How to Get Hot Cheeto Stains off Your Fingers

If you love Cheetos then you will also be familiar with the powdery Cheeto stains left behind after eating them. 

Cheetos is a beloved snack that is enjoyed in almost every corner of the globe and the cheesy orange stain it leaves behind is also separately enjoyed since most people like to lick it off their fingers! But, of course, you might want to be careful when eating flaming hot Cheetos because of how hot its seasoning can be! 

How to get hot Cheeto stains off your fingers? The best way to get rid of the stains is to first wash your hands under running water. Make sure that you also remove the powder stuck between your nails! Finish off with mild soap and dry your hands using a clean dry cloth. You can also repeat this step if required.

Read below to learn more about how to get that delicious hot Cheeto stains off your fingers! 

Cheetos and Finger Staining – A Simple Explanation 

Cheetos are one of the most popular snacks in the world with over a billion packets made in a year! This snack made its first introduction in 1948 when it was advertised as a crunchy and flavorful corn snack that could be enjoyed by the whole family.

The main selling point of Cheetos was that it was made from cornmeal instead of potatoes which gave it a bit of nutritional advantage. Cheetos were also one of the few cheese-flavored snacks in the market and people absolutely loved the sweet, umami-laden, and cheesy flavors of the original Cheetos.

Cheetos is made using a dough made from cornmeal. This dough is fed through a high-pressure extruder that pops out the Cheetos on the other end and gives them their iconic shape. 

These puffed Cheetos are not flavored and aren’t as crisp either. This is why manufacturers add them to an industrial fryer that fries the Cheetos which gives them their iconic crunch and firm texture.

Once fried, the Cheetos are then sent to a large revolving drum that adds flavor to them. The flavor of Cheetos is a combination of cheddar cheese, onion powder, salt, sugar, orange color, and anticaking agents.

The flavor is in the form of fine dust that is applied evenly across the Cheetos – and because the structure of a Cheeto has many microscopic ridges and crevasses, the dust settles in and becomes trapped which results in a fantastic adhesion of flavor.

Why Do Cheetos Leave Stains?

The stain marks that Cheetos leave behind are as popular and well-known as the snack itself. The deeper your hand goes into the bag, the more stained your fingers become! 

These stains happen due to several reasons. The first reason is that Cheetos are inherently greasy; press a Cheeto puff between your fingers and you will likely notice oil that is squeezed out of the puff. So, when you put your hand in the bag and grab a few Cheetos, you are also likely to pick up this oil.

The oil and some of the “loose” seasoning that doesn’t fully adhere to the puff will eventually accumulate on your fingers and the more you collect, the denser the stain layer will become. 

Things can get even worse (or better depending on how you look at it) if you lick your fingers and continue to eat the Cheetos because then you would accumulate even more seasoning due to the added moisture in your fingers.

The second reason why your fingers stain is because the seasonings contain an orange food color that adheres to the fingers. As you move your fingers around the bag and get more moisture on them from your mouth, this color will start to leak from the seasoning – which ends up staining them.

Now normally, staining isn’t a big problem. In fact, it is one of the best things about eating Cheetos because you get to enjoy the flavor even after you’re done eating all the puffs.

Almost everyone loves to “wipe off all the evidence” after they’re done with a Cheetos bag.

But things can get a bit complicated when you’re dealing with hot Cheetos.

Hot Cheetos and Staining Problems 

Hot Cheetos are a variant of the Cheetos brand that focuses more on chili seasonings to deliver flavor and heat. 

Many people enjoy hot Cheetos for their balanced hot and lightly sweet seasoning but unlike the cheese flavor, the seasoning that gets stuck to your fingers when eating hot Cheetos may irritate the skin, or worse, your eyes, especially if you don’t clean your hands!

Hot Cheetos usually have chili powder or cayenne along with other ingredients which can cause a burning sensation. If you are someone who can’t tolerate spicy foods then we highly recommend that you try hot Cheetos with precaution. 

You might think that licking your fingers might do the trick but you would be wrong!

If you get some of the seasonings on your finger, it can likely end up on your face or even your eyes, even after you clean your fingers by licking them because some of the seasonings may get lodged between your nails and may cause irritation. 

Even worse, hot Cheetos are also infamous for the stains they leave behind because the red food color can be difficult to get rid of even after you wash your hands. 

The good news is that there are several ways to clean your hands to get rid of the stains!

How to Get Hot Cheeto Stains off Your Fingers

There are primarily three methods for removing Cheeto stains:

1. Soap Method
2. Baking Soda and Water Method
3. Sanitizer + Wipe Method

First of all, before you try anything we recommend that you try licking the seasonings off your fingers. If you are going to get rid of the additional seasoning, might as well enjoy it, right?

If you don’t enjoy licking the seasonings off your fingers then you can simply go ahead with any of the following methods:

1. Soap Method 

This method works for most people, especially if the stains are fresh and you do it properly. See, when people wash their hands, they hardly give the soap enough time to remove stains or at times, even bacteria from their hands. 

This is why we recommend that you wash your hands as instructed by most health agencies. Here is what you need to do:

Step 1: Apply water to your hands and try to remove some of the seasonings. Put your fingers under running water and try to clean between your nails as well.

Step 2: Now, apply a bit of soap and create a lather by mixing the soap in your hands. Go slow and use the hand that you didn’t eat with to clean the stained fingers. Gently massage the fingers and let the soap work its magic.

Step 3: Rinse off the soap and check if the stains are gone. If you can still see them, then simply repeat the above step one more time. 

Step 4: Dry your hands with a clean and dry towel and optionally apply moisturizer to get rid of any lingering smell. 

2. Baking Soda and Water Method

If the stains have been left on your fingers for some time, then you should use baking soda, lemon juice, or vinegar to remove the stains from your fingers. The acidity in these ingredients will help break down the compounds in the stain.

Baking Soda Method

Start with a simple baking soda paste. Add a few drops of water on a pinch of baking soda to create a thick paste and apply it over the fingers. Leave it in for 20-30 seconds then rub your fingers to remove the stains. Finish off by rinsing your fingers.

Lemon Juice Method

Add a bit of lemon juice to your fingers and leave the juice on for half a minute. Then rub your fingers and finish off by washing your hands using soap! You can use the same instructions for the vinegar method as well!

3. Sanitizer + Wipe Method

If you have a hand sanitizer handy then you may be able to quickly wash away the stain without it leaving any color or odor! This method works best for people who are on the go and don’t have access to a sink.

Step 1: Apply a bit of sanitizer then rub it between your hands, focusing mainly on the fingers. Gently rub the sanitizer on each finger and try to also include your nails while you are at it!

Step 2: Take a wipe (wet wipes work best) and finish cleaning your fingers by thoroughly going through every finger. You can then use a dry paper towel to dry your hands if required.

Related Questions  

Do Hot Cheeto Stains Come off Clothes?

Yes, if you get a stain on your clothes then you can simply clean the area with a clean and lightly damp cloth. But for the best results, we recommend that you just wash them using a high-quality washing product and a fabric softener to get rid of any lingering smell. 

Can All Cheeto Stains Come off the Same Way?

You can get rid of any type of Cheeto stain using any of the above methods. We recommend trying the simple soap and water method before using any harsh ingredients on your fingers.