First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Judge the damage first: light browning may come out, but charred or deep burns usually can't.
- Test any peroxide or bleach on a hidden spot before using it.
- Work gently, since rubbing and bleaching can damage the finish of the fabric.
- Wear rubber gloves and ventilate when using strong chemicals.
A scorch on clothes is heat that has changed the fibers themselves, so the real question is how far the damage reaches rather than how hard you scrub. Fresh marks lift far more easily than old ones, and a char that has gone through the weave usually stays visible. Light browning is what you can realistically expect to lift, so judge the mark before you start.
Figure out if you've got iron marks on black clothes or a dryer burn, since they need different handling. Test any product on a hidden seam first, especially on colored or delicate fabric. If a cigarette burn has melted into a hard lump, stop and take the garment to a dry cleaner.
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
5 items
What you'll need
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- 3 percent hydrogen peroxideThe drugstore antiseptic strength lifts light browning. Skip the stronger kind sold for bleaching hair. (opens Amazon)
- Clean clothCovers a heavy mark while you keep it damp with peroxide.
- Laundry detergentUsed for the final wash, after the peroxide and the rinse. (opens Amazon)
- Chlorine bleach (optional)Only for white or colorfast items whose care label allows it. (opens Amazon)
- Rubber glovesProtect your hands when using strong chemicals. (opens Amazon)
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6 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 6
Judge the damage first
Look at the mark in good light and decide whether it's light browning or something darker. Light browning is what peroxide can lift, while a charred or deep burn usually stays and may need a professional repair.
Careful. Severe scorch cannot be removed, and treatment can weaken the fabric further.
Step 2 of 6
Test a hidden spot
Before peroxide or bleach touches the mark, try a small area that won't show, such as an inside seam or hem. Check that the color and fabric look the same once it has dried.
Step 3 of 6
Wet the mark with peroxide
For light scorch, wet the stain with 3 percent hydrogen peroxide so it's fully soaked. For a heavy stain, lay a cloth dampened with the same peroxide over it instead.
Careful. Peroxide can change the color of fabric that isn't colorfast.
Step 4 of 6
Let the peroxide work
Let the peroxide stand for several minutes. Keep the area moist with more peroxide as it dries, so the mark never dries out between applications.
Step 5 of 6
Rinse and launder
Rinse the area well until no peroxide is left in the fabric. Then launder the item as its care label allows.
Tip. If the mark is gone, you can stop before the chlorine wash.
Step 6 of 6
Finish with chlorine bleach
Only once everything is rinsed out, wash the item with laundry detergent in the hottest water the care label recommends. Add chlorine bleach only if the item is white or colorfast and the care label allows it, after a bleachability test on a hidden spot.
Careful. Chlorine bleach can't go on wool, silk or spandex, and undiluted bleach can weaken fabric.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for scorch on clothes
Choose a drugstore 3 percent hydrogen peroxide sold as an antiseptic, and a detergent made for colorfast colors.
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 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 →If the stain was already dried or set, the method changes.
Old, dried or set-in stains →When to call a professional →How to tell it's working
Light browning should look a shade lighter after each round, which tells you the peroxide is working. If the mark stops changing after a full round, or the fabric starts to feel stiff or thin, stop repeating the steps.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your clothes
Iron burn
A scorch caught early is usually light browning, which is the kind peroxide can lift. Start with the peroxide steps on a hidden spot, then give the mark a full round before you judge it.
If the mark is still there after washing, the scorch has set. More rounds on a deep mark add wear without much gain, so stop there.
Dryer or heat-tool burn
Marks from a dryer or a heat tool respond to the same peroxide steps as any light scorch. Check the whole spot in good light before you decide it's gone, because a partial lift can look finished from a distance.
If the fabric has thinned or changed texture, that's damage rather than a stain, and a professional repair is the realistic option.
Cigarette burn
A cigarette burn that only browned the surface can be treated with the peroxide steps on a hidden spot first. A burn with a hole or a charred center has lost fiber, and no cleaner can put it back.
For a hole, take the item to a professional repair service rather than repeating the steps, since more peroxide won't close a gap.
Polyester, cotton, rayon, acetate, or colored clothes
Start with a hidden-spot test on any colored fabric, since the test shows whether the dye holds. Polyester takes the steps as written, but cotton and rayon can be weakened by acid, so skip vinegar and lemon on them.
Acetate needs its own handling. Don't use acetone or nail polish remover on it, because acetate dissolves.
White shirts and white clothes
White shirts can take the full sequence, including the chlorine wash at the end, once the care label allows it. Check bleachability on a hidden seam first, since the test shows whether the white holds.
Rinse out every trace of peroxide before the chlorine wash, because the chlorine has to be the last step. Then check the mark in good light before you decide whether to repeat anything.
Shiny, white, brown, or yellow iron marks
Brown or yellow marks are light browning, which the peroxide steps are meant to lift. Shiny or white marks have changed the surface of the fabric, so blot gently and give them a full round before deciding.
If a shiny or white patch is still there after washing, a professional may do more for it than further rounds at home.
Burn marks on black or dark clothes
Dark clothes need a hidden-spot test before anything else, since the test shows whether the dye stays put. Oxygen bleach is the gentler choice for colors, but it still needs the same test. Burns that look black are usually charring rather than a stain, so the steps won't change them much.
Check the spot in good light after each round, and take a charred dark garment to a professional if the fabric is damaged.
Old, dried or set-in stains
An old scorch is harder to lift than a fresh one, because the fibers have had longer to set. Only try it if the fabric still feels sound and isn't thin or brittle.
If the item has been through the dryer or dried on, heat has already set the mark, so expect slower results. Repeat the peroxide steps first, and if the mark is still there, soak in oxygen bleach and hot water on colorfast items the care label allows, then launder. For a stubborn light mark on fabric that isn't cotton, rayon or acetate, sprinkle salt on it, wet it with lemon juice, and spread it in the sun to dry before you launder.
Some marks will stay, and a deep scorch leaves permanent discoloration even after treatment. Light marks usually come out, while a deep or charred spot needs a professional repair.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on scorch on clothes?
Most home remedies don't reverse scorch, because the damage sits in the fiber rather than on top of it. Here's where each one stands for clothes, so you can skip the ones that won't help.
Works1Skip5
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 + 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: Don't use the mixture; ventilate the room and avoid breathing fumes or touching it; call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for disposal advice or if anyone feels unwell.
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't dry the item until the mark is gone
Heat sets the stain, and a dryer can make it impossible to remove. Air-dry the item and check the spot in good light before it goes anywhere near the dryer.
Don't iron over the mark to flatten it
More heat only sets the stain deeper and can make the fabric more fragile. Leave the iron off the spot for the whole treatment.
Don't mix ammonia with chlorine bleach
Together they give off toxic fumes, so never combine them. Rinse the item thoroughly between any two stain removers.
Don't scrub the scorch hard
Rubbing can damage the finish and thin the fibers further, which can make a light mark look worse. Blot gently and let the peroxide do the work.
Troubleshooting
If the stain is still there
Pick what you're seeing:
The mark faded but a light tan shadow remains.
Repeat the hydrogen peroxide step, keeping the area moist for several minutes, then rinse and launder again.
The fabric is colored and you're unsure about bleach.
Test sodium perborate bleach on a hidden seam. If the color changes, skip bleaching altogether.
The scorched area feels stiff or brittle.
That signals burned fibers, which treatment can't restore. Stop treating it to avoid creating a hole.
The garment is dry-clean only.
Take it to a professional dry cleaner promptly and tell them the fiber content and that the mark is a scorch.
When to call a professional
Take a dry-clean-only item to a dry cleaner promptly, and tell them the fiber content and the stain. Take even washable items if the stain covers a large area, the item is bulky, or the fabric is fragile. A charred or deep burn that has made a hole can't be fixed at home, so a professional repair is the next step.
Questions
Can a scorch mark come out of clothes?
Light scorch often can, because only the browning needs lifting. Test a hidden spot, then follow the peroxide steps and check the result after each round.
How do I get an iron mark out of a shirt?
Start with the peroxide steps on a hidden spot, not with heat. Give the mark a full round before judging it, since the first lift is often partial.
Can I use oxygen bleach on a burn?
Yes, on colorfast items, but only for old marks after the peroxide steps have been tried. Test a hidden spot first, and keep it off wool, silk and leather.
Is a dryer burn ever fully fixable?
Often only partly: light browning can be lifted, but a mark that has changed the texture of the fabric usually stays. Judge it after a full round, and take it to a professional if it's still there.
Can a hole from a cigarette burn be fixed?
Not with stain steps, because a hole is lost fiber. A professional repair is the realistic option, and you should tell them the fiber content and where the burn is.
Is chlorine bleach safe for colored clothes?
No, not on colored items unless they're colorfast and the care label allows it. For colored clothes, skip chlorine and rely on the peroxide steps.
Methods, care labels and related guides
Good to know
Scorch 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.