Prep first
Before you start
- Rinse a fresh splash with plenty of plain water.
- Never mix pool chemicals with each other or with any other product.
- Never add acid or vinegar to chlorine; toxic gas can form.
- Wear goggles and gloves, and work in fresh air, when handling pool chemicals.
On fabric, a chlorine or pool-chemical mark is usually color that has been taken away rather than something added, so you're dealing with a lighter patch, not dirt you can lift. That color loss is permanent, which means on white or colorfast fabric the realistic goal is to even the spot out. Blue-green marks around pools and sinks are a different problem, usually dissolved copper from corrosive water, so check which one you're seeing first.
Copper marks on pool tiles or a vinyl liner need a dedicated metal stain remover, and a faded patch won't respond to one. Don't keep scrubbing a faded spot with the same product, since more of it won't bring the color back. On car seats or carpet, start with a mild prewash stain remover and stop if the patch doesn't respond.
6 items
What you'll need
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- Color removerEvens out the area on white or colorfast fabric. (opens Amazon)
- Cool waterMixes the solution at the strength the spot needs.
- Plastic measuring spoonKeeps the 1/4 teaspoon amount exact.
- Clean white sponge or clothApplies the solution without adding any color. (opens Amazon)
- Plain waterRinses the solution out of the fabric.
- Matching permanent markerCovers a small spot on dark fabric that can't be treated.
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5 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 5
Rinse the splash with plain water
Flush the spot with plenty of plain water while the chemical is still fresh, working from the back of the fabric if you can. This keeps the chemical from working on the fabric any longer. Don't rub the spot with a towel while the chemical is still on it.
Step 2 of 5
Check the fabric and test first
Look at the care label and identify the fiber, then test the color remover on a hidden seam. It only works on white or colorfast fabric, so a dark or non-colorfast item skips the next three steps and goes straight to the marker cover-up.
Careful. Chlorine bleach stains can't be removed from wool, silk or spandex, so don't apply the color remover to those fibers.
Step 3 of 5
Mix the color remover solution
Stir 1/4 teaspoon color remover into 1/2 cup cool water until fully dissolved. Make only as much as one spot needs, and use the same mix for the whole spot rather than topping it up.
Step 4 of 5
Sponge the spot from the edge in
Dampen a clean white sponge or cloth with the solution and dab it onto the stain, working from the outer edge toward the center. This keeps the change even so the spot doesn't end up with a sharp ring. Rinse and wring the sponge often so you aren't spreading the chemical around.
Tip. Use a fresh section of the sponge for each pass.
Step 5 of 5
Flush and check in daylight
Rinse the area thoroughly with plain water until no solution is left in the fabric. Check the spot in daylight while it's still damp, and let it dry fully before you decide whether it needs another pass.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for chlorine
For metal marks on vinyl or fiberglass pools, a water test kit that reads copper is the product type to start with. A metal stain remover is only worth trying after the water test shows where the marks come from.
Amazon Basics Microfiber Cleaning Cloths
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on these surfaces, and its directions fit the steps above.
Finished the steps? How does it look?
Nice work. Let it dry completely and check it again in good light. Here is what done looks like:
How to tell it's really gone →A faint mark usually needs one more round, not a stronger product.
Heavy buildup usually takes more than one round.
Heavy or long-standing buildup →When to call a professional →Pick what it is on
Chlorine on every material
No match. Try the main search for anything else.
How to tell it's working
A treated spot should look more even with the fabric around it, and its edge should blend in rather than stay as a sharp ring. If it still reads as a pale patch on colored fabric, that's the color loss you can't reverse, and the cover-up is the next step.
What changes for yours
Adjust for where the stain is
Pool tile
Bluish or green marks on pool tile are usually copper from the water, so a color remover isn't the fix. Test the water for corrosivity, copper and lead first, because the stain will keep returning until the water is treated.
Stone tile needs the most care, so check any cleaner against it first. Once the water is treated, a plain rinse is enough to show whether the marks are still coming back.
Bathtubs
Copper in a tub shows up as bluish-green marks, and the water may taste metallic. Treat the water first, since the fix is treating the water or replacing the plumbing, and cleaning alone will keep the marks coming back.
For cleaning the basin itself, the Sinks guide covers that surface.
Porcelain and finished metal furniture
Porcelain and finished metal take copper marks from the same water, so start with the water test rather than a cleaner. Until the water is treated, any cleaner only deals with the symptom.
The finish on metal furniture needs a gentle hand, so skip chlorine bleach and test any cleaner on a hidden spot first. For porcelain basins, the cleaning steps in the Sinks guide apply.
Car seats and carpet
The steps above are for white or colorfast fabric, so upholstery and carpet need a more cautious start. Blot up what you can with a dry towel, then rinse the area with plain water and let it dry.
Stick to plain water on carpet, since stronger household cleaners aren't safe to test there. On leather seats, keep everything minimal, because the remedies below don't suit leather.
Heavy or long-standing buildup
A stain that's been sitting for days is harder to even out, but color remover is still the first thing to try on white or colorfast fabric. Dampen the spot with plain water before sponging, so the solution can reach the fibers.
If the spot has dried, sponge it again with the same solution and flush well afterward. Let the spot dry fully before you judge it, because a damp area can look different from the finished result.
If the mark only shows up after the dryer, check the washer's bleach dispenser for carryover before you blame the pool. A spot that's still there after this is most likely permanent color loss, and on darks a matching permanent marker covers small spots. Be realistic: the cover-up hides the spot but doesn't restore the fabric.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on chlorine?
If you searched for a yellow spot, the answer is the same as for any chlorine mark: color loss can't be reversed, so the goal is to even it out. Metal marks have a different cause, dissolved copper in the water, so they need a different fix from chlorine.
Skip3Avoid3
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't use metal spoons or containers
Metal spoons and containers aren't safe with bleaches, so use plastic or glass whenever a bleach product is involved. Keep the same discipline for the measuring spoon you use for the solution.
Don't try to neutralize the spot with ammonia
Ammonia and chlorine bleach must never be mixed, and no stain remover should be combined with another. Don't reach for ammonia or any other household product to cancel out the chlorine.
Don't keep sponging once the spot looks even
Once the spot looks even with the fabric around it, stop. Extra passes only add more work on a fabric that has already lost its color, and they won't bring the original shade back.
When to call a professional
A professional cleaner is the right call when the item is expensive or the stain covers a large area, since they can test the fabric properly. Tell them the mark came from pool chemicals so they check the fiber before using any product.
Questions
Does chlorine stain clothes, or does it remove color?
Chlorine usually removes color instead of leaving a mark, and the lost color is permanent. Blue-green marks around pools and sinks are a different problem, caused by dissolved copper from the water.
Is salinity stain control the same as metal stain control?
Salinity stain control is a separate question, so focus on the source. The metal side comes from copper in corrosive water, which means the fix is in the water, not the fabric.
Will baking soda or vinegar get rid of yellow chlorine stains?
Neither one brings back the color chlorine has taken, so don't expect the color back from either. No, neither one brings back the color that chlorine has taken.
Is there a metal stain remover for a vinyl liner or fiberglass pool?
For vinyl liners and fiberglass, start with the water rather than a product. Test the pool water for copper first, because the marks come from dissolved copper and a remover can't fix the water.
How do I remove metal stains that pool water leaves behind?
Start with a water test for corrosivity, copper and lead, since the stain won't clear for good until the source is treated. The fix is to treat the water or replace the plumbing, and cleaning the surface only deals with the symptom.
Can I bleach out a chlorine stain on clothes?
No. Adding bleach to a chlorine mark only takes more color away, and the loss is permanent. Stick to the color remover on white or colorfast fabric and the plain water rinse instead.
Related
How we know this
Every method, amount and warning here comes from university extension services, industry bodies and product makers. We read them, check every step for unsafe combinations and changed amounts, and write it up so you can follow it.