Rust stains don’t have to mean the end of your clothes. In most cases, all that’s needed is some quick action and some elbow grease. The key is to attack the stain as soon as it’s discovered. Don’t toss that rust stained shirt in the rag basket until you read this article.

If you just brushed against something rusty, the rust stains might not have penetrated the fabric at all. If this is the case, all you need to do is toss the garment into the washing machine and launder as you normally would. Sometimes, rust will come out with regular laundering. If the stain doesn’t come out, don’t put the garment in the dryer. The heat will only make matters worse.

Instead, try rubbing the rust stains with a lemon. Squeeze as much of the juice from one lemon onto the rust stains as possible. When the stains are completely saturated, take the garment and lay it out in the sun.

Between the sun and the lemon, the stain should bleach right out. Launder as usual. Again, if the stain isn’t completely removed after laundering, don’t put it in the dryer unless you want to risk a permanent rust stain on your clothing. Keep in mind that lemon bleaches, so if the rust stains are on a dark item of clothing, test in a hidden area first.

Other rust stain removal methods include:

• Naval jelly works for removing rust stains from floors and furniture, and it can also remove the stains from clothes. Rub the naval jelly into the garment and allow to sit for a while. Launder as usual.
• Use an over-the-counter rust remover. Many industrial cleaning products are formulated to remove rust stains from fabric. Follow the instructions on the back of the bottle.
• Boil rhubarb for twenty minutes, remove the stalks, and soak the garment in the rhubarb water until the rust stains are removed or at least most have disappeared. Launder as usual.
• Rub stains with salt and lemon, and leave in the sun to dry. Launder as usual.
• Wet the garment and dab with a bit of cream of tartar. Allow it to sit for a while and launder as usual.

There’s really no need to panic if you have rust stains on your clothing. The stains are easy to remove. Just follow the simple suggestions above, and no one will ever know the difference!