Stains are your clothes' biggest enemy. And out of all those stains, a patch of turmeric can be hard to get rid of. While turmeric can be an ace ingredient in making your dishes flavourful, its stain might be quite off-putting on your clothes. But we're here to lessen your worries in case you've somehow gotten a yellow, unpleasant stain on your attire. Here are a few steps on how to remove turmeric stains from your clothes.
First, the most common way to remove turmeric stains from clothes is by grabbing a liquid detergent. Liquid detergents are a better alternative to powdered ones because they easily dissolve in water, working better on your stains. Wondering which detergent to get to deal with stubborn stains? Well, you could get the always-available Surf Excel Matic Liquid. Being a renowned and trusted brand, it works pretty well on stain removal. But before you get your hands on any stain removal method, you better cross-check them with the type of cloth you've got the stain on.
Before you go on to remove the turmeric stain from your clothes, check the wash care label of it. This label is nothing but the small, white tag attached to your cloth. See which method is best suited for your fabric. There are many delicate fabrics in the market which are highly sensitive to bleaching. By knowing the type of fabric and its suitable cleaning method, you can get an idea of how to remove turmeric stains from your clothes safely.
Even if it's in powdered form, if not treated properly, then, turmeric stains can create an everlasting yellow patch on your favorite piece of cloth. This spice gets its vibrant yellow color from a chemical known as curcumin, which in fact, is not soluble in water. This is exactly why turmeric stains are so difficult to clean off. But, once you get turmeric powder on your cloth, make sure to first brush off the powder completely. One common mistake would be to immediately hold it under water, which could make the stain even more stubborn.
Post brushing off the excess amount of turmeric powder from your cloth, pour in a few drops of your favorite liquid detergent on the stain. Use your fingers to rub the detergent in circular motions on the stain and then rinse it off with clean water. If the stain is still there, repeat this step again to remove it completely.
Getting an oil-based turmeric stain on your cloth is no less than a nightmare. That is because it is already in liquid form and will take no time to spread all throughout your cloth, ultimately leaving behind a big, nasty blob of yellowish stain. Therefore, if you get an oil-based turmeric stain on your cloth, the first step is to dab it with a clean paper towel/tissue paper. Remember, you must dab the stained area but never rub on it, as rubbing the stain will help it spread, which is something we are trying to avoid at all costs.
Once you’re done thoroughly dabbing the stained area, grab some corn flour and use it to cover the stain. This will prevent the stain from spreading and sitting on your fabric permanently. Leave the corn flour on the stain for around 20 minutes before pre-treating it with liquid detergent.
If you're in a restaurant or at some party and the same happens (you spill some finger-licking curry on yourself by mistake), then you could also use lemon juice in place of corn flour if the latter is unavailable. Lemon juice acts as a mild bleach and helps to fade turmeric stains. After putting lime juice on the stained area, leave it for about 15 minutes, and then dab it with a damp cotton pad. Once you get home, you can finally wash your cloth with detergent and remove the oil-based turmeric stain.
Till now, we have seen how stubborn and hard to remove turmeric stains are. We have also talked about pre-treating the two different kinds of stains (powdered and oil-based). But, the removal process might differ depending on your cloth's color, besides the fabric type. Hence, here we talk about how to remove turmeric stains from your clothes that are fine white.
- Cold water
- Baking sodar
- Bleach-based detergentr
- Mild laundry detergentr
- Dishwashing liquidr
- White vinegarr
Before planning to bleach out the turmeric stain, you must check the fabric care tag or the white tag attached to the inside of your cloth to see whether it's bleach resistant. Delicate fabrics like wool and silk may be sensitive to this bleaching technique, eventually ruining your garment. Once you've confirmed that your fabric is bleach resistant, you may proceed to the next step.
If the stain is from powdered turmeric, brush it off thoroughly, as aforementioned in this writing. You could use a nylon brush for this step. Next, directly pour 4-5 drops of liquid detergent on the stained area and rub it in circular motions using your fingertips. Afterward, wash it with plain and cold water. This step can be repeated if the stain is too dark.
On the other hand, for oil-based turmeric stains, treat the stained area first by dabbing off the surface with a paper towel (recall that you are not supposed to rub it). Then, put some baking soda on the stained area and let it rest for an hour. While the baking soda does its trick to help remove your stain, prepare a solution by taking ½ a cup of water and adding ½ cup of white vinegar and 1teaspoon of dishwashing liquid to it. Mix well and spray this solution on the baking powder-covered stain to dampen it completely. Once done, rub the stained area using your fingertips for 2-3 minutes and wash with clean and cold water.
If the stain persists, fill up your bucket with cold water and mix ½ cup of bleach into it. You can use the renowned Rin Ala bleach for your convenience, as it is widely available in the market and specializes in stain removal from white clothes. Make sure to read the product instructions to know the exact amount to be used, and remember to never use it on colored clothes. You can soak your turmeric-stained garment in this bleach and water solution for 20 minutes.
If the stain is still there, you could double soak your fabric. First, rinse your garment thoroughly using cold water and then soak it overnight in a solution containing ½ bucket of cold water and 1 cup of baking soda.
Once you have completed all the above-mentioned steps, wash your cloth like you always do, and then let it dry in the open air. You can expect the turmeric stain from your cloth to have completely disappeared by now.
If you have a white cloth that is delicate and does not support the bleach stain removal method, then this alternative method is for you. Using white vinegar to remove your turmeric stain is an apt and mild method. It is suitable for soft fabrics like silk, linen, etc.
Combine 2 tablespoons of white vinegar with 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid in a clean and dry bowl. Mix well and apply to the stained area. Leave for 30 minutes before washing off with cold water.
If the stain has faded but is not completely gone, add 2-3 drops of your trusted laundry detergent in a bucket filled with clean and cold water. You can always test the suitability of the product by applying a small amount on an unnoticeable part of your cloth to see whether it works well for it. Soak your stained cloth in the water and detergent solution for half an hour, then wash it with cold water. Then, let it dry in the open air as you usually do with all of your clothes post rinsing.
Now that we have dealt with turmeric stains on white clothes, it's time we shed some light on ways to remove turmeric stains out of clothes that are colored.
- Laundry detergentr
- Dishwashing liquidr
- Vinegarr
- Toothbrushr
- Paper towelsr
Use a liquefied laundry detergent on your turmeric stain and rub the area with your fingertips to ensure the product is absorbed thoroughly by the fabric. Using Surf Excel Matic could be a wonderful choice as it's a liquid detergent that leaves zero residues like its powdered counterparts and fully dissolves in water. Leave the detergent on the stain post rubbing for 30 minutes before rinsing off with cold water.
After rinsing, the stain must have faded to a light pink tone. Dip your paper towel generously in vinegar and hold it on top of the stain for a while. Remove it when the stain disappears completely.
Post treating the stain, wash it manually or in your washing machine. For both the methods, you can use Surf Excel Matic, leading to quick and efficient stain removal from your beloved garment. This product works best for washing machines. You can wash your cloth twice to ensure there's no turmeric stain mark on it, making it look brand new.
Prepare a solution by mixing 2 tablespoons of white vinegar with 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid. You can mix it in a bowl and then soak the stained area of your cloth in it for 30 minutes.
Place your garment under cold, running water. Meanwhile, dip your wetted toothbrush in the laundry detergent and scrub the stain off your cloth. Continue scrubbing until the stain is gone.
Finally, wash your cloth like you usually do and let it dry in the open air and under natural sunlight. The latter works as a natural bleaching agent. Check your garment every hour to see if the stain is gone. Immediately bring it back once the stain has lifted, as leaving it for too long under the sunlight might cause it to discolor.
In a nutshell, while turmeric can be such an efficacious spice for restoring and maintaining good health, at the same time adding great flavor and color to our dishes, the stain from it on clothes can be a problem. However, with our stain removal techniques in mind, you have nothing to worry about!
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