How To Get Mustard Out Of Clothes

The question of how to get mustard out of clothes may appear to be a huge problem. The mustard sauce should stay on your hamburger, not your favorite T-shirt! But the good news is, you may eliminate mustard with proper methods and detergents!

With some basic materials, you can totally remove mustard out of your clothes in seconds! But how to deal with them? I’m here to show you how! Keep reading this article because I will reveal all of them to you right here, right now.

Why Does Mustard Stain On Your Clothes?

Mustard is one of the most basic condiments for hot dogs, sandwiches, and hamburgers. It is made from spherical cracked or bruised seeds of the mustard plant with many additives such as turmeric, water, lemon juice, wine, vinegar, and other spices. ⁽¹⁾

When speaking of mustard, you may immediately think of the signature yellow color, but its color actually ranges from bright yellow to dark brown, based on the variety. The color is a huge problem when mustard leaves pesky stains on fabrics.

Mustard consists of turmeric and vinegar that can set stains on fabric. Do you know that turmeric with bright yellow color is actually a natural dye? And vinegar actually supports the turmeric by loosening the fibers and letting it stay on your clothes for a long time.

That’s how mustard settles on your garments. But don’t worry; every stain has a way to get rid of it, and I will tell you how! Stay on this article to learn how to deal with different types of mustard stains on diverse materials!

Pretreat The Mustard Stains Before You Start

Pretreating stains is one of the most important and foremost things to do that can decide the result of the whole process. What if it is a new stain that you accidentally made 30 seconds ago? Or an old stain that has stayed on your clothes for like, 2 days?

Fresh Mustard Stains

First of all, whatever you do, do not rub or scrub the fresh stain with anything! If you do, the mustard will spread further and damage a larger area on your clothes. So, calm down and follow my lead, even if you are so panicked with a new mustard stain on your white shirt.

Use a blunt item, such as a spoon, butter knife or even the edge of a credit card, to scrape off the excess mustard as much as possible. You should be careful not to scrape so hard or spread the mustard to further areas.

Then, blot the stain with a dry, absorbent towel made of terry cloth, or a paper towel. Press on the stain continuously and flip the towel over or move to other dry areas to blot the excessive mustard.

When the stain can’t be absorbed anymore, stop blotting and move to the next steps. The quicker you treat the fresh stain, the easier it is to deal with the stain afterward. Therefore, try to act as soon as you can when it happens!

Pretreating fresh stains cannot be easier with this instruction!

Dried Mustard Stains

With the old and dried mustard stains, you should use a blunt utensil, such as a metal spoon or a butter knife, to scrape off the stain. Scrape everything left on the garment, then shake it hard for the dry mustard dots to fall off so that they won’t cause further stains.

A stronger way to pretreat dry stains is to soak the clothes in diluted color-safe oxygenated bleach for about 1 hour. Repeat soaking if needed.

Note: Remember to completely avoid scraping when it comes to wet or fresh stains, because this action may spread the mustard out to other areas on your item.

Most Effortless Methods To Get Mustard Out Of Your Garments

If the stains on your clothes have been pretreated well and you inspect that they can be easily dealt with, then try these super easy methods to remove the stains from your garments.

Two things to keep in mind:

• One, always check the care label on every piece of clothing before treating it with any detergent.
• Two, do a patch test by applying the heavy-duty detergent on an unnoticeable corner of your item. Some strong detergents such as bleach may discolor your garment quickly.

Option 1: Rubbing Alcohol And Dish Soap

Rubbing alcohol and dish soap can be a great combination for treating the mustard stains on your clothing item. Try to blend them and treat the stain to surprise yourself.

Preparation:

• Rubbing alcohol
• Liquid dish soap
• Warm water
• Laundry detergent
• A towel/ An absorbent cloth

Step 1: Make The Solution

Mix 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol and 3 tablespoons of dish soap with warm water. Stir it well.

Step 2: Apply The Concoction

Put a towel or an absorbent cloth underneath the piece of clothing so that the alcohol will soak through the item. Gently pour the prepared mixture on the mustard stain on the stained spot. Allow it to stay for about 10 minutes or more.

Step 3: Rinse And Wash Your Clothes As Usual

Rinse the stained spot in hot water or use a damp towel to blot it before getting the garments to wash with laundry detergent as you would normally do. Hang them up for air-drying.

Option 2: White Vinegar And Dish Soap

White vinegar is a natural detergent that can treat almost every stain on fabrics. ⁽²⁾ Dish soap is not only used to wash dishes but also for cleaning clothes with stubborn stains. This mixture can become a helpful treatment for the mustard stain on your garments.

Preparation:

• White vinegar
• Dish soap
• Water
• A container
• An absorbent towel

Step 1: Make The Concoction

Pour half a teaspoon of dish soap, half a cup of water, and some drops of white vinegar in a small container. Put the clean, white absorbent towel under the stained spot of the garment.

Step 2: Apply The Mixture

Pour the liquid into the stained area. Leave it there and wait for a few minutes.

Step 3: Rinse, Wash And Dry Your Treated Clothes

Use hot water to rinse the garment. Then bring them to a washing machine and wash them as usual. Hang them outside for drying.

Warning: Using ammonia is definitely a no-no! Ammonia reacts negatively with turmeric, which is one of the main ingredients of mustard. It will set the pesky yellow color on the fabric and make it harder for you to remove it completely.

Another easy-to-apply method to deal with your mustard-stained clothes!

Deal With Most Stubborn Mustard Stains On Machine-Washable Clothes

With the most stubborn and sizable mustard stains, you may need some stronger detergents and methods to deal with them! Read on this guide to see whether you can apply it for your clothes or not.

Preparation:

• Dull utensil
• Laundry detergent/ Dishwashing soap
• Cold water
• Laundry stain remover
• Chlorine bleach/ Color-safe oxygen bleach
• Basin

Step 1: Pretreat The Stains

You can apply the methods of pretreating that I’ve shown you earlier. Scrape a dried stain with a dull item or blot the fresh stains with a towel.

Step 2: Rinse The Clothes With Cold Water

Turn your clothes inside out. Run a water tap and place the stained spot on your item under the running cold water.

Note: Make sure to use cold water, not hot or warm water. Rinsing the stains from the back to get the excess mustard fall off the garment, rather than push through the threads.

Step 3: Spot Treat With Detergent Or Stain Remover

Rub some drops of liquid laundry detergent, or dish soap as a replacement, onto the mustard stain. You can also use a more specialized detergent such as commercial stain remover to treat the stained spot if you have one.

Let them sit for up to 10 minutes. After that, rinse the clothes carefully. You may repeat this step over again to get rid of the stain completely.

Step 4: Launder The Garments With Heavy-Duty Detergent

In this step, you have 3 choices based on which detergent you may have at home:

Option 1: Using Laundry Stain Remover

Apply the gel or liquid laundry stain remover to the affected area, then take the whole thing to wash with a normal cycle using regular laundry detergent.

Option 2: Using Bleach

Bring your clothes to wash in the washer and add bleach to a separate dispenser, not the one for laundry detergent. You may want to mix bleach and water in a ratio 1:30, or about half cup of bleach for a normal washing load.

• White clothes: If your clothes are in white, don’t hesitate to add chlorine bleach. Set the hottest water setting for these white items.
• Colored clothes: If they are in any other color further than white, use color-safe oxygen bleach to deal with them, so that the original color of your clothes won’t fade away. You should wash vibrant-colored and delicate garments in warm or cold water.

Tip: If you have to wash clothes by hand, pour the bleach directly into the container while washing. Remember to wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from the bleach.

Option 3: Using Both Laundry And Bleach

Pour some drops of stain remover directly to stained spots and leave it there for about 5-10 minutes.

After that, wash the clothing in the washing machine and add some color-safe bleach or vinegar to the load for better results.

Step 5: Check The Stain When It’s Still Wet

When the wash is done, observe the stain to see whether it has gone or not. If it is still there, repeat the whole process. If nothing’s left and you’re satisfied with the outcome, then you can dry your clothes as usual.

Note: Avoid using a drying rack or dryer to dry your clothes when you’re not sure the mustard stain has been eliminated completely.

Dealing with stubborn stains is not that difficult if you know how to do it correctly!

Best Method Ever To Dry Clean Mustard Stains Out Of Clothing

You have come through a lot of ways and recipes of washing solutions, but what if your clothes can only be dry-cleaned? Calm down! Here comes explicit instructions for you to solve the dry-cleaning problem in just a sec!

Preparation:

• Dry-cleaning solvent
• Cold water
• White vinegar
• Hydrogen peroxide
• A soft-bristle toothbrush
• An absorbent cloth
• Dull utensil/ Paper towels
• Sponge

Step 1: Always Pretreat The Stain First

Pretreat the mustard stain on your garment based on its current conditions. If it is fresh, blot it with some paper towels. If it has dried, use a blunt item to scrape off the excess mustard as much as possible.

Step 2: Apply Specialized Solvent For Dry-Cleaning

To loosen the stain, pour a little bit of commercial dry-cleaning solvent directly on it.

Step 3: Continue To Scrub And Blot The Stain

Gently scrub the stained part of your item with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Try to get the remaining stain out as much as you can, then use the absorbent cloth to blot the residue on the stained spot.

Step 4: Once Again, Apply The Dry-Cleaning Solvent

Patience is key! Pour some more solvent into the stain and repeat step 3. Make sure that you use enough solvent. Check it regularly to see if the stain is gone or not. If you’re happy with the result, then congratulations – you can end the dry-cleaning process here!

But if the stubborn mustard stain is still lying there, then move to the next steps right away!

Step 5: Deal With More Complicated Stains

You have two options for this:

Option 1: Use White Vinegar

Wet the stain with a damp sponge, then scrub it from the center. Then, pour some drops of white vinegar into that sponge and continue to gently scrub on the stain. Rinse through the affected spot with plain water. The pesky stain should be gone by now.

Option 2: Use Hydrogen Peroxide

Introducing a more powerful detergent: hydrogen peroxide. It is one of the strongest detergents that you can use for clothing items, especially white ones. Apply it on the stain and leave it there for about 15 minutes, then rinse away the residue with water.

If the above method doesn’t work well on your dry-clean-only garments, you should bring them to a professional dry cleaner! They will know exactly what to do. Don’t try too hard, or else you may end up with damaged clothing.

Easy Techniques To Rid Mustard Stains On Clothes Based On Materials

The treatments for mustard stains may vary due to the materials of clothing items. For each type of fabric, I will show you precisely how to deal with them.

Getting Rid Of Mustard From Cotton Fabric

The cotton fabric is absorbent and can easily be dyed with colored stains. So make sure that you act fast once you notice the mustard stain on your clothes. Don’t use the paper towel to blot the mustard with cotton fabric because it will make things worse.

Preparation:

• Dawn dishwashing soap
• Peroxide
• Laundry detergent
• A blunt item
• A container (bucket, etc.)

Instructions:

Step 1: Pretreat the stain by scraping it off with a blunt item.

Step 2: Turn the item inside out, then run cold water (avoid warm to hot water since they may set stains) to the stained spot from the back.

Step 3: Mix 1 tablespoon of Dawn dish soap and 2 tablespoons of peroxide. You should do a patch test with peroxide since it is a bleaching agent.

Step 4: Apply the solution to the stain and wait for about 10 minutes.

Step 5: Prepare a container filled with cold water. Add 2 tablespoons of laundry detergent and gently stir the mixture. Soak your affected garments into the solution overnight.

Step 6: The next morning, observe the stain on your soaked clothes. If it’s still there, repeat step 3.

Step 7: Wash and dry your clothing as usual.

Removing Mustard Stains On Leather Items

The mustard stain can damage your favorite leather jacket and leave some unwanted color on the surface. It is also difficult to get rid of mustard stains on leather, but you should apply this method once before taking it to the professional.

Preparation:

• Dish soap
• Leather conditioner
• Sponge
• A bowl
• A dull utensil

Instructions:

Step 1: Scrape off the mustard with a dull item.

Step 2: Mix 1 teaspoon of dish soap with warm water in a bowl until the liquid gets suds.

Step 3: Wet the sponge with the mixture and scrub it on the stained spot. Keep doing so until the stain is no longer there on your garment.

Step 4: Finish with the leather conditioner.

Eliminating Mustard Stains From Suede

Just like leather, mustard stains on suede are difficult to remove with just regular detergents. So, try my cleaning suggestion before discarding items made from suede.

Preparation:

• White vinegar/ Suede cleaner
• A cloth
• A blunt item
• Suede brush

Instructions:

Step 1: Use the scraper to eliminate the excess mustard on your garment.

Step 2: Damp a clean cloth with white vinegar or suede cleaner, then dab and rub it on the stained spot. Repeat this step until the sign of having mustard fades away.

Step 3: Brush the suede item with a suede brush.

Getting Mustard Off Your Polyester Clothing

How about mustard stains on polyester? You’ll also need a little bit of effort to deal with this type of fabric so that the stain won’t sit there forever.

Preparation:

• Paper towel/ Napkins
• A blunt utensil
• Water
• Pre-treater/ White vinegar

Instructions:

Step 1: Blot up the mustard as much as you can with a paper towel or napkins. Make sure to blot, not rub the stain.

Step 2: Run cold water and wash your clothes from the inside.

Step 3: Add your available pre-treater or white vinegar on the mustard stain. Leave everything there for 15 minutes or longer.

Step 4: Wash your clothes as you would usually do. You can add some color-safe bleach along with laundry detergent for a better result. Hang the clothes up for air-drying.

FAQs

Still wondering about mustard stains? Read on to see if your concern is here in this frequently asked questions part or not. You can always ask me your own questions by commenting right below this post! Hope that my answers can help you somehow.

Found Yourself An Ideal Way To Treat Mustard Stains?

Some secrets have been revealed! Now it’s your turn to revive your favorite T-shirt having some ugly mustard stains on it. Always check the care label and choose the most suitable method for your clothes. If you have applied them successfully, don’t hesitate to tell me!

Has the article given you the thing you need? Like, share it if the answer is positive. I will be over the moon if my sharings can join a hand in supporting someone’s life! Talk to me in the comment section about your experiences or any more concerns! See you all later!

References

1. En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Mustard (condiment) – Wikipedia.
2. En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Vinegar – Wikipedia.