Turmeric is very prone to leaving stains, whether it’s fresh, dried, or powder in form. Its bright yellow color can leave an unsightly stain once it comes into contact with your clothes. The solution here is to act early and remove the stain with detergent, baking soda, bleach, or glycerin.
Read on to learn more about the different methods on how to remove turmeric stains from your clothes.
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Remove turmeric stains early and fast using detergent
As soon as turmeric comes in contact with your clothes, it quickly sets in and results in a stubborn yellow stain. The best thing to do is act fast once you notice the stain on your garments.
Follow these steps on pre-treating turmeric stains for easier removal.
- Once you spot the stain, grab a spoon or a knife and scrape any excess turmeric from your clothing. Gently scrape from the edges of the stain towards its center to avoid it from spreading more.
- After removing the excess turmeric, rinse the stained garment with clean water to remove the turmeric residue.
- After the rinsing process, pour liquid detergent directly on the stained area, just enough to cover it.
- Use an old toothbrush, dampen it with clean water and then scrub the stain gently until it visibly lightens.
- After seeing some improvement, let it soak for 10 minutes. Doing this gives the detergent enough time to penetrate through the stain.
- After 10 minutes, rinse the stained area with water to remove the detergent while scrubbing it simultaneously to help the stain loosen.
- Once the stain is no longer visible, wash the clothes as directed on its care label instructions to avoid unwanted damage.
- Hang the fabric outside and let it dry under the sun.
You can also use detergent or liquid dish soap to remove turmeric stains from floors, including vinyl or carpet.
Using bleach to remove turmeric stains
Bleach is a powerful cleaning agent, and its corrosive properties can easily break almost any stubborn stain, including a turmeric stain. This method is remarkably effective in removing turmeric stains from your white clothes because bleach can easily strip the yellow stain from your fabric.
But if you’re dealing with turmeric stains on colored garments, ensure you’re using color-safe bleach or hydrogen peroxide to preserve your clothes’ bright color while getting rid of the stains.
Here are the steps for removing turmeric stains using bleach.
- Fill a bucket with warm water until it’s half full, then add ¼ cup of color-safe bleach.
- Soak the stained clothing in the mixture for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- After soaking, rub the stained area gently using a damp clean cloth.
- Rinse with clean running water and proceed to wash, following the fabric’s care label instructions.
- Let it dry in the sun.
Baking soda works best with oil-based turmeric stains
Oil-based stains can sometimes be tricky to get rid of as oil tends to stick to clothes long-term. But it’s not impossible. Baking soda works best with oil-based turmeric stains because of its mild alkalinity, allowing you to dissolve turmeric stains from your clothing with ease.
Follow these steps for this home remedy method on removing turmeric stains using baking soda.
- Ensure to pre-treat the stained area by removing any excess oil and turmeric. You can use a spoon or a knife to scrape off the residue.
- After removing excess oil and turmeric, sprinkle enough baking soda directly on the stain to cover it.
- Let it sit for 20 minutes. Doing this gives the baking soda the chance to absorb oils from the stain.
- While waiting, make a baking soda paste by mixing two tablespoons of baking soda and a small amount of water to create a paste-like consistency.
- After 20 minutes, rinse the stained area with clean water.
- Use an old soft toothbrush to apply the baking soda paste on the stain and scrub gently until the stain visibly lightens.
- When the stain is no longer visible, wash it as usual and hang outside to dry.
Fighting stubborn turmeric stain with glycerin
Glycerin is a type of natural and non-toxic alcohol that can be mixed with other alcohol, water, or soap to create an effective cleaning solution. This natural solvent is perfect for cleaning and getting rid of old turmeric stains.
Here’s how you can eliminate the stingy turmeric stain from your clothes.
- Mix ¼ cup of glycerin with 2 cups of water and one ¼ cup of liquid soap.
- Grab a clean cloth and soak it in the solution.
- Dab the stained area with the cloth until the area is completely saturated with the solution.
- Leave it for 20 minutes. During this period, glycerin is doing its job by loosening the stain from the fabric.
- After 20 minutes, blot the stain with a damp clean cloth to remove the remaining stain and glycerin.
- Rinse with clean water and allow it to dry in the sun.
Common questions about turmeric stains on clothes
Can I use vinegar to remove turmeric stains?
Yes, vinegar’s acidic property can eliminate turmeric stains, but you can only use white vinegar to avoid unwanted cleaning disasters. Simply mix two tablespoons of vinegar with 1 cup of water and one tablespoon of liquid soap. Then soak a clean cloth in the solution and use it to blot the stained area. Dab the stain gently until the stain visibly lightens.
Why do turmeric stains turn red?
Yellow turmeric stains can turn red because of chemical reactions between the turmeric and soap. Turmeric stains contain tartaric acid, which is acidic. In contrast, soap is basic or alkaline. When you apply soap to the stain it creates a chemical reaction, and the result of this acid-base reaction is a red stain.
How can I remove turmeric stains naturally?
Many natural cleaning agents can help you remove turmeric stains such as baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, glycerin, and white vinegar, all of which are listed above. Another good example of a natural stain remover is lemon, just squeeze lemon juice directly on the stain and let it soak for 15 minutes, then rinse with clean cold water.
Lemon is also friendly on the skin and a great way for dealing with turmeric stains on your skin or nails. Check out these articles to learn how to remove turmeric stains from your face, skin or nails.
The bottom line
Turmeric stains can be tricky to get rid of because of their different forms. But with these methods we’ve listed above, you can now freely choose which technique works best for you. Always keep in mind to act fast and early as soon as you see this unsightly stain on your clothes to get rid of turmeric stains with ease.