How to Remove Iron Stains from Clothes?

Do you ever have this kind of experience? When you take out a piece of clothing that you haven't worn for a long time from the bottom of the closet and want to wash it and put it on again, you find that there are several iron stains on the clothing. Maybe it's because the iron buttons on the clothing rusted. But no matter what, this kind of iron stains are very unpleasant to wear.

You wish there was a way to remove this kind of iron stains. But no matter how many times you wash it in water, it doesn't work. What can you do? Don’t worry, just read this blog! We will tell you what to use to clean iron stains on clothes, as well as how to care for different fabrics of clothing after cleaning!

Tools You Need for Removing Iron Stains from Clothes

Yes, it is almost impossible to remove old iron stains from clothes using only water.You'll also need some other tools, especially detergent. So, what tools are very easy to find and are very effective in removing iron stains?

Lemons. The reason why lemon can remove iron stains on clothes is that it contains a large amount of citric acid. Citric acid is an organic acid, and the main component of iron stains is ferric oxide, which is an alkaline oxide. According to the principle of acid-base neutralization reaction, citric acid can react chemically with ferric oxide. The generated ferric citrate can dissolve in water, thereby removing rust from clothes and achieving the effect of removing rust traces. In addition to lemons, there are many acidic substances that can react chemically with alkaline ferric oxide to produce water-soluble compounds, thereby achieving the purpose of removing iron stains. You can also try to use vinegar to remove the iron stains.

Bleach. Common bleaching agents mainly include oxidative bleaching agents and reducing bleaching agents. Common oxidative bleaching agents include sodium hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide, etc. These bleaching agents have strong oxidizing properties and will undergo redox reactions with pigments and other chromogenic substances. The chromogenic groups in the pigment molecules are oxidized and destroyed, thereby changing the molecular structure of the pigment so that it no longer has the ability to absorb visible light of a specific wavelength, thereby achieving a bleaching effect. Common reducing bleaching agents include sulfur dioxide, sodium sulfite, etc. Taking sulfur dioxide as an example, it dissolves in water to form sulfurous acid, which undergoes reduction reactions such as addition reactions with pigments, causing the pigment to fade.

In addition, you may find it hard to imagine that onions are also a good helper for removing iron stains from clothes. Although onions do not smell or taste sour at all, they also contain citric acid and malic acid. As for the reaction principle of acidic substances and ferric oxide in iron stains, it has been explained above. So, if you can't find lemons or bleach for the time being, you might as well try onions!

How to Remove Iron Stains from Clothes Step by Step?

Although you now have known know which tools to use to remove iron stains from clothes, please note that there are still many things to pay attention to in the specific operation steps!

First, you need to be careful when choosing cleaning tools. Although bleach can effectively and quickly remove iron stains on clothes, it is a strong irritant, so the damage it can cause to clothes cannot be ignored.So if your garment is made of a delicate but extra-fragile fabric that requires careful care, such as mohair or silk, don't use bleach easily. Even if your garment is made of a sturdier fabric, such as cotton or linen, you need to dilute the bleach as much as possible to make it less irritating. After soaking the clothe in the water containing bleach, you also need to stir it from time to time to prevent the bleach from settling to the bottom.

Also, you may now be wondering how to use lemon or onion to clean iron stains. Should I cut the lemon or onion and apply the juice directly to the iron stains? Do I need to wash it in water afterwards? Do I need to soak the clothe before applying the lemon or onion juice? Specifically, first, you need to soak the clothes with iron stains in hot water for half an hour. Then, squeeze onion or lemon into juice. Next, you need to apply the lemon or onion juice evenly on the rust marks. After ten minutes, rinse off the lemon or onion juice with cold water.

So, what should we do if the iron-stained clothing is made of delicate fabrics such as silk and cashmere? You can try using mildly corrosive materials such as salt, vinegar, and toothpaste to clean it. Apply toothpaste or a paste of salt and vinegar evenly to the rust, then rub it gently. After ten minutes, rinse with cold water and you will get a clean piece of clothing. But remember to choose a toothpaste that does not contain bleaching ingredients.

How to Avoid Iron Stains on Clothes?

Indeed, after reading the above content, you will be confident that you will not be helpless when facing iron stains on clothes in the future. However, no matter which method you choose to remove iron stains on clothes, it is quite troublesome. Therefore, it is best to pay attention to the maintenance of clothes and avoid iron stains on clothes from the source. So how can we avoid this problem?

When storing clothes, try to choose wooden or plastic hangers to hang clothes. Hangers with iron may rust due to moisture and other reasons and stain the clothes, so it is best to avoid direct contact between clothes and metal hangers that are prone to rust.

Even if you don't use metal hangers to hang clothes, many clothes have metal decorations on them, such as metal buttons or chains. However, metal rust is inseparable from moisture, so the wardrobe should be kept dry. You can put some desiccant in the wardrobe to absorb moisture in the air, reduce humidity, and prevent metal objects on clothes from getting damp and rusting.

Ironing is also a process that can easily leave stains on clothes. First of all, if your iron is rusty, please replace it in time, otherwise it will be difficult not to bring iron stains to clothes during the ironing process. Secondly, when ironing clothes, please choose a suitable temperature and do not let the temperature be too high. Otherwise, it may also leave iron stains.

Finally, please pay attention to the washing environment of your clothes. If the internal parts of the washing machine are rusty, the clothes may be rusted during the washing process. Therefore, you should regularly check the washing machine, especially the seals and screws of the washing machine. If there are signs of rust, they should be cleaned or replaced in time. Poor quality or expired detergents should also be avoided. High-quality detergents can not only effectively clean clothes, but also have certain anti-rust functions.

How to Care Clothes after Removing the Iron Stains

After removing the iron stains on the clothes, in order to maintain the texture of the clothes and extend their service life, we also need to carry out a series of maintenance on the clothes.

First, we need to clean the clothes thoroughly. Although lemon juice and vinegar are not as irritating as bleach, they also have a certain color, and if they remain on the clothes for a long time, they will cause certain damage to the fibers of the clothes. Therefore, after removing the iron stains, we also need to thoroughly clean the clothes with lemon juice and vinegar. Be sure to read the labels on the clothes carefully before washing them thoroughly and choose the correct and appropriate way to wash the clothes to avoid causing further damage to the clothes.

Generally, it is best to lay or hang clothes in a well-ventilated area to dry naturally, away from direct sunlight. If you leave clothes in the sun, dark-colored clothes will fade easily, while light-colored clothes will turn yellow easily.

If you are worried that ironing will easily leave iron stain son clothes, you can put a layer of cotton cloth between the iron and the clothes. This can effectively reduce the damage caused by the high temperature of the iron.

Before storing clothes, make sure they are completely dry and clean, without any stains or moisture remaining. Otherwise, it will be easy for bacteria to grow and odors to be produced during the storage process, and iron stains may even appear again.

Before applying a product, test the reaction on a small area of fabric. This will help to avoid spoiling your favorite clothes. If you can not remove the stain by any of the methods, take the thing to a dry cleaner.