First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Scrape off excess mustard without pressing it in.
- Treat it right away; mustard sets quickly.
- Flush with cold water from the back of the fabric.
Mustard's yellow comes from turmeric, a dye that sets quickly once it dries or gets heated. The fabric decides the approach, since white cotton can take chlorine bleach while silk and wool cannot. A fresh spot can come out completely, but once it has dried or been through the dryer, it may fade rather than vanish.
Start at the outer edge of the spot and work inward, so the yellow doesn't spread across the fabric. Getting mustard out of jeans or pants often takes two rounds, so look closely before you call it done. If the stain has faded into the fabric, a laundry pretreater rubbed in before a normal wash is the next thing to reach for.
9 items
What you'll need
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- Paper towelsTo blot up the excess before it soaks in. (opens Amazon)
- Cold waterTo flush the stain from the back of the fabric.
- Liquid laundry detergentTo pretreat and work into the stain. (opens Amazon)
- Soft brushTo work detergent in without pressing hard. (opens Amazon)
- White vinegarFor the yellow that is left after pretreating. (opens Amazon)
- 3% hydrogen peroxideFor what still shows after the vinegar step. (opens Amazon)
- Chlorine bleachOnly for white cotton or linen, if the care label allows it. (opens Amazon)
- Prewash stain remover spray (opens Amazon)
- Light-duty liquid detergent (opens Amazon)
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6 steps
How to get mustard out of clothes
Step 1 of 6
Scrape off the excess
Lift off as much mustard as you can with a spoon or brush it away, and avoid pressing it deeper into the fibers. Then blot the fresh spot with a paper towel so less of it soaks in.
Tip. Work from the outside of the stain toward the middle.
Step 2 of 6
Flush the stain from the back
Turn the garment inside out and run cold water through the stain from the back. Pushing the mustard out the way it went in keeps it from spreading to the front of the fabric.
Step 3 of 65 minutes
Pretreat with detergent
Work liquid laundry detergent into the stain with your fingers or a soft brush, or use a prewash stain remover. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then rinse.
Tip. Keep the detergent on the stain rather than spreading it over the whole garment.
Step 4 of 6
Work in vinegar if yellow remains
If you can still see yellow, work a light-duty liquid detergent and a few drops of white vinegar into the stain. Then rinse the spot well so no vinegar is left in the fabric.
Step 5 of 6
Try peroxide on what is left
If the stain still shows, apply 3 percent hydrogen peroxide to it and rinse. Use this only on the spot that is still visible, not the whole garment.
Tip. On colored fabric, test an inside seam first.
Careful. Use only the mild antiseptic kind of peroxide, not the stronger strength sold for bleaching hair.
Step 6 of 6
Wash in the hottest safe water
Launder the whole garment in the hottest water the fabric can take. Once every other product is rinsed out, add chlorine bleach as the final step if the care label allows it. Check the spot before drying, and if the stain is still there, repeat the steps before it goes in the dryer.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for mustard
A liquid laundry detergent or enzyme pretreater covers the first steps. Keep 3% hydrogen peroxide on hand for what is left after the vinegar.
Shout Triple-Acting Laundry Stain Remover
Puracy Laundry Stain Remover
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
Mustard on every material
No match. Try the main search for anything else.
How to tell it's working
You should see yellow lifting onto the cloth or pad with each pass, and the spot should look paler every time. Hold the fabric up to a window while it's still damp to judge the color honestly. If a full round leaves nothing on the cloth and the yellow looks unchanged, the dye has probably bonded with the fibers, so the old and dried-on approach is the next step.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your fabric
Whites and white shirts
Mustard on white cotton or linen is the most forgiving version of this stain, because chlorine bleach is an option if the label allows it. Flush the spot from the back with cold water first, so the yellow moves out the way it came in, and then use the bleach soak on the full shirt rather than just the mark. Keep an eye on the color as you go.
Bleach works fast on a dye like this, so a fresh soak should show results quickly. If the yellow is still there after about 15 minutes, extra time won't help and will only weaken the fibers. Rinse thoroughly before the garment sees a dryer.
Colors and denim
Colored shirts and jeans follow the same passes as white ones, minus the chlorine. Chlorine can strip dye from fabric that isn't colorfast, so an oxygen bleach soak made for colors is the safer choice here. Test that product on a hidden area first, because dye lost to bleach can't be put back.
Dampen an inside seam with the product and blot it on a white cloth. If any color transfers, skip the bleach entirely and go back to the detergent passes, which take longer but leave the dye alone.
Silk, wool and delicates
Silk and wool are where this stain worries people most, and they need the most patience. Skip bleach here entirely, and dab a mild detergent solution onto the spot with a white cloth, working from the outside edge toward the middle so the yellow doesn't spread. Dab rather than rub, and move to a clean section of cloth often.
If several gentle rounds leave the yellow unchanged, stop and take the piece to a cleaner rather than reaching for something harsher. Keep the iron and dryer away until the stain is completely gone, because heat sets whatever is left.
Dry-clean-only items
Dry-clean-only pieces don't belong in the washer, so home work here should be limited to lifting the mustard that's still on the surface. Press it up with a dry, absorbent cloth from the outside in, and avoid anything wet beyond a dab on a hidden seam, since solvents can strip the fabric's own color. Nothing you add at home should be left to sit on the garment.
Get it to the cleaner soon and name both the stain and the fabric, because a fresh dye stain is far easier for them to lift than one that has baked in. If it's an heirloom, mention that too so they can choose the gentlest option.
Yellow, honey and Army mustard
Yellow, honey and Army mustard all follow the same steps, because the stain is treated the same way on the fabric. Work the stain in the order the steps give, and do not skip the cold flush.
With ketchup mixed in, keep the same order, and focus on the yellow in the vinegar step, since that is the part that stays behind.
Old, dried or set-in stains
Old mustard that has been washed or has sat for days is harder to lift, but it is not always lost. Start with a cold soak, then work liquid detergent into the spot and leave it on for 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water before you wash the item, and expect to soak the stained area more than once if it has set.
Dried mustard that has been through the dryer is set, so you are now trying to lift the dye rather than dissolve it. Soak the spot in a dilute color-safe bleach solution, or use an oxygen bleach soak if the fabric cannot take chlorine. If the yellow has not lifted within 15 minutes of bleach contact, more bleach will not help.
If the yellow is still there after that, stop rather than keep going. Repeated bleaching weakens the fabric, and a faint shadow is better than a torn shirt.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on mustard?
Most home remedies for mustard aren't worth the risk on clothes; a detergent pretreatment and the hottest wash the fabric allows do most of the work. A few earn their place in the cleanup, and the rest can be skipped.
Works2Helps1Skip3
Chemical safety
Never mix these
Some products in this guide react dangerously with each other. Use them one at a time and rinse with water in between.
Chlorine bleach + Vinegar
Vinegar is an acid, and acid mixed with bleach gives off toxic chlorine gas.
Chlorine bleach + Hydrogen peroxide (3%)
Washington State's health department says bleach reacts with hydrogen peroxide, and Clorox says not to mix bleach with other household chemicals.
If they mix by accident: Stop and add nothing else; leave the area for fresh air, open windows and keep children and pets away; call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, or 911 if anyone has trouble breathing.
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't use ammonia on mustard
Ammonia turns mustard's yellow stain red, so a small yellow spot becomes a bigger problem. Stick with the detergent, vinegar and peroxide from the steps instead.
Don't press the mustard in while you scrape
Pushing or rubbing a fresh stain drives the dye deeper into the fibers, which makes it harder to lift in the wash. Lift and blot it instead, and start the flush from the back.
Don't flush mustard with hot water
Hot water can set the dye into the fibers before it's gone, so flush from the back with cold water first. Save the hottest wash for after the stain has lifted.
Don't judge the spot by how pale it looks
A faded yellow ghost can still hide dye that heat will lock in later. Check it while the fabric is damp, in good light, before it goes anywhere near the dryer.
Don't leave the vinegar in the fabric
Vinegar is only for the yellow that's left, so rinse it out before any other product goes on. Chlorine bleach and vinegar should never meet, even by accident.
When to call a professional
Dry-clean-only pieces, silk, wool and heirlooms belong with a cleaner, since home products can strip their color along with the mustard. If yellow still shows after two full rounds on a washable item, or the stain covers a large area, hand it over too. When you call, say it's mustard, mention how long it sat, and list every product you've already used.
Questions
Does mustard stain clothes, and are mustard stains permanent?
Yes, mustard stains clothes, because its yellow comes from turmeric, a dye that sets quickly. A fresh stain is not permanent if you treat it right away, but an untreated one can become impossible to remove.
Are yellow, honey, and Army mustard stains treated the same way?
Yes, the same steps apply, so scrape first, then flush and pretreat in order. Only the vinegar step depends on how much yellow is left.
What do I do if mustard and ketchup are both on the shirt?
Work through the steps in the same order, since the scrape and cold flush still come first. The yellow from the mustard is the stubborn part, so focus on it in the vinegar step.
Can I use chlorine bleach on mustard on white clothes?
Yes, if the item is white cotton or linen and the care label allows it. Add it in the final wash, after every other product is rinsed out.
Is hydrogen peroxide safe on colored clothes?
Only after a test, because peroxide is not safe on colored fabric that is not colorfast. Test an inside seam first, and if the color changes, leave the peroxide out and rely on the detergent and vinegar steps.
Can a home remedy get mustard out of jeans?
The same steps work on jeans, denim and khakis, starting with the detergent and vinegar before any peroxide. Check that the fabric is colorfast before you use anything stronger than detergent.
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.