Mustard Stains on Clothing

Summer means cookouts, July 4th get-togethers, baseball stadiums and of course trips to the beach. All of the above has hotdogs involved and with hotdogs there is mustard. Did you have fun at the cookout? Ooops, Do you have Mustard Stains on your clothes?

Mustard is one of the more difficult stains to erase. The reason for the yellow color is that mustard contains turmeric, which is a yellow dye. As with any stain, mustard should be immediately addressed to avoid a permanent stain.

So if you are going to attempt to remove the stain, do not use any ammonia products and always read the label before using any cleaning product.

Fresh Mustard Stains

Immediately blot the stain. Try not to rub the stain as it will increase in size and rubbing sets the stain deeper into the fabric.

Then read the care label on the item. So is it washable?

If it is not washable, take the clothing to us. We are experts at removing stains.

If you want to try and remove the stain, treat it with lemon juice. Specifically, squeeze a little lemon juice onto the stain and then put the stain under cold water.

Old Mustard Stain

If the stain has dried, scrape off excess mustard with a spoon. Use one of the following to pre-treat the clothing:

      • Pour a solution of 3 parts dishwashing soap with 1 part of Alcohol

      • Pour a 1/2 teaspoon of soap you use for dishwashing, a 1/2 cup of water & a few drops of white vinegar on the stain
                  With either solution, place a paper towel under the stain, apply the solution and let it soak for ten minutes.

Rinse the stained area with hot water, then put the clothes or tablecloth into the washing machine. If either of the above methods does not work, it’s time to bring the clothing to us.

Mustard is one of the hardest stains to remove. The best advice is to take your stained clothing to an expert stain remover. We are one of the only experts in Austin. Be smart, bring all your stains to us at Westbank Dry cleaning.