Red Clay soil is mainly found in Southern United States Of America and in a few areas close to Pennsylvania. Highly insoluble and very pigmented, this soil is quite a nuisance. This kind of soil usually develops in warm temperatures or moist climate.
Usually derived from the crystalline rock. It is known to leave very difficult to remove stains on almost everything it touches. Let’s deep dive into its effect on different things and how to get rid of it.
Red soil stains on concrete and the way to treat it:
Red soil contains iron oxide or rust that is highly insoluble. Upon coming in contact with water, red soil seeps deep into floors, including concrete and leaves a stain that is difficult to remove.
It spares none and leaves stains on floors.
Treat Red soil on concrete with a strong chemical and a power wash. As far as the chemical is concerned, it is advised to use a strong acidic base cleaner as red clay is deeply embedded in the concrete. Acidic cleaners make the red clay bubble up out of the concrete and removes it effectively.
This may take time, however, it is a very effective method of removing red clay stains. These stain remover chemicals are usually buffered with water and surfactants that ensure that the concrete does not get affected by the strong chemical. In the builder and concrete industry the below given steps are very essential to adhere to, as red clay soil can cause damages and not treating the same can discolour concrete permanently.
Steps to remove Red Clay stain from concrete:
Apply a strong red clay stain remover chemical using a strong hand spray. Choose your chemical basis the severity of the stain.
Let the solution sit for 3-4 minutes. It will be a soapy solution and in most cases will lather.
Rinse off the chemical using a strong water hose. Ensure that red clay is completely off the surface, as it may resettle on another part of the surface area.
Red soil stains on fabric and the way to treat it:
Red clay has a similar effect on fabrics(upholstery) or milder surfaces, however the way to treat it is different in some ways. Owing to the strong composition of clay, red soil stain removal is difficult as compared with anything else, as discussed above.
Red clay will instantly turn into mud when it comes in contact with water and hence, finds its way onto fabrics, baseball jerseys, even our driveway(when we walk bearing muddy shoes).
Steps to remove Red Clay stain from fabric/mild surfaces:
Let the clay dry up on the surface of the fabric. This allows the clay to form into a harder solid and helps us in removing it.
Scrape off the mud from the surface. If the stain is on upholstery or carpet, use a vacuum cleaner after scraping off the surface. This gets 50% of your job done.
Pretreat the stain with a stain removal solution. Apply the solution on a toothbrush and work the same on the stain. Leave the solution on the fabric for about 5-10 minutes. Different chemical detergents are supposed to be left on the stain for different times.
Leave liquid dishwashing detergent overnight onto the stain.
A paste of powdered dishwashing detergent and water should be left on the stain for about 2-3 hours.
Liquid oil soaps can be left for about 15 minutes on the stain to get perfect results.
Over and above all the methods listed above, natural methods like a cup of distilled white vinegar and 3 tablespoons of salt should be left for about an hour as it is a natural method of stain removal.
A powdered chemical free laundry detergent should be mixed with ammonia to create a paste. Be careful when mixing this, apply to stain for about 10 minutes.
A tablespoon of borax can be mixed with water and allowed to stay on the stain for about 15 minutes.
Lestoil also effectively removes red clay stains from fabrics. Pad lestoil and leave it on the stain for about 2 hours to see results.
Incase of fabric, wash the cloth with the warmest possible water as stipulated by the care label attached to it. If the stain is on carpet or upholstery(a harder material), use a damp white cloth and cool water. Remove the stain by dabbing the cloth in place of rubbing it, as rubbing the stain may spread it.
The next step is to line dry the stain. If the stain does not get treated, repeat the above process with a different detergent. Ensure to not run your detergent down a clothes dryer (until the stain has been treated again with another detergent), that will set the stain permanently.
Red soil carrying iron oxide, clings to fabrics, concrete etc in the form of rust, however, it is not impossible to remove it. With the correct approach and strategic cleaning(that follows process) stains can be removed easily. While some stains can only be removed using strong and mild chemicals only, try using natural cleaners like lime etc to remove stains at home.
