How to Remove Rust from Fabric

Rust stains in your favorite fabric? Hold on—you don’t have to throw that favorite shirt away! You’d be surprised at what the help of a little lemon could do; just follow these simple steps to rescue your otherwise-doomed rags.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Lemon Juices
• Paper towels
• Tide or Cheer brand Laundry Detergents

1. Lay the rust-stained fabric over several white paper towels, which will act as a blotter and absorb the rust.

2. Cut a lemon in half and saturate the stain with the fresh lemon juice. (Bottled lemon juice will work, too.)

3. Set the fabric (with the paper towel blotter beneath) out in the sun to dry. The rust stain will disappear.

4. Launder as usual.

Tips & Warnings

• Test this method first on a small, inconspicuous area when removing rust from colored fabrics.

[popov]

on 9/5/2009 I had a rust stain on a nice fitting white shirt. I tried bleach on it and it didn't work, not even the dry cleaner could help me. This technique worked great. Thanks!!

[askanexpert]

on 9/2/2009 Cant wait to see if this works! Somehow I managed to get rust stains on two of my favorite pairs of shorts. I've lemon juiced them up - based on the instructions and they're sitting out in the hot arizona sun now!

[susan6k3]

on 11/15/2007 Karen - thank you! i had Barkeepers Friend in the house so I tried it on a favorite white designer blouse that i dry clean because it has delicate embroidery. I made a paste with the cleanser & water & rubbed the paste gently into the stain, put a paper towel underneath. In a few hours the rust stain was completely gone, I just rinsed the spot with water & let dry.

[nelles9]

on 10/24/2007 600 ml boiling water and 4 t. cream of tartar on fabric that can be washed in hot water, works very well.

[dorothyoz]

on 3/18/2007 I tried the lemon juice method on a couple different rust stains and it didn't work for me. I found a rust remover online (TheRustStore.com) called Magica that takes rust off just about anything.