How to remove mustard stains from clothing? I just started a cooking class. The chef insists that we keep our white aprons spotless.
Terri Giles, Oakland, CA
This condiment can be challenging to clean. That’s because it contains turmeric which dyes fabric. But I have some useful tips on how to remove mustard stains from clothing. To begin, you’ll need to gather a few household items first.
Round up one tablespoon of rubbing alcohol and three tablespoons of liquid dish soap. Combine them, then rub the mixture on the spot. Let it work for a minimum of ten minutes. Then rinse the fabric with warm water and wash in the machine as usual.
Instead of rubbing alcohol, you can use white vinegar and dish detergent. The full recipe is on this page: https://www.tipsbulletin.com/how-to-remove-mustard-stains-from-clothes-and-carpet/ You’ll want to treat the cloth with an absorbent towel underneath to soak up the stain.
In summary, similar to when removing paint from clothes, mix together one-half teaspoon of dish detergent with several drops of white vinegar in one-half cup of water. Afterward, work that into the mustard spot and let it stand for a while. Leave the clothing on top of the towel so that the liquid leaches out onto it. Then once you rinse with hot water, the stain should be gone.
The page I referenced above also describes a method for removing mustard spots from a carpet. It uses an enzyme cleaner and dish detergent. Hopefully, you’ll never need to use it.
We also published more tips on how to best remove oil stains from clothes. These tips may also be useful to you if you have different kinds of greasy stains (e.g. lipstick) on your laundry whether from cooking or other mishap. Dish soap, vinegar, baking soda, and peroxide all work wonders as a way to get grease stains out of shirts or other clothing. Pretreating the stain before washing is recommended.
Here’s hoping you enjoy your cooking class while wearing a spotless apron!