First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Blot up as much as you can without spreading it.
- Rinse from the back of the stain with cool water.
- Keep heat off the item until the stain is gone.
Iodine on clothes leaves a yellow-brown stain that resists lifting, because iodine is an agent meant to stain in the first place. Fresh marks treated right away give you the best chance, but even then they may only partly come out. Expect the color to fade over several passes rather than vanish at once, and judge progress by how much is left.
Povidone-iodine marks on fabric follow the same cold-water start, and the material decides how firmly you can work. Silk, wool and dry-clean-only pieces need a gentler touch, so check the care label before you scrub anything. Keep old iodine stains on white clothes out of the dryer until they're gone, since heat can set whatever is left.
5 items
What you'll need
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- Commercial color removerFor white fabric, used following the package directions. (opens Amazon)
- Sodium thiosulfate crystalsDissolved in warm water to wet the stain on fabric that isn't white.
- AmmoniaA few drops go on the stain before the final flush, except on silk and wool. (opens Amazon)
- Clean cloths or spongesFor blotting and sponging from the back of the stain. (opens Amazon)
- Cool and warm waterCool for every rinse, warm to dissolve the thiosulfate.
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6 steps
How to get iodine out of clothes
Step 1 of 6
Rinse the stain from the back
Run cool water through the back of the stain so the color pushes out the front rather than spreading. Keep the water cool the whole time, and blot with a clean cloth as it runs.
Step 2 of 6
Use color remover on white fabric
On white fabric, use a commercial color remover following the package directions, then rinse and launder. Colored and other fabric skip this and use the thiosulfate solution instead.
Careful. Pretest any remover on a hidden area first.
Step 3 of 6
Sponge with thiosulfate solution
On fabric that isn't white, sponge the stain with water first. Dissolve 1 teaspoon sodium thiosulfate crystals in 1/2 cup warm water, then wet the stain with the solution.
Step 4 of 6
Add ammonia and flush
Add a few drops of ammonia to the stain, then flush the area with water. Silk and wool never get the ammonia, so use the advice for those fabrics below instead.
Careful. Full-strength ammonia can damage silk and wool.
Step 5 of 6
Repeat the thiosulfate if needed
If any color remains after the flush, repeat the thiosulfate treatment on the same spot. Keep working from the back of the fabric until the stain stops lifting.
Step 6 of 6
Launder and air dry
Launder the item as its care label allows, then let it air dry. Look at the spot in good light before it goes near a machine dryer.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for iodine
For white fabric, look for a commercial color remover made for that job and used per package directions. The only other product needed is sodium thiosulfate crystals.
Utopia Kitchen White Flour Sack Towels
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on this fabric, 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 before using any heat. 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.
If the stain was already dried or set, the method changes.
Old, dried or set-in stains →When to call a professional →Pick what it is on
Iodine on every material
No match. Try the main search for anything else.
How to tell it's working
The stain should fade a little with each pass, and the rinse water should carry color away. Once the stain stops lightening, stop repeating the steps and check the fabric before any drying.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your fabric
Whites and white shirts
On white items, the color remover from the second step is the first treatment to use. Follow the package directions exactly, then rinse and launder as normal.
If you add chlorine bleach, use it only after everything is rinsed out, and dilute it first, since undiluted bleach can weaken fabric so it tears sooner.
Colors and denim
Colored fabric and denim skip the color remover and go straight to the thiosulfate solution. Keep the solution on the stain itself, and blot rather than wipe so the surrounding dye stays where it is.
The ammonia flush works the same way on colored items. Check that the color holds on an inside seam before you start.
Silk, wool and delicates
Blot the stain gently with cool water on a clean white cloth. Skip the ammonia and every bleach on these fabrics, and leave enzyme products out too.
If the stain stays after a gentle blot, take the item to a professional rather than trying stronger solutions at home.
Dry-clean-only items
Don't put dry-clean-only items through the washer or the dryer at all. Blot the stain with cool water, and point it out to the cleaner so they know exactly where it is.
A cleaner can choose a solvent-based treatment that suits the fabric, which is safer than trying the thiosulfate or ammonia steps yourself.
Old, dried or set-in stains
An old iodine stain that has had time to set needs the sodium thiosulfate treatment repeated, working from the back of the fabric each time. Wet the spot with a fresh solution, and go round again whenever color still lifts onto the cloth. Keep at it until the color stops coming off.
Dried iodine is handled the same way, so repeat the thiosulfate solution rather than giving up after one pass.
If the item has already been through the dryer, heat has probably set the stain, and it may only partly come out. Even a fresh stain treated right away can leave a faint shadow, so a little color left behind is realistic. When the stain holds after several passes, a professional cleaner is the right next step.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on iodine?
You'll see many home remedies online for iodine, from vinegar to peroxide. Thiosulfate solution and ammonia do the work on iodine, so the other remedies aren't needed.
Skip6
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't use hot water on the stain
Hot water can set the stain, and it can set protein stains such as milk, egg or blood. Keep every rinse cool, even when you're not sure what the stain is.
Don't dry or iron the item too soon
Heat from a dryer or an iron sets the stain, and it may become impossible to remove. Check the spot in good light, and only dry the item once no color remains.
Don't mix chlorine bleach with ammonia
Chlorine bleach must never touch a spot that has been treated with ammonia, vinegar or alcohol. Rinse and wash the item between the two treatments.
Don't treat leather at home
Iodine and similar medicines discolor leather right away, and the stain cannot be removed. Our Leather guide explains what is safe for leather items.
Don't rub silk and wool
Rubbing damages silk, and agitation in water makes wool felt and shrink. Blot gently and let the item rest flat instead.
When to call a professional
If the stain holds after several passes, or the item is leather, silk or dry-clean-only, take it to a professional. Fresh stains treated right away may still only partly come out, so a faint shadow is realistic.
Questions
Does iodine stain clothes, and what does iodine stain?
Yes. Iodine and povidone-iodine leave a yellow-brown stain on clothes, and it is tough to remove because iodine is among the medicines made to stain in the first place. Treat it right away with the steps above, since drying makes it harder.
Does Betadine stain clothes?
Yes. Betadine is a povidone-iodine product, and it leaves the same yellow-brown stain as iodine. Use the same steps: rinse from the back with cool water, then the color remover on white fabric or the thiosulfate solution on other fabric.
Can sodium thiosulfate remove iodine stains?
Yes, it is the main treatment for iodine on fabric that isn't white, applied as described in the steps above. Repeat it if color remains after the flush.
How do I remove iodine stains from white clothes?
Rinse from the back with cool water first, then use a commercial color remover following the package directions. Rinse and launder afterward. If the stain is old or has dried, the set-in advice above applies.
Does pus or wound fluid stain clothes?
Yes, wound fluid leaves a yellow stain on clothes and dressings. Treat it as a protein stain: rinse with cool water, work in liquid laundry detergent, and use an enzyme presoak of 1/2 teaspoon in 1/2 cup warm water for 30 minutes where the fabric allows it. For a stubborn stain, the soak can run one or two days.
Is ammonia safe on silk or wool?
Not at full strength, so leave it out of silk and wool entirely. Blot those fabrics with cool water and take the item to a professional if the stain stays.
Does iodine on carpet need a different method?
Yes, carpet and upholstery need their own approach, since these steps are written for clothes. Our Carpet & Rugs guide covers carpet in more detail.
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.