Muddy clothes are no fun to clean, whether you discover splattered mud on your work pants or play jeans. While caked-on dirt seems impossible to remove, there are ways to get your pants clean and restore their fresh appearance. Find out how to get mud out of jeans using a few effective cleaning solutions.
There are many stain types, from sweat stains and rust stains to grease stains and oil stains, and they are usually easy to clean with nail polish remover, rubbing alcohol, and other stain removers. However, a mud stain is a tough stain to clean since thick globs of dirt cling to the fabric. So, how do you get the mud off your pants without spreading the muddiness everywhere?
There are several steps to take when cleaning muddy jeans, from dry mud removal and pretreating to soaking and washing. While it takes effort and time, it is possible to remove stains and get your jeans ready for another day of wear.
Ways to Get Mud Out of Jeans
We can imagine the defeat you may feel as you look at your muddied jeans, especially if they are white pants. However, don’t retire your jeans just yet. Here are several cleaning methods to help you get mud out of jeans without making the stains worse.
How to Clean Mud Off Jeans
Caked-on mud spreads during the washing process, and removing as much dirt as possible is vital before cleaning. Here is how to clean mud off jeans before washing them with a cleaner.
Spread the denim jeans out on a flat surface to dry, with the muddy side facing up. Once the mud is crusty, take the pants outside and give them a good shake to remove dried bits of dirt. If chunks of dirt remain, use a spatula or brush to gently scrape the mud away from the fabric surface.
How to Remove Mud Stains from Jeans by Pretreating
Once you remove the chunks of dried mud, it’s time to pretreat the material to help loosen the leftover dirt particles. Learn how to remove mud stains from jeans or the way to clean mud off shoes that are washable by pretreating the fabric.
Spread out a towel and lay the jeans over the top. Pour a small amount of liquid detergent onto the muddy stains and let it sit for 15 minutes. If you’re using powdered detergent, mix it with a little water to form a paste and rub it into the stain. Finish by hand-washing or machine-washing the jeans to remove the mud.
How to Get Mud Out Of Jeans by Soaking
Soaking is sometimes necessary to get mud off jeans, especially if they’re extra muddy. The soapy water helps break the bond between the dirt and denim, making cleaning easier.
Fill a plastic bin with cool water and add a teaspoon of liquid detergent or dish soap. Use your hands to agitate the water lightly and place your jeans into the soapy water to remove mud stains from clothes. Soak the pants for half an hour before washing, or let them sit overnight if they are extra dirty.
Using the Washing Machine to Remove Mud from Jeans
You are in luck if your jeans are machine-washable. However, it’s essential to remove excess mud before tossing them into the washer to prevent the dirt from spreading throughout the machine. Discover how to clean mud off jeans in the washing machine with the correct settings.
Remove as much mud as possible before machine-washing your jeans in the washer. Shake dry dirt off the denim outside, or use a paper towel to lift away small pieces of mud.
Place the jeans into the washer without other clothing items to prevent spreading dirt, and add your favorite laundry detergent. If the jeans are white, add the recommended amount of chlorine bleach.
Otherwise, use oxygen bleach for dark clothes. Use the warm or hot wash cycle to clean the pants and check them for stains before drying. The easiest way to make your jeans shrink is to use the dryer. Otherwise, air dry.
Hand-Washing Jeans to Remove Mud Stains
If your jeans are not safe for machine-washing or you are afraid of damaging the material, hand-washing is the next best alternative. Here is how to remove mud stains from jeans by washing them by hand.
Fill a plastic bin with hot water and add a half cup of laundry detergent. Place the jeans into the soapy water solution and use your hands to clean the laundry stains. Use an old toothbrush to gently clean away a stubborn stain, and rinse the pants thoroughly beneath cool running water to flush out soap and dirt residue. This remedy also takes rust stains out of your jeans with a little effort and time.
Using Vinegar to Get Mud Stains Off Jeans
Use the power of vinegar to remove dirt stains and one way to get grass stains out of jeans. White vinegar is excellent for getting set-in mud stains out of jeans. It is an acidic liquid that dissolves dirt, kills bacteria, and is safe for cleaning denim.
To get mud stains out of jeans or get dried old paint out of jeans, fill a tub with cold water and add a cup of white vinegar. Submerge the stained jeans in the solution overnight and use a soft brush to scrub the stains loose from the material. Finish by rinsing the fabric beneath running water and hanging them to air dry.
How to Remove a Mud stain from Jeans with Baking Soda
Baking soda is a mild scrubbing powder, and hydrogen peroxide is a gentle bleaching agent. The two work together to remove just about any stain type, including removing mud stains from jeans. This combination will get car oil out of clothes as well as cooking grease.
Lay a towel or clean cloth on a flat surface, and spread the jeans on the top, ensuring that the stain faces upward. Mix equal amounts of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda in a container to form a thick paste, making just enough to cover the stains on your jeans.
Apply the paste to the stained area on the denim with a brush, keeping in mind the thicker, the better. Let the cleaning paste sit for a minute or two, and use the brush to remove the fabric’s stain using circular motions.
If they are old stains, let the paste sit a few minutes longer as it works to loosen the dirt particles. Check to ensure the mud stain is gone and hold the jeans beneath cool, running water until it runs clear.
If your jeans are a little tight, don’t put them in the dryer. To loosen the waist of pants, pull on the fabric to stretch it a bit while it’s wet and let it air dry.
It’s not impossible to remove black stains from clothes after drying but it may take a little more time to get the marks out. Use one of the remedies listed here and work on the stain to eliminate it. Rewash and dry.
It’s no fun removing stains from colored or white clothes, whether it’s a blood stain, grass stain, or mud stain. Though it’s tempting to toss the filthy jeans in the trash, dirt stains are easier to remove than you think if you use the proper stain removal technique.
Now that you know how to get mud out of jeans, why not share our cleaning tips for removing mud from jeans with your family and friends on Pinterest and Facebook?