How Do I Get Red Dye Stains Out of Clothes?

Red stains often can be removed from your clothing.

Red dye can be found in some of the strangest places, including some dog foods. Clothes can be stained by juice spills, color bleeding transfers or permanent markers, and the results can seem disastrous for your garments. While red dye stains can sometimes be very difficult to remove, often a combination of pretreatments and rinses will help you remove the stain.

Things You'll Need

• Liquid laundry detergent
• Water
• All-fabric bleach
• Liquid chlorine bleach

Instructions

1. Pretreat the garment with heavy-duty liquid laundry detergent by pouring on enough detergent to cover the stain and allowing it to rest for up to 15 minutes.

2. Rinse the garment thoroughly in cool water to remove the detergent and some of the stain.

3. Create a 50/50 solution of cool water and all-fabric bleach in a tub, sink or bucket. Be sure to use all-fabric bleach, as traditional chlorine bleach will discolor or damage some fabrics. Allow the garment to soak in the solution for half an hour, and then rinse thoroughly in clean, cool water.

4. Soak white garments in a 50/50 solution of liquid chlorine bleach and cool water. Allow the garment to soak for 15 minutes and then rinse thoroughly in clean, cool water.

5. Soak again in the 50/50 solution of cool water and all-fabric bleach as necessary until the stain is gone. Do this for whites and colored fabrics. Launder the garment in warm water once the stain is removed. Dry the clothing on a line or in the dryer.

Tips & Warnings

• When using powdered or liquid bleach, always bleach the full garment and not just the stained area. If any color is altered in any way, you'll want it to happen across the whole garment, and not only in one spot.

• Use hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar in place of liquid bleach, if you prefer.

• Do not let a garment soak in liquid chlorine bleach for more than 15 minutes, or you risk damaging the fibers of the fabric.

• Never dry a garment in the dryer until the stain has been completely removed; the heat from the dryer can permanently "set" the stain.

References

• Ohio State University: Quick 'n Easy Stain Removal
• Garment Care: Out, Out, Darn Spot! A Mom's 6-Point Survival Guide to Stain Removal