Mustard is one of the hardest foods to get off your clothes. The combination of its natural ingredients and the dyes which manufacturers put into it makes it particularly staining. If you let mustard dry, it can become nearly impossible to remove completely, so treat it immediately. If you can’t, “freshen” the stain by putting a dab of exactly the same sort of mustard on top of the old. Scrape any excess mustard off with a blunt edge, and do not use ammonia or ammonia products, since it will only make it worse. Fortunately, there are many other methods and products you can try.
- Store bought cleaners include detergent and stain removers, and Fantastik All-Purpose Cleaner. With both detergent and the All-Purpose Cleaner (only good for sturdy fabrics), apply some to the stain and let it sit for a just a few minutes before rinsing in cold water. Repeat if necessary, apply a stain remover and
launder. If the stain is still there when the wash cycle’s finished, don’t put it in dryer, but try another treatment. You might try an enzymatic treatment (Axion is one) which is safe for fabrics and works on protein-based stains. - Combine one part denatured alcohol with three parts liquid dish soap. Soak the stain, leave for ten minutes and rinse with hot water. Or, mix just half a teaspoon of dish soap with a few drops of white vinegar and half a cup of water. Again, soak the stain for a few minutes and rinse with hot water. If the stain remains, blot it dry, apply rust remover, and blot again. Rinse and repeat as necessary.
- Some simple old classics: soak it in vinegar; scrub it with baking soda, or blot it with club soda. In the case of the baking soda, scrub it with warm soapy water first. You can also use hairspray or gel as an additional step after soaking it in detergent and rinsing it. Leave it on for five minutes, apply more detergent, and rinse again.
- Unexpected remedies: rub with glycerin, let sit for half an hour and apply a spot stain treatment before laundering. Make a paste out of water and meat tenderizer, scrubbing it in with an old toothbrush. Let it sit for several hours, then launder as normal.
- For stains on carpets or leather, make a strong detergent solution using three tablespoons of detergent for two cups of water. You may scrub the carpet with this, but use a sponge on leather. Be gentle, wipe it down with another clean, damp sponge afterwards and let it dry.
- For mustard that drops on your engagement ring or other jewelry, the best way to clean it is to soak the jewelry in warm water with liquid detergent in it. Be sure to work up some suds first. After a few minutes you can rinse it off with warm water and dry with a towel. The faster you act, the easier the mustard will come off.