain.

If it has gone unnoticed, you may need to use a poultice to pull the stain out. Mix one cup unbleached flour with four tablespoons Dawn liquid and add warm water and mix to get a consistency of yogurt.

• Apply the 1/4″ poultice to the stain.
• Cover with plastic wrap and seal it with tape.
• Let this sit for 24 hours.
• Remove plastic and let sit for another 24 hours.
• Rinse the poultice with water then buff with a soft cloth.

You may need to repeat this process a few times to remove all traces of the stain.