How to Remove Mehndi, Haldi, Oil and Makeup Stains From Clothes in Pakistan: Methods for Every Wedding Stain

Treat a wedding stain within the first few hours, from the back of the fabric, with cold water. Mehndi and haldi need cold water and liquid detergent, then sunlight for haldi. Oil and qorma gravy need talcum powder first, then dishwashing liquid. Makeup needs a drop of dishwashing liquid dabbed, never rubbed. Silk, chiffon and embroidered outfits go to a dry cleaner. Never use hot water or an iron on a stain you have not removed, because heat sets it.

Wedding season means mehndi on cuffs, haldi on a mayun kurta, qorma oil on a sherwani and foundation on a dupatta. Most of these come out at home if you act fast and use the right method. This guide lists each stain, the method that suits it, and when to stop and take the outfit to a dry cleaner instead.

Before you start, read the care label. Our care label symbols chart explains every icon. For what to wear to each function, see our winter wedding guest outfit guide.

First steps for any stain

Lift off what you can, blot with a clean white cloth, rinse from the back with cold water, and test any cleaner on a hidden seam first. Do not rub, and do not put the garment in a hot wash or under an iron until the stain is gone.

1. Scrape and blot. Lift solid bits off with a spoon edge. Blot liquid with a white cloth or tissue. Rubbing pushes the stain deeper.
2. Rinse from the back. Hold the stain under cold running water from the reverse side, so it flushes out the way it came in.
3. Test first. Put a drop of your cleaner on an inside seam. Wait five minutes. If the colour moves, stop and go to a dry cleaner.
4. Treat, then wash. Apply the method for your stain below, then wash as the label allows.
5. Check before drying. If any mark is left, repeat the treatment. Heat from drying or ironing can make it permanent.

Remove mehndi and haldi stains

Mehndi (henna) and haldi (turmeric) are natural dyes, so speed matters. Rinse in cold water, work in liquid detergent with your fingers, leave for 15 to 30 minutes, and wash. For haldi on white or light cotton, drying in direct sun helps fade the yellow mark.

Mehndi: scrape off dried paste first, outside, so the powder does not spread. Rinse in cold water from the back. Dab liquid detergent into the mark and leave it. On white cotton that can be bleached, an oxygen bleach soak, following its pack instructions, helps with a faint orange shadow. Avoid chlorine bleach on coloured clothes.

Haldi: mayun clothes often carry large yellow patches. Rinse cold, then work in liquid detergent or a paste of detergent powder and water. Wash, then dry the garment in sunlight if the label allows. Turmeric's colour fades in strong light. Do not dry dark or bright fabrics in the sun for long, as they fade too.

Remove oil, gravy and food stains

Oil from qorma, biryani or halwa needs a powder before any water. Sprinkle talcum powder or cornflour on the spot, leave it for 20 to 30 minutes to soak up oil, brush it off, then work in a drop of dishwashing liquid and rinse. Dishwashing liquid is made to break down grease.

For curry stains with haldi and chilli in them, treat the oil first, then the colour as for haldi above. On a sherwani or prince coat, only blot and powder, then let a dry cleaner finish the job, because these are usually lined and structured.

Sweet stains, such as kheer or soft drinks, come out with cold water and detergent. Treat them anyway, because sugar can turn brown with time and heat.

Remove makeup and lipstick stains

Foundation and powder come off a collar or dupatta with a drop of dishwashing liquid or micellar water, dabbed with a cotton pad from the outside of the stain inwards. Lipstick and kajal are oily, so blot with a tissue first, then use dishwashing liquid, and rinse with cold water.

• Foundation on a collar: dab dishwashing liquid, leave 10 minutes, rinse cold, then wash.
• Lipstick: blot, then dab dishwashing liquid. Do not rub, because the colour spreads.
• Kajal and mascara: treat like oil. A little micellar water on a pad lifts most of it.
• Perfume marks on silk: do not wet them at home. Take the outfit to a dry cleaner.

Pin the dupatta away from the face and put on perfume before you dress. That prevents most of these marks.

Silk, chiffon and embroidered outfits need a dry cleaner

Blot and stop. Silk, chiffon, organza, velvet and anything with zari, sequins or tilla work can lose colour, shrink or tarnish if washed or rubbed at home. Tell the dry cleaner what the stain is and when it happened, because the treatment differs for oil, dye and food.

Before you store wedding outfits after the season, make sure they are clean. Hidden stains turn yellow and attract moths. Our stored clothes guide explains how to store them, and our khaddar washing guide covers everyday suits.

Common questions

How do I remove a mehndi stain from clothes?

Scrape off the dry paste, rinse from the back with cold water, dab liquid detergent and leave it for 15 to 30 minutes, then wash. Never use hot water first.

Does sunlight remove haldi stains?

On white or light cotton it helps. Turmeric's yellow fades in strong light. Wash the garment first, then dry it in the sun if the label allows.

How do I get oil out of a kameez?

Cover the spot with talcum powder or cornflour for 20 to 30 minutes, brush it off, then work in dishwashing liquid and rinse before washing.

Can I remove a stain from a silk or embroidered outfit at home?

Only blot it. Washing or rubbing can damage silk, chiffon and zari work. Take it to a dry cleaner and say what the stain is.

Why should I not iron a stained garment?

Heat can set many stains, especially food, oil and dye. Check the stain is gone before ironing or drying with heat.