Here's Exactly Why Cheetos Stain Your Fingers

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Cheetos fingers, or the orangey-red residue left on your hands after eating Cheetos, has been a noted post-consumption side effect since the iconic snacks were first introduced. In fact, the Frito-Lay company confirmed via Chester Cheetah's X account in 2015 the name for the bright orange cheese dust that clings to your skin after grabbing a handful of Cheetos out of the bag: Cheetle. But while we can agree that Cheetos are a snack and not a chip, we aren't exactly sure of the unique chemical makeup of Cheetos dust — or why it stains your fingers so effectively and impressively.

Rather than trying to clean Cheetle off your fingers after eating, the best way is to lick your hands clean. Unfortunately, it doesn't explain why the residue stains so badly in the first place. Luckily, we're here to investigate. The most likely reason that Cheetle stains skin and clothing is that Cheetos contain at least one artificial coloring, Yellow 6 or Sunset Yellow.

Listed among the ingredients is also riboflavin, a water-soluble B vitamin that can also be used to add color to cheese products and which can stain skin and clothing orange or yellow. These additives, combined with the cheddar cheese powder and the oils on your skin, may cause a chemical reaction that enhances the orangey color of the dust and helps it better adhere.

While Flamin' Hot Cheetos are the greatest Cheetos of them all, they also have more artificial coloring than standard Cheetos. They contain Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 6, and Yellow 5, as well as riboflavin and cheddar cheese powder. Likewise, Takis Fuego also contains Red 40 Lake and Yellow 6 Lake; however, the snack doesn't list any other artificial colors (or riboflavin) among its ingredients. This could be why Hot Cheetos varieties cause more obvious and persistent Cheetle buildup than standard Cheetos, and why Takis don't seem to stain the skin as much.

Another potential consideration is that all varieties and flavors of Takis are made from corn tortillas, which may be less likely to absorb or transfer as much unnatural food dye from one surface to another. Plus, while most Takis that are sold in the U.S. come from the Barcel USA production facility in Coppell, Texas, other varieties may be made in Grupo Bimbo manufacturing facilities located in Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Argentina, Brazil, the Middle East, and other regions. In countries that have more stringent regulations regarding the use of food dyes and artificial colors and flavors, Takis may taste different and might not stain skin and clothing as much (if at all). For instance, Canada's Takis website doesn't list any artificial colors among the product's ingredients.

While Frito-Lay encourages customers to wear Cheetle with pride, you may not want to advertise your snacking habits to the world. Before you make your way through our ranking of the top 12 Cheetos snacks, you may be interested in the best ways to keep Cheetos from staining your hands. You can eat them with chopsticks like Bruce Banner and Jennifer Walters in "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law," wear gloves while eating, or buy a pack of Non-Stick Chip Fingers on Amazon. These reusable finger coverings act as a prophylactic, keeping any messy food off of your skin.

Alternatively, you can pour the snacks directly into your mouth, bypassing the use of your hands entirely, but just remember to avoid this Cheetos flavor at all costs. If the residue does stain your hands, you can remove it with a cotton pad soaked in alcohol, Lava soap, or African black soap. To remove Cheetos dust from clothing or fabrics, first rinse the item in cool water. Then, apply a paste made from baking soda and water and let it sit on the fabric for 30 minutes. Rinse the paste off and wash the item in your washing machine on a cool water setting. If the stain remains, try using a stain-removing spray or gel.