Ask Mrs. Clean: House Cleaning, Stain Removal and Organizing Tips

[NeedHelp]

Hello,

I am in charge of the washing my son's hockey team jerseys and a "C" was made out of black hockey tape and it was washed and dried with it on and now a there are black stains all over the jerseys. I need help!
I have tried using "pink solution" and left on stain over night but it did not work. Any suggestions?

Thanks for any help you can give me.

[NeedHelp]

I just want to add that the jersey is 100 % polyester.

[mrscleannw]

Hello NeedHelp,
Before washing any clothing read the garment label. It may have special instructions to follow that help with washing.

If the black stain seems to be oil based or coming from the tape adhesive, try using a product like Goop, Goof off, or another wax and grease remover product.

If the stain seems coming the the black tape dye then try stain-removal pretreatment products. Solvent-based stain removal agents can be helpful for stains older than 2 days.

Always test in an inconspicuous place before treating the garment. Never put stained clothing in the dryer, as the heat will "set" the stain.

Best of luck.
Mrs. Clean

[NeedHelp]

Hello Mrs. Clean,

Thank you so much for your help.
There is no stickiness to the stain. It seems more like the black dye. Could you give me an example "stain removal pretreatment product" or "solvent-based stain removal agent"?

[mrscleannw]

Hello,
Polyester is not the easiest fabric to remove stains from. Polyester is generally stain resistant for most things except oil based stains. I would encourage you to try one of the products suggested for oily stains first.

If that does not do the trick, you can try using hydrogen peroxide (3% medicinal grade). It is safe for all fabrics and will not yellow, damage, or degrade polyester. Pour hydrogen peroxide directly on the fabric, cover with a plastic; like saran wrap, then place a towel on top to keep the stained area dark. Hydrogen peroxide converts to plain water when in direct sunlight. Let sit for about an hour, remove the towel and plastic to see if the stain has lightened. If it has then repeat the process until the stain is completely removed.

The solvent based product you could try contains an ingredient called perchlorethlene. It is used in many retail products and is the same chemical that is used in dry cleaning. The solvent is available in most grocery stores in the cleaning/stain removal aisles.

Please check the fabric tag prior to trying these suggestions. One of these should help, but it depends on both the fabric and the specific stain properties.

Good luck and let me know if you have any further questions.