There is rarely any week when I do not receive a panic email about “IT”.
In fact I believe that is the biggest side effect of turmeric I have found till today!
If you love turmeric you would know what I am talking – stubborn turmeric stains.
Interestingly the component which is responsible is the same which is majorly responsible for its amazing benefits – Curcumin.
Turmeric was used extensively as a dye for clothes in the past as it does not dissolve in water. This makes it a tedious task to wash off by simply soaking the garment.
So today, we have some super tricks up our sleeves which can get that stubborn stain off your clothes. Let’s see how.
Note – if your fabric is delicate and expensive; please go directly to dry cleaning option after step 1.
Table of Contents
Step 1: Take action asap after the stain
Timing is extremely important when it’s about stains, else once the blotch sets in, it won’t be easy to remove.
The moment you notice the cloth is stained, immediately remove the excess amount.
Make sure that you remove the excess with a spoon and not rub, as rubbing may cause it to spread. Now wash the affected area with normal water and blot it with a towel.
Step 2: Second line of defense – Pre-treating
Once you have removed the extra stuff, there are several ways possible. I will discuss them step below:
1. Use Talcum Powder / baking soda powder / flour to absorb
You can keep some talcum powder handy which works wonders on turmeric stains. This works with fresh wet stains, like that of curry. This may not work if the stain is already dried.
Once you have scrapped the extra material, just pour some of your talcum powder to it and let it settle in. Make sure the powder covers everything nicely.
Flour also works as a quick remedy for the stubborn stains.
They work the same as the talcum powder, as an absorbent. It restricts the stain to spread further and soaks any excess of it. Once the powder sets in it get washed off easily.
I have tried this one for oil stains; it works very well to control the damage.
2. Use Lemon or white Vinegar as a mild bleach
This is a good idea if you are at a restaurant eating and you get curry stains.
Cut a lemon into half and rub the cut side of the lemon on the stain. Keep it absorbed as much as you can. Lemon may help here as it acts as a mild bleach and thus can prevent a stubborn stain.
If you do not have lemons then use white vinegar if available. It also works in the same manner.
In case of vinegar take 1-2 tbsp and mix in water (preferably warm) and then soak the stain. Once soaked, dry it using a cloth / napkin.
Repeat the process several times. You will notice that the turmeric stain starts fading.
Please note – you would still need to wash your cloth as soon as you can to get rid of stains. We are just limiting the damage here.
3. Use Detergent directly
One of the basic steps to remove turmeric stains for any color can be to use any detergent powder from a well-known brand.
Make a paste of the detergent powder or mix liquid detergent with some water and apply it on the affected area using fingers or a mild brush. Let the detergent set in for 20 minutes and wash the affected area.
Tip : Avoid rubbing the area after you have applied the detergent. Avoid using hard brushes, as scrubbing the area can further set the stain or increase the impact area.
4. Use baking soda paste
Another possible way to use baking soda is making its paste with water and applying directly over the stained area.
Do not rub it or use a hard brush. Just apply gently.
Keep it for some time and then follow the washing exercise.
This may not remove the stain, but would for sure help.
5. Using glycerin
Since glycerin is one of the chemicals used in making soaps, it is one of the ingredients that can help remove turmeric stains from cloth.
It is easily available in the local pharmacy, so grab one and form a mixture with a quarter cup of glycerin, water (2 cups), and a quarter cup of detergent.
Dab the mixture on the fabric with the stain and let it soak in for 10 minutes.
This should help your stain fade to a great extent.
Step 3: Washing
There are several washing options available. You can shoe based on the extent of stain, type of cloth and its color.
Tip: It is important to wash instructions on the cloth before choosing an option.
1. Use Warm Water & Sunlight
This is the most common way.
Soak the garment in warm water in a tub / washing machine and use normal detergent to wash.
If the stain is light, mostly it will get removed by now. But that’s not true with the stubborn ones. If the stain is still visible allow the garment to dry in direct sunlight.
Sun’s direct rays are proven to work as a bleaching agent on whites or colored garments alike.
However, avoid exposing the clothes too much in direct sunlight to avoid discoloration. Strong sunlight for too long may also harm the fabric, so be careful.
We get really strong sunlight around the year in India. I have ruined one of my t-shirts like this. I kept It hanging for 2 days, the result – the side facing the sun got badly discolored 🙁
If the stain is still persistent and stubborn enough to fade off, repeat the process by washing it again normally with detergent and drying in sunlight.
2. Bleach it (if the fabric is white)
If the fabric is light colored / white and is okay to bleach it then go ahead.
Bleach is particularly popular with whites as the stain is clearly visible and bleach does not have too much impact on color (as its already white!).
Rinse the affected area first with plain water, and then soak the cloth in water mixed with bleach.
Post 10-15 minutes wash off the cloth with plain water, and now again soak it overnight in a mixture of baking soda and water.
Wash it off. This is most probably take care of your stain.
I must again warn – it is not recommended to bleach colored clothes, silk, wool etc. As bleach can lead to discoloration or damage the fabric. Do check washing instruction’s before going ahead!
3. Use Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is basically a bleaching agent.
If you have it handy when you can use it. The chemical is easily available at the local pharmacies at a reasonable rate. Use 3% Hydrogen Peroxide.
Again, this works best for white and very light colored clothes.
The precautions I mentioned above are all applicable in this case too.
Rub the affected area with little Hydrogen Peroxide. Let it set in for 10 minutes, and then wash off for a cleaner garment.
What if it does not work?
hmm…
In most probability, a turmeric stain on cloth should fade away by following any of the above procedures properly, however, if the stain is still persistent you can reach out to a professional dry-cleaner for assistance.
Another issue is if your cloth is light in colour even a discolored stain will be visible. What to do now?
There is one thing —
Try some of these “out of the box” methods. 🙂 Here they are:
1. Dye whole or part of the garment
This is what my mom did when one of our white tablecloths got stained with turmeric and oil.
After a lot of effort, the stain was still visible (though dull).
She decided to get the whole cloth dyed in a bright colorful design. To me, it was a masterstroke which only moms can think of 🙂
2. Patch design
Have you seen clothes with patch design?
Basically, they have patches of clothes or embroidery of different patterns/colors over them. If you absolutely love something and cannot dye it, this may be a great solution.
You may feel it’s odd, yes it is a bit and it may not work in all cases. But trust me, it can work for many.
For example, if you stain your blue jeans, this can be a great solution. Just add a patch design you love – you are not only making a statement but hiding your stain too!
Embroidery can be an option in many cases too. You will, in fact, enjoy it if you love stitching! Salvaging your cloth
when nothing else worked will be a great feeling for sure.
3. Print a new design
This is an awesome way if you have a t-shirt etc. You can just get some design printed which will hide the stain.
There are also DIY kits available which can help you print.
If you can use fabric paints, you can do this yourself too.
4. Remove the stained part
Again a great solution in case of certain kinds of clothing such as jeans, skirts, pants, etc.
You can make a skirt out of jeans, turn pants into capris, or a t-shirt into a tank top.
There are so many DIY websites which will help you do so with ease.
5. Hide the stained part
This is useful when you are dealing with stuff like carpets, sofa covers, table covers, etc.
In case of carpet find out a way it does not face the door or immediately available. In case of tablecloth put a show-piece, or something, on sofas, add cushions or an add-on sofa cover.
I have recently put up an add-on sofa cover when my son spilled pickle on the seat. There was no way to clean it, so I just hid it !
6. Fabric spray
This is one of my favorites and you would love it too if you love playing with paints. You can spray paint your cloth and give it a completely different look! It is not difficult at all.
The best part is this can be used in a wide variety of situations (table cloth, cushion covers, t-shirts, etc.)
In the end..
There are several ways one can try to remove turmeric stains, but it depends on factors such as type of cloth, stain intensity, prompt action, etc. how much success one will have.
In case the stain still remains, try some innovative stuff as mentioned above.
Have you faced turmeric stains, how did you remove them? Let me know through comments!
i juice 5=8 lbs of turmeric at a time to make ice cubes out of the juice. all of the juicer parts are heavily stained & very very sticky from the resins. i use oxclean to remove the stains & the very hard to get out sticky resinsous layers that have built up on the juicer parts. oxyclean is a detergent found in the us. I mix some oxyclean in a bucket with warm or cold water then soak all of the parts in it for a day or 2. i then use a toothbrush to scrub off the stain & resinous areas which comes right off. the auger on my juicer accumulates the most resin & tends to be a very stubborn stain that I may have to soak a little longer. i also use oxclean to remove the stains & residue from the sink & on the counter. i use dark color clothing when juicing the roots so i don’t have a clothing stain issue but i’d think that the oxclean should work as it works wonders on the juicer parts. thank you very much for this wonderful website! it is invaluable!!! I appreciate you & the amount of work you’ve put in to have created this site & keep it updated! many blessings to you!!
cAPS LOCK IS STUCK HERE, Sorry.
i read all this and am amazed no one just went ahead and dyed the whole garment with turmeric. i did that with a tea stain when I was a kid.
Hello,
We have a cteam colored leather couch that had turmeric-milk spill on it sitting for 9 hrs before we noticed it. I tried to clean with paste of baking soda and warm water but it didn’t help.
Any suggestions please? Thank you.
Sard Wonder Stick will remove it, even once it’s dried. Apply liberally, soak a few days, put through wash cycle. Saved my special jumper.
I have found a product that is cheap and works on clothes & on plastics & glass stained by turmeric juice. The product is “Awesome” & for us it is 3.00 1/2 gallon and I put it in a spray bottle & spray on. Sometimes takes 2 times .
I read this article several weeks back ago, having to use Turmeric and Neem oil for mites, my pj’s, sheets are saturated with both. Had used most of the suggestions and at the time, I was out of Borax and thought about dish washing detergent I use in the dish washer. I started with very hot water, added 1-2 tbsp. of the powder and put in a pair of pj”s and they turned ORANGE. I thought I had ruined this pair but while standing awe struck, things changed in just a couple of minutes. The water became orange and the material(cotton) started going back to the original color without a sign of turmeric on it! What I found when it came time to take fabric out of the orange hot water was to still use hot water to rinse it with and it was completely free of turmeric! I thought I had done something to damage the fabric but it didn’t and tried it again, still using very hot water and same thing occurred again. I tried it with tepid to cool water using the dish washing powder and it wouldn’t work….the very hot water was the secret.
Thought I would pass this along and I’m also going to use the dish washing powder in some laundry with the hot water and see what happens there too!
Thank you so much! it works fantastically on my white t \shirt.
I used Dawn and cool water and a couple splashes of ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) because I didn’t have White Vinegar. The stains are almost gone.
Debbie what doe you mean by “I used dawn”? is that a cleaning product?
thanks!
Yes Scott, Dawn is the name of the dishwashing detergent. Sorry about all caps something is wrong with my keyboard!
Any suggestions for a Turmeric latte that spilt on carpet floorboard of my car? Carpet black… tried cleaning w environmental cloth from Norwex & water plus sprayed w Norwex carpet cleaner~ stain is now Green & prob dry
Desperate
Thanks
If you have got rid of all traces of the latte you could try permanent marker the same colour as the carpet. In this case black. It also works for bleach splashes and other stains where the stain is lighter than the original colour.
I dropped a turmeric capsule and my dog found it and chewed it on carpet. I didn’t find it until next day.
First soaked all I could up with old towels, the used water and dawn liquid( only smeared it) have tried baking soda paste(turned it red) steamed cleaned, but still there. Can’t afford professionals, so what do I do next?
i use to use Zout then it went by by
i just went on internet
it looks like its back
try it
Carpet with yellow tummeric spots…didn’t see till it was dried. Put an equal amount of water, hydrogen peroxide and vinegar…(I have never found this solution to NOT work…but not this time). I also put a commercial carpet cleaner on it….has faded but still there….any ideas….this was on carpet…ugh. I have Fibromyalgia and I drink “Gplen milk” main ingredient Tummeric paste…..ugh so upset with myself…still don’t know how this got all over….
I soaked white teatowels in oxygenated whitener with lavender and eucalyptus in it and that removed the turmeric stains for two to three days.
Hey i really need help. I got my tumeric stain on my hone case after putting on a tumeric mask on. How do i get it off? The Phone case is plastic.
You can try using acetone or alcohol or spirit swabs to cleanse the stain.
I have been giving tumeric to my dog and a small amount dropped onto her fur and is now yellow in that area. How can I get out without being harmful to her?
Turmeric stains are not permanent. They should fade away gradually. Regular bathing products should help remove the yellow patch. You could apply diluted acetic acid vinegar (50:50 with water) with the help of cotton ball to the patch.
hi im in australia and had just cured a lovely massage oil of sesame oil with freshly dug up tumeric and ginger root and was carrying the pot to the kitchen to strain it and spilt about a cup full of it on pale carpet…..i blotted it with paper towels and heavy weights on top overnight and have done three carpet cleaning spray applications tthat once dried are vaccumed up alas i have had no success………can anyone help please
In a similar situation I used a stanley knife. I cut out a square of the affected carpet, cut out a square of the same carpet in a hidden place, and swapped them.
Maybe you found a solution that worked…but FYI… I had a paste of turmeric and coconut oil that clumps somehow fell on and stained wool and silk carpet! First I used baking soda (to absorb) for several minutes, then vacuumed it up. Didn’t seem to make any difference. I blotted all to remove any loose turmeric. Then I sprayed isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) and the stains totally came out! #RELIEVED
I cook nearly everything with turmeric. It has eliminated daily indigestion and is helping resolve fibroid and other menstrual issues. The difference is remarkable… My issue: I stained the counters in the apartment I’m renting. Yikes! Shouldn’t have sat the spatula on a paper towel! I scrubbed with lemon juice and baking soda with no resolution. Any tips on getting turmeric stains out of a counter?
If the countertop isn’t gloss just add neat thick bleach leave for 2 minutes and wipe clean. It should get rid of the stain. Or you can use mr.muscle kitchen spray with bleach. That works wonders too!
let any heavy duty all purpose cleaner spray sit on the stain for about 5 minutes and rub the affected area dry with a paper towel
Have you tried using alcohol or spirit to remove the stains along with a heavy duty cleansing agent?
My bathtub is stained with turmeric and I have tried peroxide and baking soda but it won’t come out
We HAVE an etched (Anti-slip) concrete floor at my work. We do canning and just recently did a job that has turmeric in it and have tried an industrial cleaning agent chlormax that works wonders but not or turmeric. Any suggestions please?
(Sorry about caps)
Mr. Clean magic eraser works great to remove turmeric stains from counter tops
Perfect timing…I have just received my first Turmeric stain this evening..but read this after putting it in the washing machine. I used some pre-wash on the stain and hung it outside – it has partly faded so it will go out in the sun again tomorrow after I’ve attacked it with a bit of lemon as advised. Thanks for the useful information Keshav. 🙂
You are welcome Kathryn!
I hang the cloth’s in the sun
or which is a much better idea,,,, use one special cloths when you eat Turmeric
I have one T-Shirt which i replace now and than 😀
absolutely correct 🙂 precaution is best in such a case.