When you end up with rust stains on your clothes there are a few natural methods for getting rid of them. You can use lemon, a vinegar and salt combination, or even rhubarb! If these natural methods don’t work for you, commercial rust removers are available in auto stores.
Table of Contents
Get rid of rust from your favorite jeans and shirts
Rust stains are tedious to manage and time-consuming to remove from your favorite clothes. However, you do not have to sacrifice the integrity of your favorite clothes because of these stains. They are savable! Here is how to remove old rust stains from clothes to help you save your favorite outfits from the recycling bin.
- The way to remove rust from concrete
- The way to remove rust from marble
- The way to remove rust from your toilet
Removing old rust stains using lemon
Only use this stain-removing approach on white clothing, as lemon can fade colored clothes. Lemon is a very effective home remedy for white clothes stained with rust, so follow along.
- To start, put pressure on the lemon to release its juices. You can do this by pressing the lemon with just enough force, and then rolling it over any hard surface.
- Cut the lemon into halves and start rubbing it on the stained area.
- From time to time, squeeze the lemon to extract its juice and to soak the area of the rust stain.
- When the stain starts fading, hang the garment in direct sunlight until the stain disappears completely.
- The time needed for this remedy varies depending on the stain. It usually takes longer for dark stains.
- Routinely check the garment for an hour or two to avoid over-bleaching, given the bleaching power of lemon and sunlight, in combination.
- Once the stain is completely gone, rinse the area and allow it to air dry.
Video: Removing rust stains from white clothes using lemon
A white vinegar and salt combination
The action of acetic acid in distilled white vinegar helps preserve clothes’ brighter and sharper colors. We can use this remedy regardless of the color of the stained fabric and whether the rust stain is new or old.
- First, dampen a cotton ball with white vinegar.
- Rub the wet cotton ball onto the rust-stained area.
- After rubbing the stained area, thinly cover the stain using an adequate amount of salt.
- With the help of your fingers, rub the area concentrated with salt and vinegar.
- Then, hang the garment in an area with direct exposure to sunlight.
- If there is no sunlight available, you can just let it dry as it is.
- Finally, wash the garment using clean water and let it air dry.
A garden solution to get rid of large rust stains – rhubarb
If there are many rust stains or it’s a larger size than usual, you could use a more environmentally-inclined stain removal method. Surprisingly rhubarb from your own vegetable garden is an efficient way to deal with rust stains. using the rhubarb vegetable.
- Find a pot large enough to soak the stained garment in a sufficient amount of water
- Get rhubarb stalks from your home garden or buy one at your local supermarket.
- Fill the pot halfway with water and add the rhubarb stalks.
- Bring it to a boil.
- After the water boils, allow the rhubarb stalks to cook for 20 more minutes before removing them from the water.
- Soak the stained garment in the rhubarb water.
- Let the fabric soak the rhubarb water for at least 10 minutes.
- When the rust stain is no longer visible, remove the soaked clothing from the pot.
- Let it cool and wash it as usual
- Let it air dry.
An instant remedy to remove old rust stains
If you don’t have time to follow the natural remedies, you can usually remove old rust stains by using conventional rust removers. You can find these instant solutions in the laundry or automotive section of some stores. Simply follow the instructions provided by the manufacturers regarding its usage. Here is a quick guide on how to remove old rust stains using this instant remedy.
- Apply the rust remover to stained areas.
- Leave the fabric to soak in the chemical for at least 5 minutes.
- After it is completely absorbed, cleanse it with water and wash it the same way usual.
This convenient and efficient solution is definitely a game changer, even though it may not be as fun and rubbing a lemon on your clothes and hanging it in the sun.
Common Questions About Rust Stains
Will bleach remove rust stains on clothing?
No, the use of chlorine bleach is not the cleaning solvent of choice for the removal of rust. In fact, it’s the worst option to consider when dealing with this kind of stain. This is because chlorine bleach can make the rust stains permanent, ruining your clothes for good.
Will hydrogen peroxide remove rust stains on clothes?
Hydrogen peroxide alone cannot remove rust stains on clothes, but it does remove rust from hard surfaces. It needs to be combined it with other raw ingredients in order to help rust-stained clothes.
To make a rust-stain remover, just mix one teaspoon cream of tartar and baking soda with just enough hydrogen peroxide to make a stain remover paste. The paste is then applied over the stained area, rinsed with lukewarm water, and finally washed away.
What causes rust stains on clothes?
Rust stains can end up on clothes due to coming into contact with rusty objects such as old tools. It can also be caused by the passage of water in iron pipes, which may accidentally stain the laundry with rust when iron deposits break loose.
Will WD-40 Remove rust from clothes?
You might think that WD-40 is a get way to remove rust from your clothes since it works really well on metallic objects. We advise that you use something else than WD-40 to get rid of the rust stains on fabric though. Lemon or vinegar works a lot better.
Will Coca Cola get rid of rust from fabric?
Cola is really great at getting rid of a lot of stuff, and why many people often use it as a stain remover. Sometimes Coca Cola is a little bit too aggressive in getting rid of stuff and will remove more than the stain. So when you want to remove rust from fabric, use one of the many other possibilities.
Can baking soda remove rust from clothes?
Baking soda is a proven way of removing rust from many objects, and it works on clothes too. Use half a bucket of water together with a tablesoon of baking soda. This paste should help you get rid of the rust.
The Bottom Line
When doing the laundry, you should check your clothing for rust stains if you’ve been exposed to rust. It’s best to not overlook such stains because early detection is always the key to better management. If you have the time to deal with it naturally, go for it.
Otherwise, get your hands on some rust remover.
