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

[joeyb]

i shot a paintball gun at a target leaned up against our 1984 winebego. the fish oil from the paintballs has soaked into the old fiberglass and wont come out. i have tried oops stain removal, goo-gone, dishwashing detergent, car cleaner, etc. I cant find anything that will work. please help me.

[mrscleannw]

Hi Joeyb,
Welcome to Mrs. Clean!

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. Now that may be true, but it can stain or damage home siding, car finishes, and as you have discovered, fiberglass. Over time, small pits, or pores open in the fiberglass, and it allows material to seep in the cracks and stains to be set.

The fiberglass siding on the R.V. is made from a mixture of glass fibers in a plastic resin. Fiberglass is easily scratched, so do not use any scrubbies or harsh abrasives or you risk further damaging the appearance.

You have used several detergents and cleaners on the stain already- So I?m assuming that not much of the oil residue remains, and you are left with the dye stain.

If this is not correct, then make sure you use a mild detergent and warm water and wash the siding until no oil residue remains.

The first thing I?d like you to try 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.

You?ll need to moisten a rag with the solution, and find a way to keep the rag on the vertical surface. You might want to try my husband?s favorite fix-it tool- Duct tape - to keep the rag up.

Check the stain after 12 hours or so, and add more hydrogen peroxide if necessary. This will 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 stains from fiberglass.

These are using much stronger chemicals, so be sure to test them first in an inconspicuous spot and use all necessary safety precautions.

Tar and paint stains can be removed with plain unscented nail polish remover, or paint thinner. The active ingredient is called acetone. Do be careful when using this and do not get it on any additional surfaces.

Another tip would be to try dry cleaning solvent (available in the grocery store in the cleaning section) and gently dab at the stain with a clean cotton rag.

I hope this helps.

Good luck!

[joeyb]

ok thank you!! ill get right on it