Getting Tumeric Stains Out of a T-shirt-Success!

Well, the brine reached a boil, and it was time to put the pickles in. We were running several batches of stuff, so the pickle pot was a super tall one, and it was a long drop from the bowl to the brine, which resulted in a decent splash. I was an idiot and didn’t wear a junk t-shirt, i wore one of my more favorite ones, which is sort of a mottled gray color. When the pickles hit the brine, the brine hit my shirt, and left large mustard colored stains.

I’ve heard, because tumeric was used as a fabric dye (for it’s excellent staining properties, and bright strong color), that it would be impossible to get the stains out of my shirt. I was a bit upset, and expected to have to send the shirt to the rag bin. But, we were still working on stuff. So, i dabbed at the stains with a bit of cold water, and the lemon scented dish soap that happened to be next to the sink, and went back outside to monitor the pickles (we boil them on the gas grill burner outside, so it doesnt stink up the house). I stood in the sun for maybe half an hour, and the wet spots from the soap and water dried. When i came back into the house, i noticed that the stains had faded. One was completely gone, and the other had turned a light pink.

Another quick dab with more water and dish soap, and another half hour out in the sun, and the stains were GONE!

So, any of you cooking with Tumeric, don’t despair. Apparently a little lemon scented palmolive, and some good old fashioned sunshine can save your clothes, and your kitchen towels and rags.