Does This Bizarre Onion Hack Actually Get Rid Of Tough Scorch Marks On Clothing?

When you're ironing and trying to quickly banish wrinkles from your clothes, it can be easy to accidentally scorch the fabric, leaving a pesky mark. These burn marks can also occur from your dryer being too hot. Some online forums and blogs claim that you can remove the discolored scorched spot with just an onion. The theory is that the sulfenic acid from the onion will remove the carbon from the burn, making the spot disappear.

For this hack, you simply need to cut a white onion and rub it over the scorch mark, so that the onion juice gets all over the stain. Some online sources suggest leaving the onion cut-side-down on the scorched area for several hours before rinsing in cold water and washing. While this seems like an easy and inexpensive way to deal with burns on your clothes, there doesn't seem to be any scientific evidence to back up this claim. While you could try this as an experiment, you might end up having to find another option to help remove dryer burn marks from clothing.

Even if you find the best way to iron your clothes, mistakes and scorch marks can happen. Though onions are sometimes recommended to remedy the problem, there is controversy about if this old wives tale is actually capable of removing burn marks. While one dry cleaning and laundry company states that this hack is a myth, another endorses it. Because there's no real research about onions and scorch marks, this method is not guaranteed to work and it may be best to try something more reliable.

If you don't want to waste time testing if onions can really get rid of scorch marks, reach for a bottle of peroxide. With more mild marks, simply pour a bit of 3% hydrogen peroxide over the area, leave it for a few minutes, and rinse with cold water to see if the mark is lifting. More serious scorches may require you to leave a rag soaked in peroxide on the area, place a dry cloth on top, and then iron again before rinsing. In some cases, the fabric may be too scorched or actually burnt and won't be able to be fixed.