Fixing a Running Problem

This isn’t about running form or sore feet or chafing.

No, this is about another running problem: Rust stains.

Sometimes you’re given bum safety pins to attach the race bib to your shirt. Unfortunately, you don’t know that you have bum safety pins until after you remove the pins and find that your massive amounts of sweat have left this on your shirt:

Bummer.

That’s what happened to The Boy. On a new running shirt. He asked me if I could figure out how to remove the stain.

Let me tell you, it’s never a good thing when the first Google result tells you that “Rust stains are among the most difficult to remove from clothing.”

Right then I was determined to conquer the rust – for The Boy and for my pride.

After the required “difficult” disclaimer, Google told me to try a combination of salt, lemon juice and sunshine.

First, sprinkle salt on the stains:

Then add lemon juice:

Set the garment in direct sunlight until the juice dries.

Then wash as normal. Before I tossed the shirt in the dryer (after which any remaining stain would have been set for-ev-er), I took a look.

What do you know? No stain.

VICTORY!!!

My required disclaimer: I would be nervous about trying this technique on a colored shirt, as the treatment would probably discolor the material.

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