Rust stains: tips and remedies to treat and remove them
They look like faded coffee stains and just like the latter they are difficult to treat. On the market there are also targeted products to remove them but they often ruin delicate fabrics and do not give the desired results.
- When the rust stain is home made
- · Natural remedies to eliminate rust stains
- · Rust removal products on the market
- · How to remove rust from the floor
- · How to prevent rust formation
If you've tried to get rid of a rust stain on your boss then you know what we're talking about. The best you can achieve after a thorough washing is to fade the stain which then remains there on display and does not seem to have any desire to disappear. Sometimes it is the zips of jeans and other garments that after a washing in the washing machine stain your favorite clothes, other times it is more difficult to establish what caused the stain: a street lamp touched during shopping, a park bench on which you rested, the gate of the house you leaned on during a walk ... or who knows what else!
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When the rust stain is home made
Sometimes your clothes are stained with rust by unthinkable objects you are in contact with every day. Therefore, if you happen to frequently see rust stains on your clothes, after washing, check the line on which you hang the laundry or the iron drying rack you use for the laundry: it could have traces of rust! Even the clothespins you use often have an iron spring and maybe they can be rusty and stain your clothes. In general, always choose metal-free plastic or wooden clothespins because rust formation is quite frequent in contact with water! Other aspects not to be underestimated concern the appliances in contact with your laundry, so in particular the washing machine and iron. Carefully inspect the washing machine, door and drum and the iron plate to make sure there is no rust that can stain your favorite clothes!
Natural remedies to eliminate rust stains
There is a system to remove rust from fabrics and it is definitely ecological and low cost. Prepare a mixture of citric acid and table salt: as you can see, nothing complicated! Once the mixture is ready, apply it to the stains and place the fabric in the sun. The effect of the sun's rays will go up the mixture and activate citric acid and sodium chloride, making the stain disappear. However, if the rust stain is particularly old, then the lemon and salt mixture must be vigorously brushed off the fabric after exposure to the sun. After removing the salt and lemon mixture, you can safely wash the garment as usual, preferably in cold water.
Choosing a natural remedy instead of a chemical product can be an excellent solution and is also an economical alternative. Natural remedies can be very useful for many types of stains and also for house cleaning, plus they are also green so you not only save but also reduce the environmental impact!
Rust stain products on the market
There are also ready-to-use rust stain products on the market, created specifically to remove rust stains from fabrics. Usually these products are more effective if they are recent stains and not yet dry because if the rust penetrates deep into the fibers it is obviously more complicated to get rid of it. In any case, before using them it is always better to do a small test on a hidden flap of the fabric to prevent it from being damaged, damaging itself irreparably: these products are in fact often not tolerated by the most delicate fibers while on jeans they can be used in total. calm! And let's not forget that these are chemical and toxic products anyway, so it is better to use them only when the most classic natural remedies prove ineffective.
How to get rid of rust from the floor
First of all, to eliminate rust from surfaces or from a floor it will be good to equip yourself with some natural ingredients that you will surely already have at home. Rust in general must be abraded or dissolved. There are abrasive methods, which are the ones effective on small stains. On the contrary, in the case of particularly old and large stains, it is necessary to opt for chemical remedies that will dissolve the rust from the floor. For large spots and especially for dry and not fresh spots, a natural product may prove ineffective. Here are three very useful anti-rust ingredients: salt, lemon and baking soda! With these natural remedies you can eliminate rust from ceramic or stoneware floors simply by sprinkling the area to be treated with lemon juice, its natural acidity is able to dissolve all encrustations. After applying the lemon juice you can scrape off the rust with an iron scourer, it may take several tries but in the end you will get an excellent result! Don't have lemon at home? Don't despair and try vinegar which has very similar properties!
Another natural abrasive is baking soda, mix it in water and sprinkle the rust stain on the floor or tiles with the mixture. Warning: do not use baking soda on marble floors as this could damage them or make them dull.
The marble floors are very delicate! Treat them with great care and to get rid of the rust remember to choose a less aggressive natural remedy than lemon and baking soda. Salt can help you clean marble floors as well as natural stone floors. Sprinkle the salt on the stain until it is covered, then apply a few drops of water but not so much you will have to create a thick paste to rest on the stained area for several hours. It will already take time because salt is a less aggressive remedy but it is just as effective, so you will see that the final result will satisfy you. If necessary, leave the salt and water mixture on the stain for up to a full day. However, if this grandmother's remedy does not work, contact a company specialized in cleaning floors: marble is a precious material and improvising too aggressive solutions could damage it forever!
How to prevent rust formation
To prevent the formation of rust, the metal protrusions must be protected from any source of humidity, keeping them dry. Water and humidity cause rust.
