What to Do If Plasticine Is Washed Out
Jolie Kerr is a cleaning expert, advice columnist, and New York Times bestselling author of My Boyfriend Is Boiling In My Purse … And Other Things You Can’t Ask Martha About . Her flagship column, Ask a Pure Man, debuted in 2011. Here at Offspring we’ve launched a new iteration dedicated to parenting and all the mess it brings.
The plasticine was left in the pocket of his trousers, and then was washed – now an oily stain has appeared on the outside of the trousers (also in the pocket, but I don’t care). OxiClean didn’t work, Spray ‘N Wash, Tide Pen didn’t work either.
I know you know that checking your pockets is what you should be doing and so I’m not going to get into a song and dance about it, but I have to mention it because otherwise someone will say, “YOU SAID “ATTENTION CHECKING POCKETS WHAT EXPERT ARE YOU? “The thing is, I’m an expert who lives here in the real world with all of you, and I know that sometimes we don’t always check our pockets before we throw things in the wash. This will happen! And when that inevitably happens, here are the products and methods you’ll want to know about for handling things when clay, chapstick, or other substances containing oils go through the wash.
Pine Sol / Lestoil: While we mainly think of Pine Sol and its more esoteric counterpart, Lestoil, as products used for cleaning floors, they do a great job of removing stains, especially when it comes to greasy and oily stains. One caveat about using these products in laundry is that the odor tends to persist if you have an HE washing machine, so you can opt for an alternative grease remover product if you have one of these machines.
To use Pine Sol or Lestoil, apply a small amount of the product directly to the stain and wash the garment as usual.
Cornstarch: Cornstarch , talc and arrowroot can be used to remove greasy stains from fabrics and is an excellent choice for items that cannot be washed or for treating old and stubborn greasy stains.
You need to lay out your clothes and place an anthill-shaped mound of cornstarch on the stain. Let it rest for an hour or night, then brush off the cornstarch or throw it in the trash. Remains of cornstarch can only be wiped off the fabric with a slightly damp cloth.
Prolonged Soak : We talked about soaking heavily soiled clothing in detergent and oxygen bleach (which is color safe and can be used with whites, colors and darks) in the column about disposing of clothes that have been dried and come out with lingering stains. While this option is better for treating stubborn food stains and general chafing, it can also be used for stubborn greasy stains.
Fels Naptha: Fels Naptha is what is known as a “bar of soap” – it is simply a bar of soap that is used to remove stains from clothing. It’s a pretty heavy material, so it’s worth adding to your arsenal of stain removers (plus it’s cheap and doesn’t take up a lot of space!)
To use it, you will wet the bar and rub it on the soiled part of your garment, which can then be washed normally. It can also help, especially with stubborn and especially tough stains such as oil and grease, using a laundry brush (a nail brush or an old toothbrush can be used as a laundry brush) to apply the cleaner to the stain before washing.
K2r: I left the best for last! There is a product called K2r that I have been recommending ever since a reader told me she used it to successfully remove a bike grease stain from a Coach fabric bag . Well, I recently heard from another reader that she used K2r to treat oily and greasy stains from passing through the dryer. Here’s what she shared:
During what I call the 2015 chapstick incident, I tried many options for removing chapstick from all items that now had a few greasy stains. The only thing that worked for me was K2r. It was a real sanity saver and I continue to use it to remove stains that appear on items that have gone through the dryer.
This is how I use it: Take the item out of the dryer. See Greasy Spot. Cry. Remember that I have a K2r and I put the item in a to-K2r stack (my boyfriend is an amateur machinist who uses a lot of chapstick and I love to cook, hence the need for a stack). Treat the stain in a well-ventilated area, spray on the product and allow to dry as directed. Scrub off the hardened powder with a washing brush, because the one that comes with the jar is very tough and can damage the fabric. Spray some Shout (I feel better!) And wash as usual. Dry air.
In your interview with Fresh Air, I heard that you mentioned K2r in the context of cleaning upholstery, but I wanted to let you know how effective it was for me in removing greasy stains on clothes. Hope this is helpful!
It was very helpful! I like it when people share with me their success stories in cleaning – if you have one, please email me about it by e-mail !