Whether you’ve muddied up your fresh kicks, your new trousers, or your favorite carpet: here’s how to get mud out of clothes, rugs, and fabrics.
It happens to all of us: it’s been a bit rainy, we’ve enjoyed ourselves outside and we’re covered in mud splatters and mud stains. The good news is it’s not impossible to remove the stains, and might just require what you already have in your household. For instance, one product that can cut through the stains pretty efficiently is your standard dishwashing detergent!
If you don’t use your own homemade detergent, we recommend using store-bought laundry cleaners very carefully. Check out the EWG’s recommendations for natural laundry products.
How you treat a mud mark depends on where it has landed, how it has formed, and its color. When dirt turns into mud, water makes it go deeper into your clothing fibers. Mud aka soil is made up of decomposed organic matter and therefore should initially be treated like blood or any other protein stain e.g. sweat. In this article, we will break down how to get mud out of clothes, rugs, and fabrics so you can enjoy all the wild camping weekends and other outdoor adventures you want.
How to Get Mud Out of Clothes
You’ve just come back from your outdoor excursion and can’t seem to get the mud splatters out of your clothes? Here’s how to get fresh mud out of your clothes quickly:
Step 1: What does the mud stain look like? Is it dark mud or red mud?
Step 2: Let it dry, though it may seem odd – letting the mud stain dry will enable you to remove it more easily without rubbing it further into your piece of clothing.
Step 3: Depending on the type of mud follow the steps below.
Dark Mud
Using a rounded blunt knife, scrape away as much dried mud as you can. Rub laundry detergent into the stain and leave for 15 minutes. Next scrub with a wet toothbrush on both sides of the fabric. You can now put it in the machine as usual but wash it separately. You can repeat this process multiple times to ensure the mud has gone. The easiest way to tell this is by checking it after air drying.
Red Mud
A similar process to that of dark mud: dry the mud, scrape it with a blunt knife but instead of laundry detergent use liquid dish soap and leave overnight before scrubbing both sides of the fabric. Machine wash as per usual, again separately from other clothes.
For any long-lasting stains, apply a natural bleach alternative and machine wash again separately. You can make this with:
- 2 cups of 3% hydrogen peroxide
- 2/3 cup of washing soda
- 4 cups of warm water
- 10 drops of lemon essential oil
Repeat the process as needed and air dry to ensure no stain remains.
How to Get Mud Out of a Rug
Carpets made of silk and wool work better when professionally cleaned. For all others, here are our tips on how to clean mud out of a carpet or rug:
As above, allow the mud to dry. Next gently scrape off the mud from the carpet. Using your vacuum try to suck up as much of the dried mud stain as possible.
The remaining muddy mark can be removed with a steam cleaner or by dabbing with a wet cloth covered with a few drops of dishwashing detergent. Rinse the detergent out of the carpet with another damp cloth and a clean towel to blot dry.
How to Get Mud Out of Fabric
For any upholstery like a fabric couch or car seats, you can follow the same steps above. But fabric shoes require a different process:
First, let the mud dry, and then wipe with a dry paper towel to remove what you can. Next, make a small bowl of warm soapy water and dip a toothbrush in it and lightly scrub the fabric. Follow the gran of the fabric to avoid spotting.
Rinse off any remaining soapy residue with a new damp paper towel. You might need to repeat this a few times to clean the entire shoe. Finally, blot dry with some dry paper towels and leave to dry away from direct heat and sunlight. You can also stuff some paper towels in the toes or heels to help the shoes hold their shape until dry.
Read more:
- Baking Soda Carpet Cleaner: A Simple DIY Recipe
- Citric Acid for Cleaning: Practical Household Uses
- How To Remove Coffee Stains Without Chemicals: Tips and Tricks
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