There are many reasons why a rust stain appears on clothes. It can be a metal object left in your pocket that oxidized during washing, or a damaged button. It is enough to slightly touch a rusty object, as a mark is instantly left on the fabric, which is difficult to get rid of. How to remove rust from clothes in such a way that the fabric is not damaged and you do not have to use particularly aggressive detergents?
In practice, removing a rusty stain is much more difficult than it seems. It is important to act in a strict sequence and very carefully, persistent attempts to wash the rust stain with soap or powder can only worsen the situation, and the rust will get deep into the fibers, from where it will be practically impossible to remove it.
Agents that create an acidic environment will help to get rid of rust: citric or oxalic acid, vinegar.
Pollution should be treated very carefully, following three general rules:
- Do not shake the rust that has got on the clothes, even if it has not yet eaten, it is just rusty dust. Better use a vacuum cleaner. Any attempts to erase the drought of rust will only lead to an even deeper penetration of iron oxide into the fibers of the fabric.
- Do not use chlorine bleach. They will only lighten the stain, but will not remove it, especially since it will no longer be red, but yellow, finally fixed on the fabric.
- First, the rust itself should be neutralized chemically, and only after that start washing.
There are several effective recipes for removing rust stains. Folk methods are practically identical and differ in performance, and the choice of special means depends entirely on the material to be cleaned and the assortment of the nearest hardware store.
Salt and vinegar
A folk method that has gained special popularity. Mix equal amounts of vinegar and common table salt. Apply the mixture to the dirt and leave it for 30-40 minutes. If the room is dry and the mixture will evaporate very quickly, add vinegar diluted twice so that the porridge remains moist.
Vinegar will help remove rust, act as a reducing agent, and a saturated salt solution will help remove all the dirt from the fibers.
After processing, carefully shake out the slurry and, adding a little water, immediately rub with laundry soap. After another 5-10 minutes, rinse the thing and make sure that no rust remains. For final cleaning, it is recommended to perform a full wash in the washing machine to wash away the remaining vinegar and salt.
Citric acid in a water bath
Under the influence of high temperature, the reaction of an acidic environment with rust is accelerated. Use a pot or kettle with a wide neck or even a spout to get saturated steam at a temperature of 100 ° C. How do you remove rust from clothes in this case? It is logical to use citric acid. The task should be quite simple – pour a little product on the spot with rust and heat it locally with steam. If there is a steam generator or an iron that supports the function of vertical steaming, then the situation becomes even easier, use them.
Pour a teaspoon of citric acid on the stain so that the crystals are distributed evenly and, preferably, in a single layer. Next, spread the cloth over the heated pan so as not to burn your hands and not expose the material to the heat of the fire. In the case of a steam generator, simply direct the jet towards the stain from above or below and drive in a spiral from the center to the edges and back.
When the crystals dissolve and penetrate the fabric, it will begin to react with rust and actively discolor it.
After the procedure, wash the clothes with soap or liquid detergent.
Citric acid and iron
Another option with heating and citric acid. Moisten the stain and sprinkle crystals on top. After that, cover the fabric with a cotton rag or a thick paper napkin, and also place the napkin under the fabric. With an iron set at 200-250 degrees, heat and iron the stain through a napkin. It is not necessary to visually monitor the reaction, it is enough to iron for 2-3 minutes, avoiding overheating, and then wash the thing under running water with soap.
Soaking in vinegar
If there is a lot of rust on the clothes or there is more than one stain, and all of them are small, then try to remove them one by one – you will only damage the fabric. It is better to soak clothes in vinegar water. To do this, add a glass of vinegar 70% essence to one liter of water. Pour the resulting solution over the clothes in a small enameled dish. 5 minutes before removing the rust from the clothes with a normal wash is enough. Before putting in the machine, rinse the fabric under running water. Although it is not necessary, the drum of the washing machine will also be cleaned from vinegar as a result, without causing much damage to the clothes. By the way, read this article about how to clean a washing machine.
Lemon
By analogy, as in the previous options, you can use the natural acid of lemons and green apples. However, rubbing the clothes with fruit can lead to the formation of new stains and a persistent smell, so it is better to try this method in advance and leave it for an emergency.
Cleaning products
Many liquid detergents for hand and machine washing contain acetic or oxalic acid, so this is exactly what you can do to remove rust from clothes without too much trouble.
For coarse cotton fabric, you can use rust removers used in plumbing, which contain a small amount of hydrochloric acid. You can definitely get rid of rust, but you can also get rid of dye. First check the reaction of the material to such an impact and only then start cleaning.
If you want to save money, cover the stain with a mixture of dishwashing detergent and glycerin in a ratio of 3: 1 and rub it into the fabric, leave it overnight and rinse it in the morning before regular washing. If none of the above methods have cleaned the clothes from rust, then only dry cleaning remains.