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Donna asked: How do I remove Georgia red clay stains from white socks? We own a landscaping business, and our guys ruin a pair of white socks the first time they are worn! By the time they remove the socks at the end of the day, the red dirt has dried. They come out of the wash looking like they did when they went in, even with lots of bleach! Please help! Everyone says it can’t be done!
Clay stains are difficult because of the composition of the clay. However, they are not impossible to remove, they just require a different approach. Here’s what to do.
You Will Need:
- Stiff brush
- Murphy’s Oil Soap or borax
- Water
- Ammonia
- Bucket
- Enzyme presoak (ex: OxiClean)
Steps to Remove the Stains:
- Allow the clay to dry on the piece.
- Once dry, use the stiff brush to remove as much as possible. This is best done outdoors where you can brush and shake the piece out frequently. Remove as much of the loosened clay as possible.
- Next, use a soft cloth to spread Murphy’s Oil Soap over the stained area. If you don’t have Murphy’s Oil Soap, mix one tablespoon of borax with one cup of water. Spread the mixture over the stained area.
- Allow it to sit for 15 minutes.
- Rinse with cold water.
- If the stain remains, soak the item in an enzyme presoak, such as OxiClean. The enzymes will give an extra cleaning boost.
- Allow the piece(s) to soak for several hours to overnight.
- A final step, if the stubborn stains are still there, is to fill a bucket with water and add one cup of household ammonia.
- Soak the socks in the mixture until the stains release.
- Wash as normal with laundry detergent.
- Do not dry until the stains have been removed. If dried, the heat of the dryer will set any remaining stains.
Additional Tips and Advice
- Lestoil is another product that has been successful in removing red clay stains.
- In our research, we found that ammonia, including window cleaner, was a common successful clay stain remover.
- Want a simple solution? A good stain remover is to add ¼ cup of Cascade dishwashing detergent to the laundry (in addition to the laundry detergent). It may work well enough on its own for minor stains.
Is there a way to remove the red clay stain if someone just washed an item, dried it in the dryer, and there is still stain left?
The article was helpful. I have red clay stains on my new carpet. I have tried all the usual methods and had it professionally cleaned; nothing worked. Is there anything you could suggest? Thank you, Maria
Maria,
Here are some ideas:
1) Try using an enzyme carpet cleaner like Kids ‘N’ Pets or Nature’s Miracle. These can be found in the pet aisle of most supermarkets. If you have already cleaned the area with lots of chemicals, an enzyme cleaner may not work as well because the chemicals kill the good bacteria before they can eat up the stain, but if you had the carpet cleaned professionally last, that likely removed most of the chemicals during extraction so it could work.
2) Another idea is to try using OxyClean. Mix the powder with some water to make a thick paste about the consistency of peanut butter or toothpaste, then spread the paste over the stain and work it into the carpet fibers with a scrub brush. Be sure there is a thick layer of the OxyClean on the stain. Leave the paste in place until it dries, then vacuum it up.
3) Another idea is to try using peroxide. It has a mild bleaching effect that can work to remove some tough stains. Mix 1 part peroxide with 9 parts water and sponge the solution onto the stain, then soak up the moisture with a towel and spinge the area with plain water to rinse.
4) If you can’t remove the stain, you can replace just that small stained part of carpet more easily than you might think. Follow the steps in the Repairing the Carpet section of the guide How to Remove Fireworks Burns from Carpet.
Good luck!