Dirt Stains

digitS'

Garden Master
Joined
Dec 13, 2007
Messages
25,717
Reaction score
28,716
Points
457
Location
border, ID/WA(!)
How do you get them out of clothing???

DW wife just tossed a pair of her jeans on the pile of clothes I dumped in front of the washer. Yep, dirt stains on the cuffs. I'd hoped to not bother with the Oxyclean because I thought my jeans weren't so stained this time. She has higher standards - I sprayed them all ...

It won't help much. What do you use? I used to use Spray & Wash. It was not better.

I bet different soils cause different stains. The soil around here probably has a lot of iron in it. That is probably real common. The stains are reddish even if the garden soil looks nearly black. That's probably just organic material holding moisture. Iron? Rust? Somehow, I don't think the chemists were compounding common stain remover for rust.

My random rambling is more random than most people. Not only do I get more dirt on me than most people, I kick one cuff because of an awkward gait. I'm a mess right through the growing season ... :oops:. It's kinda interesting how the dirt stains slowly disappear during repeated winter washings as I get further and further from rambling times in the garden ...

Steve
 

AMKuska

Garden Master
Joined
Jan 25, 2014
Messages
2,215
Reaction score
5,364
Points
317
Location
Washington
I use enzymatic cleaner. Just a splash gets most stains out. Don't use a dryer if it doesn't come out :)
 

ninnymary

Garden Master
Joined
Dec 7, 2009
Messages
12,559
Reaction score
12,351
Points
437
Location
San Francisco East Bay
I'm sure my soil is different than yours. But for stains I use any brand of spray and wash stain removals. I have found that I have to do it 3 times for the stains to be gone. But I don't put in the dryer after each wash. On occasion I have put them in the dryer but I just continue with spraying them again and washing them. Hope I made sense. :confused:

Mary
 

digitS'

Garden Master
Joined
Dec 13, 2007
Messages
25,717
Reaction score
28,716
Points
457
Location
border, ID/WA(!)
... I have found that I have to do it 3 times for the stains to be gone...

Mary
Mary, it makes sense but I just continually get soil on those cuffs, at the very least.

So, I don't really have clean jeans at any time during the summer except, I set aside a pair or two for non-gardening use. That's okay.

I suspect that the stains are just added to and added to until about November. Then, they slowly disappear with washing over the next 4 months .. as I kick snow onto my pants cuffs instead of soil ...

CLR?! I never thought of that - on clothing? I did some looking online. There are others of that nature that the manufactures say are safe on carpet & fabric.

Steve
 

Ridgerunner

Garden Master
Joined
Mar 20, 2009
Messages
8,227
Reaction score
10,049
Points
397
Location
Southeast Louisiana Zone 9A
I have certain jeans and shirts I wear when I go out in public, certain clothing for staying around inside the house (though I do light stuff in these, say getting something for supper out of the garden or feeding the chickens), and certain clothing I wear for dirty work. I keep that "dirty work" stuff outside in a storage building which is also my changing room. No mud room/utility room changing for me, it's totally outside. It can get kind of chilly in winter. I have certain clothing for butchering too, they are kept out there. And I have different house slippers, shoes to wear in public, shoes fro light walking around outside, and shoes for heavy work. I even have different shoes for heavy work outside and butchering.

I rinse out the outside work clothes and hang them on the line to dry on a somewhat regular basis, especially the socks. Occasionally I'll bring them in to wash but that's not for stains, they last longer if the dirt is fully washed out. But I thoroughly rinse them to get the loose dirt out before I bring them in to wash. I'll rinse and then wash the butcher clothes to get the smell out. I'm not the least bit worried about stains on these. They are meant to get dirty, if people don't like it, too bad for them.
 

Carol Dee

Garden Master
Joined
Apr 28, 2011
Messages
12,961
Reaction score
20,355
Points
437
Location
Long Grove, IA
I do not worry about stains in work clothes! Just make sure I have CLEAN things in closet for public wear. I do get the accidental spill, etc... that spray 'n wash will not budge. Those I usually find AFTER the dryer. :( A friend recommends a bar of soap called Gender Bender made by Norwex. Pricey though.
 

Latest posts

Top