Lilies have a reputation for their beautiful blooms; however, these beautiful blooms produce pollen that stains fabrics. Lily pollen is notoriously challenging to get off fabrics because it latches onto the fabric the more you try to wipe it off. If you find yourself struggling with the orange/yellow pollen on your clothes, follow the tips supplied in this article to remove the stain.

Why are lily stains challenging to remove?

Lily pollen stains clothes easily due to its physical attributes. Lilies produce very fine pollen dust that penetrates fabric fibres easily, especially when one presses it into the fabric. That is why you are advised not to touch the stain, but rather shake it off. The fine and brightly pigmented pollen cells penetrate the fabric fibres, making them hard to remove.

The best way to deal with lily pollen is to avoid it by removing the stamens from the blooms to protect your clothes and pets. This is especially for people with cats and dogs as lily pollen sticks to the fur and may enter the bloodstream, making the animals sick.

How to handle lily pollen stains

Because lily pollen stains are notoriously challenging to get rid of, you do not want to aggravate the situation further. If you notice pollen stains, avoid wiping or rubbing the pollen off because you lodge the pollen deeper into the fabric.

What you need to do is:

1. Remove the clothes to avoid spreading the pollen to other areas of the garment.
2. The next step is to shake the garment to loosen the pollen particles from the garment, since trying to wipe it off pushes the pollen particles further into the fibres. Depending on the size of the stain, you may be shaking the fabric for some time, but it is manageable.
3. The shaking will only remove part of the pollen. What you need to do next is use tape or a handheld vacuum to remove pollen lodged deep in the fabric.
4.  Soak the fabric in cold water to help the pollen detach from the fabric fibres.
5. After soaking, apply your preferred stain remover according to instructions, and wash the cloth in hot water. However, using hot water depends on the fabric used in making the garment. Usually, clothes come with care labels that tell you suitable conditions for laundering; therefore, check before washing the clothes in hot water to avoid damage.
6. Air drying under the sun is advisable because it will assist in fading out the stain. Depending on the intensity of the stain, it may fade with one wash or need several washes and more time under the sun.

Read next: Are lilies poisonous to cats and dogs

Final Words

Those who have dealt with numerous lily pollen stains can tell you that if you don’t use the right method, the stains get worse. Remember to remove the stamens, but just in case you find yourself accidentally coming into contact with lily pollen, follow the simple steps provided above to save your clothes from a known stubborn stain.

Read next: How to deadhead lilies to get bigger, better flowers the following season and what to do with lilies after flowering here