Yes, we love honey. It’s smooth and sweet and goes down beautifully with oats or warm buttered toast.
But push the taste buds aside honey actually is one of the worst substances to clean up. It is sticky and makes a mess.
The key to cleaning honey is having plenty of patience.
Don’t rub too much as you can spread the honey across the fabric or deeper into the fibers.
When you notice a honey spill, get on top of it asap to avoid the honey settling in for good.
Table of Contents
How To Clean Honey?
To remove honey from surfaces, you need to scrape the excess honey off with a blunt knife or scraper. Boil some water and pour it slowly over the honey. Give it a little scrub for a minute, then dab the spot with a dry cloth. If the honey is still there, repeat the process. Once it is clean, use a wet/dry vacuum to suck up most of the water, then lay a few paper towels over to soak up any remaining moisture.
Methods to Clean up Honey Step by Step
Cleaning Up Honey Using a Clean Cloth
Items Needed: Boiling water, clean cloth.
Go and grab a clean cloth and soak it in a container of warm water.
According to the University of Guelph warm water is much better suited to clean up honey than cold water.
The reason is that cold water does not dissolve honey quickly.
Anyways, it is recommended to use gloves to prevent your hands from getting sticky as well.
You can cover the honey spot with the warm cloth and let the steam soak into the honey.
Do this a few times to loosen the honey and dissolve it into the cloth.
If the honey spot is large or not budging with the cloth, you can tip a little warm water onto the area.
Repeat this until the honey has disappeared.
Cleaning Honey with a Paper Towel and Saran Wrap
Items Needed: Boiling water, paper towels, saran wrap.
Boil some fresh water and pour it over the honey patch with a little dish soap squirted on.
Cover with a paper towel and some saran wrap.
You need to leave this for about 15 minutes before removing all the covering. Try and remove everything together.
If the honey is still sticking everywhere, you can repeat the process.
Once the honey is gone, you can get a clean cloth and dab at the stain to help remove the dish liquid.
Once it is all removed, dry well with a clean cloth or wet vacuum.
Honey Clean-Up using a Sponge
Items Needed: Gloves, sponge, hot water
Place your gloves on, take your sponge and soak it in a bowl of hot water for the first few minutes. Make sure it’s hot water, not lukewarm water.
Next, take the sponge out and squeeze the water out over the honey spill, then place the sponge on top and let it sit to reabsorb the water back up, taking some of the honey with it.
Once you let it sit for a bit, wipe it up.
Repeat as necessary till the spill is cleaned.
Removing Honey with Cold Water
If the honey spill has just occurred, you can use cold water on it right away to break down the honey before it stains.
The honey will dissolve in the cold water if it is fresh. This will make it easier to remove.
After you have rinsed the area for a few minutes if honey is still remaining, use a spoon to scrape it away. The honey should come free quite easily.
Spot Treating Honey Stains With Detergent
You can apply liquid laundry detergent to the stained honey spot by saturating it completely.
The fabric needs to sit for about ten minutes and then rinse through with hot water.
Use gloves so you can have the water as hot as possible. If you cannot do this, run the clothing in the machine on the hottest rinse cycle possible.
Can I Use Stain Remover On Honey?
Using stain remover for honey is possible, but it needs to be a stain remover that targets deep set-in stains.
This is if the stain has been allowed to settle.
Ensure you follow the instructions on the bottle for use and ensure the stain remover is safe for the fabric you are using it on.
Using a Bleaching Agent for White Fabric
If you cannot get the honey stain out and the fabric is white, you cant try a mild bleaching agent.
In addition, hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice, or white vinegar work well to remove honey stains.
These can all be applied to the stain with a clean sponge.
Allow to sit for a while, then rinse in cold water. Wash as normal.
Avoid Using the Dryer with Honey Stains on Clothes!
Before you put the fabric in the dryer after washing, ensure the honey is gone.
If the honey is still present and the item is put in the dryer, then it can cause the stain to settle.
Once the stain has been settled by heat, there is no way to get it out. After you wash a honey-stained item air-dry the first time to ensure all the stain has gone.
If the stain is still there, try another method. Once the stain is gone, you can go back to using the clothes dryer.
Cleaning Honey Off Wood Surfaces
Soak a kitchen cloth in hot water and lay it across the honey stain to soften it.
Now you need to wipe off as much as you can and repeat the process if needed.
Wipe off enough honey, so you only have a sticky residue left. A cloth with dishwashing liquid will help remove it. Finally, wipe over with a clean cloth.
Cleaning Honey on Clothes
If you happen to spill honey on your clothes or any other fabric, hot water is your savior.
Get the sink as soon as possible and get the water as hot as you can get it.
Under the faucet, the honey should rinse right off.
Apply a pre-stain treater and wash like normal.
Note that you may want to check to ensure the stain has come out before putting it in the dryer.
Removing Dried Up Honey
Have a honey spill you didn’t know about, and now it is all dried up? The same method goes for dried-up honey spills.
Hot water is your key. You can also try a knife first to see if you can scrape anything up.
Wipe down with hot water, then soak a rag in steaming hot water and place over the stuck-on honey, letting it sit for a few minutes, then attempt to wipe up.
There are no ifs and buts. You are going to have to repeat this process more than once.
Get Rid of Honey on Carpet
Spilled honey on the carpet.
The best thing you can do in such a case is to wipe the honey up as soon as possible.
Then mix warm water and some dish soap and, with a sponge or cloth, dampen the spot with the mixture, then blot until it absorbs till the stain has vanished.
If the stain is still present, try some ammonia and warm water ( never bleach). This process may need repeating.
Avoiding Honey Spills
One way to stop a mess is to avoid it.
Let’s face it, cooking with honey can get messy, and spills can often happen, especially if you love to cook but are not so graceful in the kitchen.
Some tips to avoid honey spills while cooking or baking with honey include dipping the measuring spoon or cup in flour.
Shake off the excess, of course, then measure your honey as you would do normally.
What the flour does is help reduce the honey from sticking to the cup or measuring spoon, reducing the risk of any spills or drops of honey, making sure it all gets into the bowl—resulting in no waste and no spills.
Another alternative is using oil instead of flour.
The oil has the same effect as the flour, reducing the honey from sticking to the measuring cup or spoon so you can get all the honey off without creating any spills or messes.
The downside is using oil instead of flour may add extra calories or fat to your recipe.
Conclusion
Honey is sweet, and we love it dearly however, when it spills, it isn’t so sweet. It soon becomes a sticky mess on fabrics or on items.
This can make it harder to get out. With some elbow grease and a few tips and tricks, you should be able to have the honey removed as soon as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cleaning Honey
How can I get Honey out of Upholstery Step by Step?
First, wipe up the honey spill. Then make a concoction of dish soap, warm water, and vinegar. Spray or dip a rag in the mixture and scrub till the stain comes out. This process may need repeating.
What’s The Best Way To Remove Honey From Upholstery?
Scrape off any excess honey from the material. Use one tablespoon of dish liquid and two cups of cool water and use that solution to blot the stain with a clean cloth.
Can I Use Vinegar To Clean Honey Off Fabric?
It is a good idea to spot test vinegar on the fabric first to ensure it doesn’t damage your fabric. White vinegar is good for helping to remove honey stains on the fabric.