Once in a while, you will be required to add wiper fluid to your car. When adding the wiper fluid, there is a chance that the fluid might splatter on your clothes and leave stains. The good news is that you can get wiper fluid out of clothes using different methods.
The best way to get windshield wiper fluid stains out of clothes is to immediately wash the stain with soap and water when it’s still fresh. To remove old wiper fluid stains, mix 2 tablespoons of vinegar and dish soap with warm water and soak the clothing in the solution for at least half an hour. Thereafter, wash the clothes in a normal wash cycle in the washer.
In this article, you will understand what makes wiper fluid stain clothes. After that, you will learn different methods that can be used to remove wiper fluid stains from clothes. Lastly, you will get tips for getting wiper fluid out of other items such as carpets and seats.
Does Windshield Wiper Fluid Stain Clothes?
Wiper fluid can stain clothes, as is the case with other car maintenance fluids. However, even if the fluid can stain the clothes, you can remove the stains from the clothes with the proper stain treatment.
The main reason wiper fluid stains clothes is because the fluid comprises a brightly colored liquid made from methanol which is toxic alcohol. Even if the methanol in the washer fluid can stain clothes, it is the dye that gives the fluid color that is mainly responsible for the washer fluid stains on your clothes.
As you must have already noted, the wiper fluid stain on your clothes is similar to the color of the wiper fluid. For example, if your wiper fluid is red, then the stain of the wiper fluid on your clothes will be red. Likewise, if the wiper fluid is blue, then the color of the wiper fluid stain on your clothes is going to be blue.
Apart from wiper fluid staining your clothes, at times, the stained section of your clothing might look as if it has been bleached. That is the case because methanol in the windshield fluid has some traces of mild bleach. However, as you will find out in this article, different methods can be used to remove windshield wiper fluid stains from your clothes.
Does Windshield Wiper Fluid Come Out Of Clothes?
When treated correctly, windshield wiper fluids can come out of clothes. Like most alcohol-based stains, wiper fluid can leave a colored spot on a fabric that does not come out quickly in a regular wash cycle. However, by using commercial stain remover, you might remove the stains.
Therefore, it is essential to ensure that you use the proper stain treatment method to remove the stain. If the wrong stain removing process is used, you could end up making the stain permanent.
If you notice the washer fluid stain when it’s still fresh, you might be able to remove the stain by washing the stain with water and soap or by just washing the stained clothes in a normal wash cycle in the washer. However, if the wiper fluid stain is old, you will need to treat the stain to remove it effectively.
That is the case because when a stain is fresh, the stain molecules are yet to settle inside the fibers of your clothing, thus making them easy to remove. In addition, when removing the stains in your clothes, make sure that you only dry the stained clothes after you have confirmed that the stain has been entirely removed.
If you dry your clothes when the wiper fluid stains are still there, there is a high chance that the stain would become permanent since the heat in the dryer will push the stain molecules further into the fibers, thus making the stains almost impossible to remove.
How To Remove Windshield Wiper Fluid Stain From Clothes
Different methods can be used to get windshield wiper fluid from your clothes. Read through the various techniques, and then choose the method that you are most comfortable with.
Dish Soap And White Vinegar
You can use a mixture of dish soap, water, and white vinegar to remove the wiper fluid stain from your clothes.
Dish soap is an effective stain remover since the surfactants and other chemicals in the soap are specifically formulated to break down oils and other food particles that could be stuck on the dishes. Thus, dish soap will be crucial in getting into the wiper fluid molecules and breaking down the stain molecules.
Vinegar has an acid that makes it good for removing stains. Specifically, the acidity in vinegar can break down the stain molecules and thus makes the stains easy to remove.
When vinegar and dish soap and mixed with water and the stained garment is soaked in the solution, the stains can be effectively removed.
What You’ll Require
Dish soap
Warm water
Washbasin
White vinegar
Teaspoon
Procedure
Step 1: Mix warm water with dish soap and white vinegar
Pour warm water into the washbasin. Mix the warm water with two teaspoons of dish soap and two teaspoons of white vinegar. Use your water to ensure that the vinegar and dish soap is thoroughly mixed with the water.
Step 2: Soak the stained clothing in the solution
Put the stained clothing in the washbasin with the solution and let the stained section soak in the solution for at least one hour. You must make sure that the stains section of your garment is thoroughly soaked in the solution for one hour so that vinegar and dish soap can work on the stains.
Step 3: Wash the stained clothing
After soaking the clothing for one hour, wash the clothing in a standard wash cycle setting. You can also hand wash the clothing in case you don’t want to wash the clothes in the washer.
Step 4: Air dry the clothes
After washing the clothes, air dry the clothes on a clothesline. Do not throw the clothes in the dryer since if you put them in the dryer and the stains are still there, the stains are likely to become permanent. When air drying, make sure you don’t dry the clothes in direct sunlight to avoid sun bleaching.
If you find that the stains are still there after drying the clothes, you should repeat the stain removal process.
Use Dye Fixative
A dye fixative is used to enhance wash fastness, wetness, resistance to perspiration staining, and resistance to seawater fading. Thus, when removing windshield wiper fluid stains from clothes, dye fixatives could be used to remove the stains.
What You’ll Require
Dye fixative (colored clothes) or dye remove (whites)
Water
Soft bristle brush or a spare toothbrush
Craft table or a flat surface
Mixing bowl
Procedure
Step 1: Mix water and dye remover or dye fixative in a small bowl
In a mixing bowl, mix water and dye remover or dye fixative, depending on the color of your clothing. If the cloth stained with the wiper fluid is white, you need a dye remover, while if the stained clothes are colored, a dye fixative will be fine.
Step 2: Place the stained cloth on a craft table or flat surface
Find out the specific section of your clothing stained by the wiper fluid and place the clothing on top of the craft table with the stain facing upward.
Step 3: Apply the mixture of water and dye remover or dye fixer on top of the stain
With the stained clothing placed on top of the craft table, apply the mixture of water and dyer remover or dye fixer on top of the stain. Let the solution sit on the stain for at least 30 minutes. The 30 minutes are essential in ensuring that you’re the special chemicals in the dye fixer of dye remover work on the windshield wiper fluid and break down the stain molecules.
Step 4: Using a soft bristle brush, gently scrub the stain
Use the soft bristle brush to scrub the stain gently. If you don’t have a soft bristle brush, you can use an old toothbrush to scrub the solution into the stain.
Step 5: Wash and rinse your clothes
After you have scrubbed the stain with the soft bristle brush and are sure that the stain has been completely removed from the clothing, wash and rinse the cloth in a normal wash cycle. If you are unsure about the ideal wash cycle to clean the stained fabric, you should use a gentle wash cycle.
Step 6: Dry the clothes
After you have washed the clothes, you should air-dry the clothes instead of using a dryer. If you use a dryer and the wiper fluid stain has not been entirely removed, the stain will set in and become permanent.
By air drying the clothes, you will be able to repeat the stain removal process and remove the stains if they were not completely removed in the initial stain removal process.
How To Remove Windshield Wiper Fluid Stain From Carpet Or Upholstery
If your carpet or upholstery has windshield wiper fluid stains, you can use a mixture of vinegar and handwashing soap or a mixture of vinegar and liquid hand washing detergent to remove the stains.
What You’ll Require
White Vinegar
Liquid dish soap or liquid hand washing detergent
Tablespoon to measure
Warm Water
Clean towels
Procedure
Step 1: Mix Liquid dish soap or liquid hand washing detergent with warm water
Mix one tablespoon of liquid dish soap or liquid hand washing detergent with two cups of warm water. It is important you make sure that the washing detergent has been well mixed with the warm water.
Step 2: Use the clean towel to sponge the stain with the solution
Soak the towel with the solution made in step 1 and use the towel to sponge the stain on the carpet or upholstery with the detergent solution.
Step 3: Blot Until the Wiper Fluid is Fully Absorbed
With the towel, blot until the wiper fluid on your carpet or upholstery has been fully absorbed by the towel and removed from the surface.
Step 4: Use a clean towel to remove the solution from the surface
Use a damp clean towel to blot dry and get rid of any detergent solution that could be on your carpet or upholstery.
Conclusion
Wiper fluid splatter can leave stains on fabrics that might not come out easily using regular washing methods. However, by using dish soap, liquid hand washing detergent, and vinegar, you can easily get the stains out quickly.
To ensure that you remove the stains with ease, you should always try to remove the stains when they are fresh.
Indeed, if you have fresh windshield wiper fluid stains on your clothes, you remove the stain by washing the fresh stain with soap and water or just washing the clothes in the washer.
