Below are the steps for how to remove turmeric stains from your clothes. Read the full blog post for more ways to remove turmeric stains from hands, table tops, kitchenware (plates/containers/food processor jug), and more!
The very top tip here is to act fast. The longer the stain has to sit on the fabric, the harder it will be to remove. Top Tip: never use warm/hot water to deal with material stains, as it will cause it to set! Use only cool/cold water.
For oil-based stains (like curry sauce):
You’ll want to pre-treat these stains, to remove the oil as well as the turmeric stain. Use a spoon or knife to remove any excess (i.e. if there's curry on the item). Then, use either cornstarch, baking soda, or flour to liberally sprinkle (packed) over the stain.
Leave for 20 minutes. You should see the powder start to soak up the excess liquid. If you're out (i.e. at a restaurant), then ask for lemon or lime and use that to apply to the stain (then blot away after 15-20 minutes with a damp napkin).
After 20 minutes, you should be able to brush away the excess powder.If your stain isn't oil-based, then you can skip the above steps and move straight on to the below.
Pre-treat the turmeric stain:
There are two ways to do this - either with liquid detergent or lime juice/vinegar.Pour some of the liquid directly over the stain and then use either your fingers or an old toothbrush/damp towel (soft) to gently rub into the material with your fingers (be careful when doing this so you don’t damage the fabric).
Rinse the area with cool water and repeat if needed. Alternatively, you could submerge the stained part of the material into a bowl of white vinegar and leave it to soak for around an hour.If your material is all white, you could optionally use bleach to remove the stain. However, don’t use this on any colored materials as they will likely ruin.
Wash the material:
Make sure to wash your stained item on the cold-water cycle in your machine with your usual laundry detergent (or an anti-stain one, if you want a little extra boost). Then, if possible, hang the item/s up in the sunshine and allow to dry in the sunlight for at-least 6 hours (which will further naturally ‘bleach’ the stain. However, be careful doing this with certain clothing, as their colors will also naturally lighten in the sun.If necessary, you may need to wash the item a second time (or possibly a third).
Notes
Keep in mind that certain fabrics (such as silk) will require more specialized care. It's best to avoid wearing these when dealing with turmeric. However, if you have, then it may be best to take it to a professional dry cleaner after a small soak. If you're out of the house when a spill happens, it's always a good idea to keep a stain remover pen in your bag!READ THE BLOG POST for more methods on how to remove turmeric stains for several types of materials, including skin, table tops, and kitchenware (plates/containers/food processor jug, etc.).