Prep first
Before you start
- Blot the stain gently, and don't rub it.
- Check whether the stain is orange-brown or pink-red before choosing a method.
- Keep the item out of the dryer and off the iron until the color is gone.
- Pretest any remover on a hidden area before you use it on the stain.
Orange, red, and pink marks on clothes often look alike, but they usually have different causes. Orange to reddish-brown spots are most often iron from water or rusting metal, while pink or red marks are usually dye that has transferred from another item in the wash. Fresh marks lift far more easily than dried-in ones, and chlorine bleach makes rust worse, so the color of the mark decides where you start.
Check a pink stain on clothes after washing in good light before you wash it again. Work a prewash stain remover into a red pepper stain on a white shirt before it goes through the wash. If the orange-brown spot stays, it's likely iron, so a fabric-safe rust remover is worth testing next.
Before you start
What clothes can take
Safe to use3
- Water
- Soaking
- Enzyme cleaners
Use with care6
- Hot water
- Chlorine bleach
- Oxygen bleach
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
- Acids (vinegar, lemon)
- Scrubbing and abrasives
Avoid1
- Heat, once the stain is out
6 items
What you'll need
Tap an item to get it on Amazon, or tick what you already have.
- Cold tap waterfor the first rinse and for mixing the soak
- Chlorine bleachfor the colorfast bleach test and soak (opens Amazon)
- Plastic dishpanholds a gallon of solution for the soak (opens Amazon)
- Spoonto stir the solution and swirl the item
- Measuring spoons and a ¼ cup measureto get the amounts right
- Clean white towelto blot the item and roll it for drying (opens Amazon)
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
6 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 6
Check the label and the color
Read the care label first. If it says dry-clean only, take the item to a professional cleaner and tell them the fiber content and the stain.
If the stain is orange to reddish-brown, it is most often iron, so skip the bleach soak below.
Careful. Chlorine bleach sets and intensifies orange or rust stains.
Step 2 of 6
Rinse the stain in cold water
Hold the stained area under cold tap water, working from the back of the fabric so the stain pushes out the front. Keep rinsing until little or no color comes out, then blot the area dry with a towel.
Careful. Hot water can set a stain of unknown origin, including protein stains such as milk, egg or blood.
Step 3 of 61 minute
Test the bleach on a hidden spot
If the item was another color to begin with, mix 2 teaspoons chlorine bleach with ¼ cup water. Put one drop on a hidden part, like the inside hem or cuff, wait one minute, then rinse and blot dry.
Tip. If the test spot changes color, don't soak the item.
Careful. Chlorine bleach is off limits on wool, silk, mohair, leather or spandex, and on any item that isn't colorfast.
Step 4 of 6
Mix the bleach and cold water
Add 1 gallon cold tap water to the plastic dishpan, then add ¼ cup chlorine bleach. Stir with the spoon until the solution is mixed.
Step 5 of 65 minutes
Soak the item for up to 5 minutes
Submerge the item fully and swirl it with the spoon. Pull it out now and then to check whether the color is coming off, and keep it under the solution otherwise.
Tip. Use the spoon to keep all the folds under the surface.
Step 6 of 6
Rinse and air dry
After 5 minutes, pour off the solution and rinse the item thoroughly with cool tap water. Air dry it, rolling it in a towel and squeezing to speed drying, and if the pink is lighter, rinse and repeat the bleach soak.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for orange on clothes
Use a chlorine bleach only on white, colorfast items, and test it on a hidden spot first. A reducing bleach sold as a color remover is the product type to try if pink dye stays after the soak.
OUT White Brite Laundry Whitener
Shout Triple-Acting Laundry Stain Remover
Clorox 2 Laundry Stain Remover and Color Booster Powder, 49.2 Ounces
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on clothes, 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.
See what to do for what you're seeing →Heavy buildup usually takes more than one round.
Heavy or long-standing buildup →When to call a professional →How to tell it's working
The pink or red should look lighter when you pull the item out during the soak and again after rinsing. If the color doesn't change, don't make the solution stronger or soak longer; repeat the treatment instead.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your clothes
White clothes
On white cotton and other colorfast whites, you can skip the color test, since the item was never another color. Go straight from the cold rinse to the bleach mix, as long as the label allows bleach.
If the stain is orange-brown rather than pink, leave the bleach out and use the set-in options instead. A pink stain on white fabric is the one the bleach soak is designed for.
White shirts
Collars, cuffs and seams are where stains tend to stay, so give those spots extra time in the cold rinse before the bleach. Dress shirts are often blends, so check the fiber content on the label before you soak.
If the label lists a blend you can't identify, don't guess: take the shirt to a professional cleaner and tell them the stain. A shirt that can't take bleach should go to the cleaner right away rather than after more treatment.
Colored, gray and black clothes
Colored and dark items need the color test before any bleach, because bleach can strip dye as well as the stain. Only soak if the test spot keeps its color; if it fades or changes, don't use the bleach soak at all.
Oxygen bleach is the gentler choice for colors, so use an all-fabric oxygen bleach on colorfast fabric, tested first on a hidden area. Don't use it on wool, silk or leather, since those fibers can't take it.
Jeans and pants
Denim and sturdy cotton pants can take the full bleach soak if they are colorfast and the label allows bleach. Pockets, hems and seams are the spots to rinse from the back before the soak.
Sweaters are often wool, and wool can't take bleach, so a sweater with a pink or red stain goes to a professional cleaner if the stain covers a large area or the item is bulky. Shorts follow the same rules as jeans.
Underwear
Underwear is small, so the cold rinse and the bleach soak are quick to manage. Check the label for spandex first, because elastic waistbands and leg bands often contain it.
Cotton underwear whose label allows bleach can take the bleach soak, but skip it on anything with spandex. A pink stain on underwear that resists the soak should go to a professional cleaner rather than soak longer.
Heavy or long-standing buildup
Fresh stains come out far more easily than old ones, so the sooner you start, the better. A stain that has been through the dryer may be set by the heat, and it needs more patience than a fresh spot.
For dried or old stains, scrape or brush off any crusted matter, then soak the item in cold water with an enzyme presoak, overnight if needed. Orange-brown stains are the exception to the bleach soak, because they are most often iron; use an all-fabric oxygen bleach on colorfast fabric, tested on a hidden area first.
If pink dye is still there after the bleach soak, a reducing bleach sold as a color remover product is the next thing to try. Some stains, such as dried paint, won't come out fully, so take the item to a professional cleaner if the stain doesn't respond.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on orange on clothes?
Many kitchen remedies look like they should work on clothes stains, but most don't suit pink, red or orange marks. Most are best skipped, and a few should be avoided altogether on these fabrics.
Skip4Avoid2
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't mix bleach with vinegar or ammonia
Never mix chlorine bleach with vinegar, lemon juice or acidic cleaners, because it releases chlorine gas. Ammonia and chlorine bleach make toxic fumes together, so rinse thoroughly between any two removers.
Don't push for a stronger solution
If the color doesn't lift, don't make the bleach stronger or leave the item soaking longer. Repeat the treatment instead, since full-strength bleach can weaken fabric so it tears sooner.
Don't dry the item until the color is gone
Heat sets the stain, and a set stain may become impossible to remove. Keep the item out of the dryer and off the iron until you can no longer see the color.
Don't rub a fresh stain with bar soap
Bar soap sets many stains, so reach for cold water instead. Fresh stains are the easiest to remove, so start right away.
Troubleshooting
If the stain is still there
Pick what you're seeing:
The pink barely changed after a soak
Rinse and repeat once. If it still will not move, the dye may need a reducing bleach sold as a color remover product, after a hidden test.
The stain turned darker orange after bleaching
The stain was likely rust, and bleach intensified it. Rinse well and do not add more bleach; treat it as a rust stain instead.
The test drop changed the color of a colored shirt
The item is not colorfast to chlorine bleach. Skip the soak and consider an oxygen bleach only after its own hidden-area test.
When to call a professional
Take dry-clean-only items to a professional cleaner promptly and tell them the fiber content and the stain. Even washable items should go to a cleaner if the stain covers a large area, the item is bulky or the fabric is fragile. Suede, leather and fur trim go to a cleaner who specializes in them.
Questions
Do oranges, peppers, cabbage, dyes, or drinks stain clothes?
Yes, dyes and brightly colored foods or drinks can leave pink, red or orange marks on clothes. Treat the spot promptly with cold water and identify the color before choosing a method, since the steps differ.
Why do red, pink, or orange stains appear on clothes?
Orange to reddish-brown stains are most often iron, from water or rusting metal, and iron oxidizes when it meets air. Pink or red marks usually come from dye that has transferred from another colored item.
Can I use chlorine bleach on an orange stain?
No. Chlorine bleach sets and intensifies iron, which is why orange-brown stains skip the bleach soak. Use cold water and the set-in options instead.
Which stain remover should I buy?
For colored fabric, test the chlorine bleach solution on a hidden area first, and use it only if the spot keeps its color. For pink dye that stays after the bleach soak, a reducing bleach sold as a color remover is the type to try.
Can I use hot water on a pink stain?
Not at first, because hot water can set a stain of unknown origin, including protein stains such as milk, egg or blood. Start with cold tap water and follow the steps from there.
Can I remove an old red stain from white clothes?
Yes, but it takes more patience than a fresh spot. Scrape off crusted matter, soak in cold water with a detergent or enzyme presoak, and repeat the treatment as needed.
Can I bleach wool sweaters?
No. Chlorine bleach and oxygen bleach are both off the table for wool, so take a wool sweater to a professional cleaner. Bulky items and large stains go there too.
Orange on other materials
Other stains on clothes
Start from the bigger picture
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.