How to Get Mud Out of Clothes

How to Get Mud Stains Out of Clothes Quickly

We’re here to explain how to get mud out of clothes, so you can avoid costly replacements every other week.

Kids get muddy, it’s a fact of life.

It’s also a fact that during winter anybody who exercises outdoors is likely to come back with mud splats.

Or worse, a muddy bottom print from a slip in the mud.

Unfortunately, mud stains aren’t the easiest marks to remove.

Particularly on white or light-colored clothing.

Also, we don’t know if it’s something to do with water hardness or just pure witchcraft, but what works for one person won’t necessarily work for another.

So the team at Clean and Tidy Living have put together a variety of methods, using different products.

Hopefully, you’ll find the perfect method for you that works every single time.

Also, mud stains behave differently depending on whether they’ve been re-wet or not.

In this post, we’ll explain step by step the following situations:

Steps for Getting Mud Out of Clothes
How to Get Mud Out of Clothes Without Washing
Getting Mud Out of Clothes with Stain Remover
How to Get Mud Out of Clothes That Have Already Been Washed
How to Get Mud Out of Clothes Quickly
Mud Stain Removal FAQ’s

If you’ve found a mud stain, you’ll be glad to hear that the first thing you need to do is nothing!

Letting the mud stain dry completely without interfering with it will prevent the mud from rubbing deeper into the fibers.

Once it’s dried, you can crumble off the majority of the mud.

You’re then dealing with a much smaller stain than if you wet it and scrubbed it before letting it dry.

How to get mud stains out of clothes - Clean and Tidy Living

Steps for Getting Mud Out of Clothes

You will need: A soft-bristled brush (a toothbrush works great), dish soap, or hydrogen peroxide.

Let the mud dry. Scrape away, vacuum, or crumble off the dried mud.

Use a soft-bristled brush, like a toothbrush, to lift any loose dirt.

Apply dish soap or hydrogen peroxide* to the stain, let sit for a few minutes, add a drop of water, and brush in circular motions with a toothbrush.

Repeat this step until the stain is removed.

Wash the garment following the instructions on the tag but don’t choose a hot cycle above 40 degrees.

If the stain has completely gone, dry the garment how you normally would. Never put stained clothing in the dryer as it will cause it to set. If the stain remains, repeat steps 3-5 until there is no sign of the stain.

* Make sure your hydrogen peroxide is color-safe before using it on dark or colored clothing.

Getting Mud Out of Clothes with Stain Remover

If you trust your stain remover, then this can be an easier process.

After drying and lifting the dried dirt (steps 1-2 above) apply your stain removal treatment how you normally would, or follow the directions on the packet.

How to Get Mud Out of Clothes Without Washing

You will need: A soft-bristled brush (a toothbrush works great), dish soap, a stain remover spray or soak, or hydrogen peroxide.

Cold rinse the mud garment in the sink as soon as you find the stain (ideally it’s still wet and not set into the fabric). Leave it to soak for longer if it has dried.

Depending on the size of the stain, either spot-treat or soak the garment.

Spot treating: apply dish soap, hydrogen peroxide, or your favorite stain remover to the mud stain. For a DIY stain remover, use dish soap or hydrogen peroxide. Brush with a toothbrush and blot away the stain, repeating until it has completely gone.

Soaking a larger stain: add a stain remover like OxiClean or Shout to warm water (following guidelines) and leave to soak, rubbing the fabric with a toothbrush occasionally to help lift the stain. For a DIY stain remover, use dish soap or hydrogen peroxide.

Once you’ve removed the stain you can launder it as normal and repeat the soak/spot-treat process until the stain has completely gone. The very last step should be drying the garment.

How to Get Mud Out of Clothes That Have Already Been Washed

If you’ve washed your clothes before discovering a pesky mud stain, then the stain removal process is a bit different.

As you’ve probably realized, the washing and drying process can cause the stain to set.

But, luckily, removing a set stain isn’t too difficult. Try using one of these hacks and see whether they work for you.

Rub a little bit of liquid detergent, or dish detergent, directly onto the stain, let it soak in and then run it through the washer again.

Try using a stain-removal spray or stick, following the given directions.

A weird one – some people swear by using hand sanitizer for removing stains. Try saturating the stain with hand sanitizer, leaving to sit for a few minutes, and follow your normal launder process.

How to Get Mud Out of Clothes Quickly

We’ll keep this short as you’re probably in a rush.

To get mud stains out of clothes quickly, apply a minimal amount of dish soap or hand sanitizer to the stain, take a wet toothbrush and gently brush and blot the stain until it has completely gone. Rinse away the residue of whatever product you used and use a paper towel or towel to blot the garment dry.

If you happen to have some hydrogen peroxide to hand, then this also works well.

Mud Stain Removal FAQ’s

Are Mud Stains Permanent?

If you don’t act to remove a mud stain, then it probably won’t be going anywhere. However, if you take action and apply a stain treatment or other detergent then you have a fair chance of shifting that unsightly mark.

Will Vinegar Remove Mud Stains?

Vinegar is great at removing grease and suds due to its acidity. It’s not great at removing mud stains. However, vinegar is brilliant at removing the soap used to remove the mud stains.

Final Thoughts on How to Get Mud Out of Clothes – Ultimate Guide to Removing Mud Stains

Well, that’s a wrap on how to get mud out of clothes.

We hope that at least one of these tactics has worked for you, and your clothes are back to looking brand new again.

As we mentioned before, one method of stain removal might work every time for one person, but won’t make a dent for another household.

At Clean and Tidy Living, we think that it may have something to do with the hardness of the water, but this is a guess.

You will be glad to hear that it is definitely possible to remove mud stains from clothes.

As long as you act fairly quickly with the right products before it goes in the dryer, you should be able to remove any dark marks.

This means that there’s no need to replace the kid’s school uniforms every month!

Whoever thought white was a good color for children’s uniforms or sports kits clearly never had to do the laundry!

We hope that our tips have been helpful and you’ve enjoyed reading this guide to mud stains.

We have plenty more tips for a clean and tidy life here on our site, so check out our similar posts below.

How to Get Mud Out of Clothes – Guide to Removing Mud Stains