How to Remove Rust Stains From Clothes With Baking Soda

Cleaning rust stains from clothes can be quite a hassle, but if you use the wrong cleaning agent or leave the stain for too long, you might never get the stain out. Baking soda has been known to work wonders in getting tough stains out of fabrics. But does it take out rust stains from clothes?

Here are various ways to remove rust stains from clothes with baking soda:

• Soak the stained cloth in a baking soda solution.
• Rub baking soda paste on the rust stain.
• Apply baking soda and lemon to the stained spot.
• Use baking soda and hot water to remove the stain.
• Soak clothes in a mixture of baking soda and vinegar.
• Apply a mixture of baking soda and laundry detergent.
• Remove rust stains with baking soda and cream of tartar.
• Use a mix of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.
• Wet the stained cloth and apply baking soda.

This article will give a more thorough explanation of the methods listed above. If you would like to know more about how to remove rust stains from your clothes using baking soda, keep reading.

Soak the Stained Cloth in a Baking Soda Solution

Contrary to popular beliefs, washing your rust-stained clothes immediately after the staining occurs isn’t always the most effective way to deal with it. One fundamental way to get those rust stains out of your clothes is by soaking them in baking soda to allow the rust to undergo a chemical process called oxidation.

Here are the steps:

1. Add 3 tbsp (42.52 g) of baking soda to half a bucket of cold water and stir to dissolve the soda in the water evenly.
2. Soak the stained clothes inside the soda water for about 30 minutes. This method gives the soda time to oxidize the rust off the cloth, making whatever is left of the stain soft enough to wash off.
3. Afterward, you can wash off the fabric with laundry detergent to get all the remaining rust out, leaving the spot rust-free and looking like it was before.

Rub Baking Soda Paste on the Rust Stain

Some rust stains are more pronounced than others making them very difficult to remove by just regular washing. But the good news is another baking soda hack can deal with even the most challenging rust stains by drowning out the rust from the stained spot.

All you have to do is follow the steps below:

1. Add 1 tbsp (14.3 g) of baking soda into a small container with 4 tbsp (59.15 ml) of water and mix thoroughly. This combination should give you a white paste-like mixture.
2. Apply the mixture to the exact spot with the rust stains.
3. Use a small toothbrush or wet sponge with a rough surface, or rub the tip of your fingers in circular motions.

Using this method will cause the stain to disappear in no time and help scrub off the rust stains, making it easier to wash off with regular detergents.

Apply Baking Soda and Lemon to the Stained Spot

Lemon isn’t just any regular old fruit. It has several other uses in the kitchen, one of which includes cleaning. It contains certain acids that are effective in dissolving even the toughest stains out of clothes.

Using both lemon and baking soda together is rather effective in clearing out rust stains as the acids inside the lemon help boost the already effective cleaning capacity of the baking soda.

What you want to do in this situation is to follow these steps:

1. Apply some baking soda to the stained spot making sure the cloth is wet first.
2. Scrub the soda into the spot using half of a sliced lemon. The soda will absorb the rust in due time, and the lemon juice will dissolve whatever is left on the fabric.
3. A quick wash afterward should clear out whatever stains that might remain.

Use Baking Soda and Hot Water to Remove the Stain

When dealing with stains, it’s important to try and soften or loosen whatever the stain may be before trying to wash it out of the fabric. Using hot water to loosen stains is an age-old technique proven effective against some minor stains, but rust stains are a whole different level, and hot water alone might not get the job done.

This stage is where the baking soda comes in.

While the hot water softens the rust, the soda absorbs it, and a final wash using laundry detergent clears up whatever rust residues that might remain on the fabric.

Here are the steps:

1. Depending on the safest temperature for the fabric, apply baking soda into the hot water.
2. Soak the cloth in it for about 20 minutes. This amount of time should be sufficient to clear up the first stains.
3. A final wash using laundry detergent will clear up any minor residue stains left.

Soak Clothes in a Mixture of Baking Soda and Vinegar

Another handy kitchen substance that has a lot of cleaning potential is vinegar. When used alone in washing water, vinegar can be a suitable cleaning agent for tough stains like oil, dirt, and grease.

But when dealing with rust stains, mixing it with baking soda is the most effective cleaning form of vinegar. Here are the steps:

1. Mix equal parts of vinegar and baking solution into half a bucket of water. The combination creates a smoky foam cloud on the surface of the water. This chemical reaction is just the vinegar reacting with the soda to release its acids but is completely harmless to the skin.
2. Soak the stained cloth in the solution for about 20 minutes.
3. Then, wash with detergent, and you’ll find the rust stain washing away with ease.

Apply a Mixture of Baking Soda and Laundry Detergent

Baking soda alone is a powerful cleaning agent and can probably get the job done by removing rust stains from your clothes. But, for more efficient cleaning, most people have found that mixing soda with washing detergent brings better results.

Here are the steps to do this:

1. Add 1 tbsp (14.3 g) of soda to 1 tbsp (14.79 ml) of laundry detergent in half a glass of water to create a paste that can remove even the toughest rust stains.
2. Apply the paste to the stained spot and gently scrub using either a toothbrush, cloth, or a sponge.
3. The paste will absorb the rust, and you can then wash with laundry detergent afterward.

Remove Rust Stains With Baking Soda and Cream of Tartar

Another kitchen ingredient that’s also used in cleaning is cream of tartar powder.

The acid-based powder has a chemical agent that can neutralize and absorb even the toughest stains, and when mixed with baking soda, it can tackle even rust stains. Here are the steps to do this:

1. Mix 5 tsp. (20.9 g) of tartar powder into half a bucket of hot water and add another 5 tsp. (20.9 g) of baking soda.
2. Soak fabric in the above solution for about 30 minutes. This solution is potent enough to absorb all the rust stains from the fabric after soaking.
3. For a more efficient job, wash with laundry detergent after removing the fabric from the tarter/soda water.

Use a Mix of Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is one cleaning agent with amazing whitening properties. As a stain remover, hydrogen peroxide can dissolve whatever stains might be present on the fabric and, when mixed with baking soda, can be effective in removing rust stains.

To do this follow the steps below:

1. Mix 3 tsp (12.6 g)  of baking soda with ½ cup (64 g) of hydrogen peroxide.
2. Apply the paste to the spot with the rust stain, scrub and then wash with laundry detergent.

While you’re at it, be careful not to keep the paste in a closed container, as the gas from the mixture can be quite intoxicating and harmful if inhaled.

Wet the Stained Cloth and Apply Baking Soda

This method is simple with baking soda but is also quite effective if the stains have only recently contacted the fabric.

A fresh rust stain on a piece of fabric has not had time to stick to it properly and is much easier to remove than stains that have been on the material for days. Soaking the cloth in the water shortly after noticing the stains will help slow the rust’s attachment to the fabric.

After taking the wet fabric out of the water, you have to apply some baking soda to the stain spot. Then, scrub using a toothbrush or a damp sponge while periodically soaking the fabric in water to wash out whatever stains have been removed so far until all the rust is out.

Final Thoughts

While mixing different cleaning agents can be quite effective, combining the wrong ones can be pretty dangerous. Be sure to stick to this recommended list, and you’ll safely get that rust stain out of your favorite clothes without creating a chemical weapon.