I would try a clorox bleach pen. You can get them in most grocery stores. Most hardware stores too. With the pen, you can really localize the clorox to a very small area.

I thought bleach took out any stain. You just need to watch not to leave it on too long. I would put it on and set a timer for 30 minutes and check. Bet its all gone by that time. Then wash to make sure you get all the bleach out so it doesn't weaken the fabric too much. Good luck whatever you try. If you've tried something else and it worked, let us hear about it.

(I'm assuming that your jeans have a high amount of cotton content. If not, then maybe bleach won't work. Maybe try small undeside of fabric first to make sure it doesn't turn it to some other weird color. I've had bleach turn polyester panties, a shade of blue in spots where applied. )

--Alice

Clorox wont' remove rust.....try wetting it with lemon juice, rubbing in some salt and then pouring boiling water through the stain, while it's stretched over a bowl./
If that doesn't do it, get some commercial rust remover.
Linda C

Iron Out! Comes in dry or liquid. Works wonders, follow instructions tho.
Kathy G in MI

If all else fails, try white vinegar... took most rust stains out of a light grey carpet I have.

Whink makes a product called Rust Stain Remover (imagine that). It works great. It's in a brown squeeze bottle. Just squirt a little on the stain, then wash as usual.
Leslie

Whink (as Leslie says) It's the best!

Try a lemon, too. Squeeze lemon juice on the stain and let sit in soapy water, then wash by hand. Alternatively, hydrogen peroxide/dishwashing liquid as a prewash.

I have used CLR on white and khaki pants and it comes right out. However, it is no good for colored clothes. Bleach will not work and will set the rust stain.

Jen, It would be great if you would post back and let us know what worked. Lots of interesting suggestions.

Margaret6a, why do you say bleach will set the stain? I don't disagree. Just wondering why. I have old rust stains on white scrubs, soaked in bleach many times for other stains. All came out except the rust. Luckily it is near waistband so I just wear shirts outside. Sandy

Whoops. Didn't notice this was from July '05!

Still a good topic to revisit though.........

The only thing that will get rust stains out is a product with oxalic acic in it. Read labels. Zud is one product that has it and I have used it for rust stains on clothes.

Bleach will not work.

Whink rust remover has hydrofluoric acid and it really works too.

The key to removing rust is to have a powerful acid -- that's why Zud & Whink and, to a lesser extent, lemon juice work. With Zud or Whink, it's important to use gloves.

I used mold killer and it was gone in seconds.

Sooooo glad to run across this, used bar keepers friend on a dry toothbrush and just a few rubs and it came out, perfectly!! My stains were like train tracks across both legs from throwing the jeans over a the rail on my stairs to dry. have done this 100 times, no idea why it stained this time, but the bar keeper's friend got all of it out.

didi seven, worked fantastically, i just squirted some on, used a scrub brush and the stains came right off. bleach would not work at all

OMG! I tried everything and then I saw your post. Tried the Bar Keeper's Friend on my brand-spankin-new white jeans and it instantly came out. Yeah! and Thanks.

Another vote for Bar Keeper's Friend. My jeans are 98% cotton & 2% spandex. Follow drknockout's directions (August 4, 2007) to the letter -- and don't skimp -- you need to scrub for the full 60 seconds. It's magic! Thank you "dr" wherever you are. :)

Many thanks for the Bar Keeper's Friend (oxalic acid) suggestion. I just used it on white jeans that had a small rust colored stain. I had previously tried Shout, Bleach...etc to no avail. Less than 30 seconds of BKF and a little toothbrush and the stain lifted like magic. No kidding. I am so happy :)

Also, the bleach did not set my stain, so that's good. I noticed that when I tried bleach, the area around the stain took on a bluish tone. I quickly washed the jeans (cold water, line dry). The bleach did nothing.