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

[JaronDaWizard]

My brother used my soccer cleats for a paintball game and got paintball stains all over the vinyl parts of the cleats. I've tried a various number of cleaning agents ranging from degreasers, acetone, all the way to paint thinner and I still can't get the stains out. Does anybody know how to remove paintball stains from vinyl surfaces, especially those found on items like soccer cleats and other ahtletic footwear?

[mrscleannw]

Hello JaronDaWizard and welcome to Mrs. Clean’s Forum!

Paintballs contain a mixture of strong food grade dye and a mixture of oil, glycerin, and sometimes wax. They are usually biodegradable and nontoxic. Paintball manufactures state that the dye used won’t stain clothing or skin but I’m sure that you would disagree with that at this point! Most people that are paint ball enthusiasts recommend just a mild detergent and warm water and wash until the stain is totally gone. I assume that you’ve already tried this, but wanted to start with the mildest, most recommended method first.

If that has not worked, try hydrogen peroxide. This may seem strange, but trust me on this: Use plain medicinal strength hydrogen peroxide. I once spilled an entire can of orange soda on my light gray carpet and did not notice the stain until it had dried. Steam cleaning and all the miracle stain removers did not budge the bright orange neon spot. But when I poured hydrogen peroxide on the stain it began to disappear. It was completely gone after 48 hours.
It is not necessary to rinse it off or take any special precautions as hydrogen peroxide converts to plain water with exposure to sunlight (hence the dark bottle it comes in) So you’ll need to do what you can to minimize light exposure.

Directions:
You’ll need to moisten a rag with the solution, and find a way to keep the rag on the stain.
Check the stain after 12 hours or so, and add more hydrogen peroxide if necessary. This should remove the stain if you can keep the solution moist and as dark as possible.

I also checked around and found a few other tips to remove paintball stains. These methods use much stronger chemicals, so be sure to test them first in an inconspicuous spot and use all necessary safety precautions.

Goof Off: Some claim that “Goof Off” will do the trick. This product is quite popular and is found in most stores.

KIWI Sport Shoe Stuff Scrub-Off Heavy Duty Cleaner is a popular product and may work for this type of stain. After you scrub, rinse off the soap from the shoes immediately.

Cream of Tartar: first make a solution of one part cream of tartar to two parts very hot water. Soak the shoes in the solution for one half to one and a half hours. After that, rinse the shoes under running water.

Glygerine: rub glycerin into the stained area with a soft cloth.

Ammonia and meat tenderizer are particularly effective to remove red stains from shoes.

Starch & Glycerine: first sprinkle the marks heavily with starch. Next, rub the area with a clean cloth soaked in glycerin.

Head & Shoulders: A very easy way to remove an oil stain from shoes is to use a strong astringent shampoo to the stain and scrub it with a firm-bristled brush.

If nothing seems to take the stain totally out, you may have to continue to use whatever method faded the stain the most as it may take numerous cleanings before the stain is totally gone.

Let us know what worked for you so we can pass this on to other paintball enthusiasts.
Good luck!
Mrs. Clean