Flower season is upon us and coming home to unexpected pollen stains on your clothes is not unusual.

Luckily, laundry expert & CEO of Laundryheap Deyan Dimitrov has shared with Express.co.uk his simple method to ensuring these stains come off as easily as possible.

The first thing the cleaning pro said should be taken into account is prevention, as keeping your clothes clean during your summer outings would be the ideal scenario.

He explained: “Pollen stains are notorious for being a real hassle to remove, but there are simple steps you can take to tackle them.

“Prevention is key—pluck pollen stems before bringing flowers into your home or as soon as they bloom to prevent stains before they even happen.”

However, sometimes pollen stains will just appear out of nowhere from simply brushing against plants while walking or sitting on park benches.

In this case, swift action can avoid the pollen stain from turning into a dreary task.

The expert shared: “If pollen does land on your clothes, use sticky tape to remove it. Wrap tape around your fingers sticky-side-out and gently press it onto the stain.

“If there are any remaining marks, rinse the back of the fabric with cold water, let it soak for 30 minutes, and then pop it through a cold wash. Then, let the stained fabric bask in direct sunlight for a few hours; pollen is photosensitive and will vanish like magic.”

How to remove pollen stains

1. Prevent stains

If you can, take steps to prevent stains before they even happen. As soon as flowers you have in your home begin to bloom, gently pluck out the pollen. Doing this early means less mess and fewer stains on your fingers, clothes, and surfaces.

2. Use sticky tape

If pollen gets on your clothes, use sticky tape to lift it off. Wrap tape around your fingers with the sticky side out and gently press it onto the stain. This helps remove most of the pollen without spreading it further.

3. Rinse and soak

Rinse the back of the fabric with cold water to push the pollen out. Then, soak the fabric in cold water for 30 minutes. Rinse again to remove more pollen before washing.

4. Sunlight magic

Before washing, place the stained fabric in direct sunlight for three hours. Lily pollen is photo-sensitive and will dissolve in the sunlight. This step can make the pollen disappear completely and can work well on turmeric stains, too.