By now, you probably know that rust stains are one of the most difficult stains to remove from a variety of surfaces. It takes a lot of time, effort, and cleaning to make sure that these orange-colored marks are removed and rendered invisible to the naked eye. From clothes to carpets to pretty much any fabric that can get tarnished by this common cleaning culprit, you need to have the right set of cleaning materials to remove these stains — whether natural or chemical.
In this article, we will give you a step-by-step guide that you can follow to clean and remove rust stains from 3 different surfaces — clothes, non-washable fabrics and carpet and upholstery.
Salt and Lemon Juice
Are you a fan of fresh lemon juice? Then you're in luck! You can treat a stained area using any lemon juice from your home. To do this, sprinkle a handful of salt on the pesky rust stain and squeeze a generous amount of fresh lemon juice onto the salt. To quicken the stain removal process, begin by rubbing the stain with the ingredients to activate its natural cleaning powers.
Afterwards, leave the garment under the heat of the sun to dry. The sun will help quicken up the stain removal process through its ultraviolet rays.
For white or light-colored fabrics, this cleaning process is the ideal way to remove rust stains. However, for darker-colored fabrics, it is recommended to test the lemon juice first on a tiny spot and check if it gets discolored as a result of the ingredients.
Stain Removal Paste
If you’re feeling crafty, try creating a rust stain removal paste by mixing one teaspoon of cream of tartar, one teaspoon of your handy baking soda, and small drops of hydrogen peroxide. Then, apply the paste to the stain thoroughly and allow it to stay for 30 minutes before rinsing the fabric altogether.
Use Rust Remover
Want to remove rust stains in an instant? Try a commercial rust remover that’s scientifically formulated to get rid of the stains. However, for best results, it is important to follow the manufacturer's instructions as many of these commercial rust removers are extremely toxic and can easily irritate skin and even damage surface materials altogether. To ensure proper usage of the stain remover, let it sit for a few seconds on the surface first, rub it with your own hands or a cloth and then rinse it thoroughly.
Detergent Washing
Another safe and common cleaning process of removing rust stains is by heavy-duty laundry washing. Everybody and their mother is familiar with this process and so should you! To start, just simply read the recommended water temperature on the rust-stained fabric’s care label. Proceed by following the care instructions and the recommended detergent for stain removal. After washing it with water and detergent, be sure to check the fabric or garment for any leftover rust stain before completely drying the garment in the dryer or under the sun.
Now that we’ve explored the many different ways of removing rust stains from your clothes and other fabrics, it’s now time to check out how to do it for non-washable fabrics. If you’ve ever had rust stains unceremoniously decorate your leather sofa cover, then this one’s for you. You have two ways to go about removing the stain: the organic way or with the help of a professional cleaner.
If you’re feeling thrifty and want to spend your extra money on something more than removing rust stains, then here’s a step-by-step guide you can follow:
What about removing inconvenient rust stains from your treasured carpets? Is there an effective way of removing them without compromising the material’s original color and quality? If you decide to go the natural way, then you’re in luck! Here are the many different ways to restore your carpet back to its original, rust stain-free state.
Get Rid of Loose Rust
Rust stains can already be a huge pain for every homeowner as it is. But getting rid of loose rust from the material? That’s even worse. Luckily for you, you can solve this problem with the help of your kitchen tools! To remove loose rust particles from your carpet, use a butter knife and gently scrape away any visible tiny rust particles from the carpet and its fabric fibers. After repeatedly doing this, you will notice the rust particles breaking down, indicating that they can now be removed altogether. You can use your vacuum to suck out the loose particles.
Homemade Stain Cleaner
You can make your own homemade stain cleaner with the help of your everyday cleaning tools. Sounds challenging? Not quite! To start, simply mix two tablespoons of your dishwashing liquid together with one tablespoon of household ammonia solution. Then add two cups of warm water to the solution. Get a clean white cloth and dip it into the solution. This will saturate the stained area and prime it for stain removal (If you’re using this on upholstery, then make sure to use a lesser amount of the solution!) Let the solution sit for at least five minutes, then blot it with another clean cloth and begin applying it to the stain again. After you’re done removing the rust stain, blot a cloth dipped in plain water to rinse away the soapy residue from the material. Let it air dry to protect the material and prevent it from discoloring.
Create Your Own Homemade Cleaner
If stains are still apparent on the material, then it’s time for you to come up with a new natural stain cleaner. Another way to remove these annoying stains is by putting a thick paste of table salt (¼ cup) and lemon juice water (1 tbsp) to the solution. After mixing the two ingredients, apply the paste to the rust stain and let it sit for at least two hours and wait for it to dry.
Getting rid of stains is never an easy feat. If you happen to follow any of these steps, then you can expect to have at least one method work for you. However, on the off chance that you still can’t remove stains after following each and every step, don’t fret! Not all of us have the time to dedicate to the lengthy process of removing stains. If you want to keep the stress out of housekeeping, call us at Luce SG! Our team of professional carpet cleaning services will keep your carpet spotless. Call us now!
