How to remove rust stains from clothes, carpet and cast iron

How to remove rust stains

1. 1

   Put the chlorine bleach away

   Make sure no one has used, or will use, chlorine bleach on the stain.

   Why: Every extension guide agrees: chlorine bleach sets rust and can make it more intense or permanent.

2. 2

   Read the label and test

   Check the garment's care label, then test the rust remover on a hidden area. Some rust removers are for white fabric only.

   Why: Rust removers are acids, and some can strip dyes or damage certain fibers.

3. 3

   Apply the rust remover

   Wearing gloves, apply the fabric rust remover to the stain exactly as its label directs.

   Why: Acids such as oxalic acid bind the iron in rust into a water-soluble compound that can be rinsed out.

4. 4

   Rinse thoroughly

   Rinse the area well with water before it goes into the washer.

   Why: This flushes out the acid and the dissolved iron before laundering.

5. 5

   Wash, air-dry and check

   Launder normally, air-dry and check in daylight. Repeat the remover if a trace remains.

   Why: Washing removes residue, and checking before the next wash lets you catch what's left.

Why rust needs an acid, not bleach

Rust is iron oxide: iron or steel that has reacted with oxygen and water. On fabric it comes from metal buttons, zippers, hangers, rusty pipes, iron-rich well water and red clay, whose color comes from iron oxide. The particles are a mineral stain. They don't dissolve in water or detergent, so ordinary laundering leaves them behind.

An acid changes that. Oxalic acid, the active ingredient in many rust removers, forms a water-soluble iron complex that rinses away. Chlorine bleach does the opposite: it oxidizes the iron further and can fix the stain for good. That's why the Kentucky, Texas A&M, Iowa State and American Cleaning Institute guides all rule it out.

Rust on carpet, cast iron and hard surfaces

On carpet, the Carpet and Rug Institute starts with a vinegar solution (1 cup white vinegar to 2 cups water), then a dilute dish-detergent solution and a warm-water rinse; see rust on carpet. Cast iron is a different job: you're removing rust from the metal itself and then re-seasoning it, covered in rust on cast iron.

Orange rings in sinks, tubs and toilets usually come from iron in the water. See how to clean rust stains for those surfaces. Widespread orange staining in laundry is a water-supply issue rather than a stain problem.

Rust on every surface

The method changes with the surface: fabrics can soak, carpets and mattresses can't. Pick yours for the full steps.

By situation

Fresh versus old rust

Both are usually removable with a rust remover, as long as chlorine bleach hasn't been used. Rust that has been bleached may be permanent.

It already went through the wash and dryer

Washing and drying don't remove rust, but they usually don't make it worse unless chlorine bleach was in the load. Apply rust remover, rinse and rewash.

White versus colored fabric

On whites, a rust remover or a color remover works; Kentucky notes color remover helps with brown iron stains from hard, mineral-rich water. On colors, use only a remover labeled safe for colors and test it first.

Red clay on uniforms

Red clay's color is iron oxide. Iowa State's AnswerLine advises against chlorine and oxygen bleaches on it. Pretreat with dish soap or detergent, soak in warm water, scrub and launder.

Silk and wool

Don't use acid rust removers on them at home, because strong acids harm wool and silk. Take them to a dry cleaner.

What not to do

• Don't use chlorine bleach. It sets rust stains and can make them darker or permanent.
• Don't mix rust remover with bleach or other cleaners. Acids plus chlorine bleach release chlorine gas. See never mix these cleaners.
• Don't use a hydrofluoric-acid rust remover if you can avoid it. Hydrofluoric acid is a dangerous acid. Choose a product without it, follow the label strictly and wear gloves.

Other methods that work

Lemon juice and salt in the sun

A traditional method for white cotton and linen: sprinkle salt, wet it with lemon juice, let it dry in the sun and repeat. The citric acid slowly dissolves the rust. Traditional, with weak evidence.

Caution: Whites only. It's slow, and sun fades colors.

White vinegar

A mild acid, and the Carpet and Rug Institute's first step for rust on carpet.

Caution: It's much weaker than oxalic acid. Never use it with chlorine bleach.

Color remover on whites

The Kentucky extension guide says color remover helps with brown iron stains on white fabric washed in hard mineral water.

Caution: It strips dyes from colored fabric.

Stain still there?

The rust got darker after bleaching

Chlorine bleach has set it. A fabric rust remover may still lighten it, but it may be permanent.

Orange spots keep appearing on laundry

Look for a rusty hanger, button or washer drum, or iron in your water. Fix the source, then treat the clothes with rust remover.

Safety

• Rust removers are acids. Wear gloves, ventilate, follow the label and keep them away from children.
• Oxalic acid is toxic if swallowed and can burn skin in concentrated form.
• Never combine acids with chlorine bleach.

Never mix cleaning products; see chemicals you must never combine.

Questions

Other mineral and rust stains

• Deodorant stains