How to remove iron marks on clothes: 25 ways

Quite often, owners set the ironing mode incorrectly and scorch the fabric, after which they do not know how to remove iron marks on clothes. Having seen such an unpleasant picture, most housewives are sure that it is no longer possible to remove a stain, shiny mark or scorch mark. Fortunately, in most cases it is quite possible to solve this problem and restore the appearance of things.

Iron marks can be removed from fabric in most cases.

Hot iron is treacherous. They used to kill them.

It can still ruin or kill your clothes. But we know how to prevent this from happening.

Here are complete instructions for cleaning clothes from such stains. For ease of navigation, use the table of contents.

Table of contents

Fabric preparation
How to remove shiny spots

On black fabrics and wool (trousers, coats, suits)
From linen
From cotton
From silk

How to remove remaining scorch marks

On black or wool
On white
On colored
On synthetics, polyester
On the couch
On the carpet

How to remove stubborn iron marks

How to prevent iron stains

Conclusions
Video: how to remove iron stains from fabric

Did you burn or stain your favorite clothes with an iron? Don't worry, this can happen to anyone.

A yellow stain, scorch mark, lace or other iron stains on fabric is not a reason to throw away your clothes. This is the first time this has happened to you, and you don’t understand whether it’s possible to restore the original appearance of your favorite shirt or dress? Everything can be resolved. We have compiled a selection of tips for you on how to effectively remove iron stains from clothes.

There is one condition: scorch marks without holes.

Clothes with holes, no matter how many pleasant emotions they evoke in you, will have to be thrown away... But we have good news for you too. At the end of the article you will find iron handling tips that will help you prevent similar troubles in the future.

Reasons for appearance

When ironing clothes, the fabric comes into contact with the soleplate of the iron.
It is exposed to thermal and steam effects. If ironing rules are violated, yellowish marks appear on the surface if the fabric is light or colored, a shiny mark is a gloss if the fabric is dark in color. Reasons for the appearance of gloss and tan:

choosing a temperature regime that does not correspond to the type of matter;
faulty iron;
improper care of the iron (damaged, dirty soleplate);
ironing a poorly rinsed item - the remaining detergent left on the fabric fibers burns.

You can set your clothes on fire because of a phone call, runaway coffee, or an interesting program on TV. The person gets distracted for a second, holds the hot iron a second longer than necessary, and the item is ruined.

First of all

If an unpleasant moment occurs during ironing, you should immediately rinse the item in running, cool water. This will not allow burn marks to penetrate deeper into the structure of the material. The following operation, if successful, will remove the fresh scorch mark:

you need to take some washing powder;
add water to it, it should turn out to be a paste;
apply it to the iron mark;
rub SMS into the material.

After these steps, rinse the item in lukewarm water. It can't be hot. If a trace remains, then remove it using folk remedies, store-bought stain removers or dry cleaning.

Fabric preparation

It is important to properly prepare the material before cleaning. If you do this, you will be able to remove scorch marks, lasses, or other types of iron marks from the fabric easier and faster. The basic steps for detecting iron stains on clothing are the same for most fabrics. Read in this section about preparing damaged fabric for cleaning from iron marks.

First of all, rinse the contaminated area (or better yet, the entire thing) in cool water. This is necessary to prevent dirt from penetrating deep into the fabric structure. Then prepare some powder. Take a small amount of powder and mix it with water. Wipe the fabric with the resulting slurry. It is necessary to apply the powder to the stained area and rub it. You may be lucky and this will complete the removal of scorch marks from your clothes. After these steps, rinse the fabric in slightly lukewarm water.

If vigorous powder cleaning doesn't help, read on for tips on removing iron stains from fabric.

Some tips for ironing fabrics

To prevent the formation of stains, tans and shine on any fabrics, adhere to the following universal rules:

Iron wool and knitwear through slightly dampened gauze.
If possible, iron items made from other fabrics from the wrong side - then you will definitely not spoil their appearance.
Iron lace products, as well as items with embroidery, only from the wrong side, choosing a medium temperature level of the electric iron.
For decorative items of clothing, it is best to use remote steam treatment. If this is not possible, carefully iron the decor with a warm iron.
Velor and velvet require careful handling. Moisten the surface with a spray and gently iron these fabrics while they hang.
Do not iron white items until they are dry. Ironing while wet may cause stains.

Remote steam processing of products

In addition to the above methods for getting rid of stains, scorches and shiny iron marks, there are many other methods. For example, you can use store-bought stain removers. But it is best to strictly follow the recommendations for ironing various fabrics, then there will be no need to restore your favorite clothes.

How to remove shiny spots

Iron stains on fabric vary. Here are some examples:

shiny stripes on dark clothes;
yellow mark on knitwear;
dark marks on viscose or cotton.

In this section we will tell you how to remove shiny iron stains on different types of fabrics and on different clothes.

On dark fabrics and wool (trousers, coats, suits)

Do you have iron marks on your favorite dark wool suit, coat or trousers? The surfaces of such clothes are delicate, so it is not recommended to wash them again. However, it is possible to clean such fabric from lass. Below are some working methods.

Dilute one tablespoon of vinegar (9%) in a liter of water. Soak an ironing iron (white linen or cotton fabric for ironing; you can also use a waffle towel, gauze, white baby diapers) in this solution and apply it to the stain. Iron the garment through a dampened iron until the stain disappears.
Dilute one teaspoon of ammonia in a liter of water. Soak a sponge in this water solution and treat the lased fabric with it.
Soak a cotton sponge in the tea leaves and apply it to the stain. This is the fastest way to eliminate lass. But it is not suitable for light-colored fabrics because it leaves marks.

Removing shine from dark fabrics

Most often, the appearance of gloss after ironing is observed on dark clothes. Simple folk remedies will help solve the problem.

Table vinegar

To eliminate gloss, you need to perform the following manipulations:

Mix water and vinegar in equal proportions.
Soak the gauze in the resulting liquid.
Wring it out and place it on a shiny area.
Iron until the shine disappears completely.

The following method will help get rid of yellowing:

Vinegar is mixed in equal proportions with water.
The affected area is moistened with the prepared solution.
Everything is sprinkled with salt on top.
After drying, the clothes are washed.

Black tea

One of the proven remedies is loose leaf tea. It is brewed in the usual way, the fabric is moistened with steep tea leaves. Just wait until it dries. No further actions need to be performed.

Wet wipes

Wet wipes effectively cope with the task.

They wipe the shiny area, then iron the clothes. If the desired result is not achieved, the procedure is repeated.

Onion

The onion is crushed on a grater, then the resulting pulp is applied to the cloth. After an hour, the gloss disappears, all that remains is to rinse the clothes.

Potato

Potatoes can cope with this task. The procedure is performed according to the following scheme:

The tuber is cut in half.
Potatoes are applied to the affected area at the cut point.
The fabric is rubbed.
The item is dried.
Cleaning is done with a clothes brush.

From flax

We're sorry, but it seems you're out of luck. Linen is rarely damaged by ironing. This can only be done through negligence, and then you will have to try hard. The reason for the durability of this material is that flax fibers can withstand temperatures up to 200 degrees Celsius. This is the temperature at which you should iron it.

Here are some effective ways to remove stains from linen.

Dilute a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide and a few drops of ammonia in half a glass of water. Soak gauze or cotton pad in this solution. Treat the stain with them. Wait about 5 minutes. and rinse the item. Don't forget to carefully iron the item again.

Please note: when ironing linen should be left slightly damp, or use a sprayer.

Soak a sponge in soap and rub the scorch mark, then rinse off any remaining soap and iron it again.

Cleaning the iron and ironing board

The cause of stains on clothes can be a dirty ironing board or scale on the iron. Work surfaces need to be looked after.

Board care

The ironing board is usually covered with a removable cover. If there is dirt or water stains on it, the cover must be removed and washed using a stain remover.

If necessary, you can purchase a new cover for the board with metallized threads. When heated, the threads straighten things on both sides at once and allow you to set a lower temperature for effective ironing.

You can make a cover yourself by cutting the fabric to the shape of a board with an allowance and sewing an elastic band along the contour.

Ironing board care

Iron care

Some iron models have a surface cleaning button. Don’t neglect this useful function and use it at least once a week.

To prevent scale from the iron from getting onto the fabric through the holes during steaming, you need to pour descaler for teapots into a container of water, heat the device to the maximum level and turn on the steaming mode. All rust and scale will come out, ironing will be safe.

A special pencil with hydroperite will help remove carbon deposits from the sole. To do this, the hot surface should be treated with a pencil, after placing absorbent paper under the iron.

Attention! There is no need to start ironing if the soleplate of the iron is brown. It can be cleaned without buying special equipment, but using a matchbox. The heated iron needs to be intensively rubbed with a sulfur strip on the box, and then begin ironing.

If you are careless when ironing or ignoring the instructions for caring for the fabric, the clothes will be damaged. Knowing the secrets of eliminating iron stains, you can correct the situation without material costs or loss of time.

From silk

Silk should be ironed at temperatures up to 30 degrees Celsius. Treat such delicate fabric with care and do not exceed this temperature. If you iron the silk carelessly, there will be a stain or a hole on it. But don't worry. You can remove a glossy stain from unsuccessful ironing from silk. Here are a couple of effective ways:

dissolve 1 teaspoon of soda in a glass of water (200 ml) and iron the damaged area with steam through an iron (special fabric for ironing) soaked in this solution;
soak soda in water and apply this paste to the shiny spot; after this, it will be enough to dry the fabric, remove the remaining powder from it and iron it thoroughly, observing the prescribed precautions (for example, temperature restrictions).

How to remove remaining scorch marks

Did you not just stain the fabric while ironing, but singe it (but not to the point of holes)? It's not scary either. There are effective ways to remove almost any stain, as long as the fabric is not burned to the point of holes. Read about it in this section.

Prevention measures

Sorting clothes

In order not to switch the mode many times during ironing, it is better to immediately sort things into several piles and iron them in this order:

Clothes made from delicate materials.
Synthetics.
Things made from natural fibers.

This way the temperature will rise, and you won’t have to wait for the soleplate of the iron to cool down. If, after wearing clothes made of natural fabric, you need to iron synthetics or a product made of delicate material, reduce the setting and wait 3-4 minutes. Haste can cause things to get damaged.

It is worth considering that silk is ironed without steaming or water supply, and lace and embroidery are processed only from the reverse side.

Correct temperature

The main reason for the appearance of marks on clothes is setting the wrong temperature when ironing.

To determine the temperature, read the instructions on the label. If for some reason this is impossible to do, you can determine the mode by the type of fabric:

cotton and linen are allowed to be ironed at 200 degrees - at three;
synthetics can withstand temperatures up to 150 degrees, mode – deuce;
viscose and wool should be ironed at 100-120 degrees, on a single or double setting;
tweed is ironed at medium temperature, up to 140 degrees;
silk, satin, chiffon and polyester are ironed on a single unit, at a temperature not exceeding 90 degrees;
Nylon, vidlon and nylon are prohibited from ironing.

Attention! If you are not sure about the origin of the material from which the clothes are made, it is better to iron them on the minimum setting, gradually increasing the temperature.

Cleaning the iron

To avoid the appearance of difficult-to-remove stains from rust, lime and carbon deposits, you need to clean your iron regularly.

Special pencils, a solution of citric acid (1 tablespoon per 0.5 liter of water) or vinegar (1 tablespoon per 1 liter of water) help remove dirt from the outside.

To clean the holes in the sole, you need to fill the reservoir with clean distilled water, and then steam a light-colored cloth made of natural material for several minutes.

You can clean the inside of the iron only with special products that are usually produced by manufacturers of household appliances.

Less scale will form if you pour distilled water into the iron rather than regular tap water.

On white

Have you set your favorite white shirt or blouse on fire but not torn? There are several methods that will help you remove tan marks from white fabric:

apply a small amount of hydrogen peroxide to the area with scorched marks and rinse the fabric in cool water;
Apply hydrogen peroxide with ammonia (a couple of drops) to the scorch mark and rinse the item;
apply any chlorine-containing bleach to the problem area; When using this method, be sure to rinse the fabric as quickly as possible, as it will tear if you forget to rinse off the chlorine;
make a solution of boric acid in a 1 to 1 ratio with water; Use a sponge soaked in this solution to treat the scorch, leave for 15 minutes and rinse.
Dilute citric acid or juice in water (one teaspoon per 100 milliliters) and moisten the stained area on clothing with this solution, sprinkle salt on this area and leave to dry; This method works well for white fabrics.

Please note: Lemon juice is only suitable for cleaning white clothes. We do not recommend using it with colored fabrics: bright colors may change the shade.

How to wash properly

Following the rules for hand and machine washing of staples will help prevent shrinkage of the material and preserve the color and shape of the product.

Before cutting

Soaking the fabric before sewing will help reduce shrinkage of the item:

soak the fabric in water;
Drain off excess water by squeezing lightly with your hands;
cover the table with a white cloth, lay a staple cut on top;
straighten the folds and smooth the fabric with your hands;
Iron the dried staple without stretching the material.

The fabric is ready for cutting.

For shrinkage

To reduce the staple fabric, when washing they do the opposite: they wash it in a machine, with a spin at 60 degrees, and dry it at high temperature in an electric dryer. Alternating soaking in hot and cold water without detergent will help shrink the item. 5 minutes in boiling water shrinks clothes by 1 size.

So as not to sit down

A small piece of fabric is folded in half along the longitudinal thread and joined at the edges. The edges are basted with long stitches and washed by hand.

Manual

Light trousers and a blouse can be quickly washed by hand:

add gel to warm water;
move the fabric with your hands until it is completely wet and saturated with the cleaning solution;
clean dirt with a soft brush;
change the water and rinse the item until the washing solution is completely washed out.

For rinsing, you need to draw water at the same temperature as for washing. If you rinse at a higher or lower temperature, the fabric will shrink. Hold wet clothes over a basin or bathtub to let the water drain. You can squeeze the fabric slightly, but do not twist it.

Machine

How to wash staples in a washing machine:

select delicate mode in the menu;
turn off spinning and drying;
set the temperature to 40 degrees;
Pour washing gel into the powder compartment.

For particularly heavily soiled items, before washing in the machine, the item should be dipped in warm water with washing gel and cleaned with a brush. After washing is completed, the clothes are hung over the bathtub to drain.

In color

Colored fabrics of different types are processed in a similar way:

wipe the cloth with onion or onion pulp; after this, rinse the fabric with color-restoring conditioner;
pour alcohol onto the stain, leave for 15 minutes and rinse; this method is well suited for colored viscose;
treat the fabric with a sponge soaked in a solution of hydrogen peroxide (for bright items, use a solution of up to 1%), wait 15 minutes and rinse in water.

Please note: when cleaning colored fabrics, you need to rub them in a circle, moving from the center.

On synthetics, polyester

Synthetic items are inexpensive and practical. But they can only be ironed at temperatures up to 80 degrees Celsius. If you violate the heat treatment regime, a synthetic jacket, tracksuit or blouse will instantly burn. There are two ways to eliminate a burn:

thoroughly wipe the damage with a sponge soaked in ethyl alcohol;
take an ordinary onion and rub it on the fabric or put onion pulp on them; then wash the item.

For fresh stains, clean with lemon or lemon juice.

Ethanol

If the gloss from the iron remains on a colored viscose item, then you need to use regular ethyl alcohol for cleaning. Alcohol can be found in any pharmacy:

Soak a cotton swab or pad in ethyl alcohol.
Rub the product onto the stained area of the fabric (wipe gently, trying not to stretch the product).
Leave the product to soak for an hour.
Wash the item in the washing machine with your regular powder (set the program to double rinse).
Dry the item in an open place.

On the couch

The situation can be saved, even if you accidentally hit your favorite sofa with the iron. Take lemon and sugar, soak the problem area with them and wait 20-30 minutes. Then wipe the area with a wet cloth. These simple steps will eliminate scorch marks on your sofa upholstery.

Lemon juice

Lemon juice is a versatile and natural cleaner that works well to remove brown and yellow stains left by iron on clothes of all types and colors.

IMPORTANT! However, it still doesn’t hurt to be careful when it comes to cleaning. Test the product on a small area of fabric if you plan to remove stains from synthetics or silk.

Take one medium lemon and cut it in half.
Squeeze the juice from one half onto the stain.
Leave the product to soak for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle the stain on the fabric with salt and leave for another 10 minutes.
Replace the salt with fresh salt and leave the item for another 5 minutes.
Remove the remaining salt and wipe the dirt with the second half of the lemon.
Wash the item in a washing machine with regular detergent. Rinse the laundry thoroughly.

On the carpet

Dropped your iron on the carpet and scorched it a little? Place a towel soaked in a solution of detergent (1 teaspoon per liter) on the carpet and iron them for 10 minutes. After this, do not forget to wash the scorch with detergents and a washcloth.

You have learned the basic ways to remove marks on clothes after ironing. And we hope that now you can easily get rid of them, and not throw your favorite clothes somewhere to the outskirts of time and your life.

How to avoid hassles when ironing clothes

To prevent such unpleasant phenomena as shine and scorching on products from occurring in the future, every housewife should adhere to simple recommendations:

for ironing you must use an iron;
If possible, clothes should be ironed inside out;
The temperature must be adjusted in accordance with the type and composition of the fabric of the product;
Things should be rinsed thoroughly after washing;
The soleplate of the iron should always remain clean and free of carbon deposits.

How to remove stubborn iron marks

None of the methods helped? It's too early to get upset.

Or maybe you found a once-favorite item that you want to wear, but suddenly discovered an old iron stain on it? Give your favorite clothes a second chance. The advanced age of a scorch on clothing is not a reason to get rid of it. It's never too late to remove stains from your favorite clothes.

There are many effective methods for removing iron stains. You learned about most of them above. The time has come for more powerful techniques that will prevent even stubborn stains from remaining alive.

Read in this section about effective methods for removing iron marks. They will rid your items of stains that are difficult to remove, such as outdated stains.

Here are the most effective methods that we recommend using if all else fails:

Gasoline and salt. Soak the sponge in gasoline and wet the dirty area. To enhance the effect, sprinkle the same place with salt, hold it for a while and wash the item.
Kefir. Soak the item in a solution of kefir or yogurt for a couple of hours or overnight, wash with detergent.
Onion. Wipe the stain with grated pulp and leave for 15 minutes. This method is universal.

Please note: Onion odor can be eliminated using fabric softener or vinegar.

So, you have learned that there are ways that will help you refresh fabric and make it look like new even in critical situations. Even an old stain can be removed. We hope you have already succeeded or will soon succeed with ease.

In this section, read about measures that will help you prevent the appearance of scorch marks and marks and about the rules for caring for ironing equipment.

Boric acid

Boric acid solution removes iron marks from light-colored fabrics well.

IMPORTANT! Many people try to remove the shine from an iron on black trousers using this method, but this should not be done. Acid can lighten the fabric, leaving faded stains on it.

How to clean:

Dilute boric acid in warm water in proportions 1:
Soak a cotton pad in the cleaning mixture and rub the iron dirt thoroughly with the mixture.
Leave the fabric to soak for 20 minutes.
Wash your clothes in any usual way with the addition of washing powder.

How to prevent iron stains

Perhaps you've decided not to get rid of the tan marks on your clothes right now, or you don't want to spend a lot of time on it.

It’s likely that you don’t have time to get rid of scorch marks right now. Or maybe the las thing doesn't seem so important to you anymore. In general, if for some reason you decide not to get rid of scorch marks now or want to know how to prevent such unpleasant consequences of ironing in the future, then we have a solution.

First of all, you must understand the nature of the appearance of such spots. Typically, there are a number of factors that contribute to the appearance of blazes or tans. Let's list the main ones:

ironing dirty clothes (stains from grease, sweat or dust; powder residues after washing);
damage or raised dirt on the surface of the ironing board;
setting a temperature higher than expected for a given material;
an error when choosing a program when ironing (due to negligence or due to incorrect determination of the type of fabric).

Preventing failure is usually easier than eliminating its consequences. Is not it? You have probably been convinced of this more than once if you have lived in the world for more than 20 years. The same goes for iron stains. We recommend following a number of simple measures that will help you prevent stains from ironing on your clothes.

So, to maintain the integrity of the fabric, follow a number of simple measures that arise from the causes of scorch marks. Here they are:

check and maintain the cleanliness of the soleplate of the device, the water being poured in and the ironing board (it is advisable to wipe the soleplate before each use; refresh the water in the device after it is not used);
do not allow signs of a malfunction to appear: leaks or overheating;
iron only clean clothes (make sure there are no dirt or powder residues on the clothes), use gauze if necessary, and iron delicate fabrics only from the inside out;
Make sure that the temperature and other conditions of the fabric being ironed are consistent.

The main thing is to set the temperature depending on the material. Labeling will help you with this. This topic is worthy of a separate article. Let's just say that the iron may be crossed out on the tag - in this case, you cannot iron the clothes. If 3 dots are shown, you can iron at high temperatures - up to 200 degrees Celsius, 2 - up to 150, 1 - up to 110.

Follow the rules when ironing things, and then you won’t have to remove iron marks. After all, in many areas of life, doing everything right and well right away is much more profitable than cleaning up the consequences of failures. And on this philosophical note, we wish you to follow the basic ironing rules to prevent iron stains from appearing on your clothes.

A short journey through methods for saving your favorite clothes from being scorched has come to an end. We wish you success in this seemingly difficult task.

Why do stains and marks appear on clothes?

It is important to understand the reasons why the surface of fabrics deteriorates during ironing. Products made from a variety of materials suffer due to the following:

the smoothing temperature regime is violated;
the rules for steam treatment of the fabric surface are not followed;
the iron is not cleaned, as a result, a burn mark remains on the fabric, which appeared on the sole during the previous ironing;
the fabric is not rinsed well enough after washing, which is why detergent remains on it, which, under the action of the soleplate of the iron, burns and leaves stains.

In order not to make a mistake when choosing a temperature regime and steam treatment, study the tags that are sewn to the clothes on the wrong side. They clearly indicate whether a coat, jacket, shirt or any other item can be ironed and at what temperature (see picture).

Images on tags corresponding to different heat treatment options for fabrics

conclusions

So, the main methods of restoring fabric from iron marks are considered. There are 25 such methods collected in this guide - choose any one.

Now you have learned how to remove iron stains from different types of fabrics using improvised means and how to prevent iron stains from appearing on clothes if you have already purchased an iron.

Let's summarize everything that has been said about removing marks and marks: determine the type of fabric, choose a more convenient method for removing stains depending on the type of clothing/fabric and the available means and start cleaning.

We remind you: we have irons with an anti-drip system. It will not save you from scorch marks, but it will prevent yellow marks caused by water leaking from the appliance during ironing or steaming. To save yourself from sudden scorches, follow our instructions in the additional section of this manual.

Chlorine solution

This method will help remove iron stains on white cotton items.

When working with bleach, be sure to protect your hands with rubber gloves to avoid damaging your skin.

How to clean:

First, prepare a cleaning solution: dilute bleach in plain water (at the rate of 3-4 drops of chlorine per glass of clean water).
Gently rub the stain with the prepared cleaning solution. Move from the edge of the scorch to its center.
Rinse the item thoroughly under running water to completely remove any remaining bleach from the fabric.
Dry the product.