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iamthesponge
New Pal
10 Posts |
 Posted - 03/08/2006 : 12:30:48 PM
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I was drinking coffee while driving and spilled some on my wool sweater (not handmade, thank goodness, but brand new). I wasn't able to mop it up until I got home. I rinsed the sweater, but the stain remained. I tried rubbing in a little Wool Mix, letting it sit, and then giving it a soak. The stain was better but still clearly visible. I tried the same approach with a little color-safe bleach (Cheer), and the stain was again, better, but still visible (and a lot of color bled into the soak water). Is there another product/approach I can try that will be effective while gentle on the sweater? (My Googling the topic has resulted in more ads than helpful info).
Thanks,
sponge |
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westcoastchica
Seriously Hooked
Canada
788 Posts |
Posted - 03/08/2006 : 12:39:25 PM
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No idea... I usually soak stained items in OxyClean for a while (the whole garment, spot-treating sometimes leaves discoloration), but I've never tried it with wool.
(This is why I never drink/eat and drive in the car... I'm a total spilly-pants.)
http://sapphyreknits.blogspot.com/ |
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silfert
Chatty Knitter
USA
136 Posts |
Posted - 03/08/2006 : 12:51:05 PM
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| I haven't tried it myself, but I've heard good things about Eucalan Wool Wash. Google it and see what you think. The site says they'll even send you a free sample. Anybody else tried it? |
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MeezieGirl
Seriously Hooked
USA
623 Posts |
Posted - 03/08/2006 : 12:52:02 PM
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I'd try Orvus paste. It's a semi-liquid soap sold in quilt shops as quilt soap. It's also available in tack stores as it's used to wash down show horses (the container is MUCH larger). It's the soap used by textile conservators to wash ancient textiles and is mild and safe for washable items. I've used it back when I was on the Altar Guild at my church, too, to remove stains from the altar linens. There was one linen cloth that was stained with a combination of the dregs of red wine and *bright* red lipstick. I smeared a little of the paste directly on the stain and let it soak for about 1 1/2 hours in cold water. Result: stain completely gone.
Always use the mildest cleaners to try to remove stains first. You don't want to damage the item with the cleaner and do something that isn't reversible. Orvus is great. Give it a try.
Dee
You can take the girl out of New York, but you can't take New York out of the girl.
http://meeziegirl.blogspot.com |
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mokey
Permanent Resident
15375 Posts |
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sweatpea
Chatty Knitter
USA
115 Posts |
Posted - 03/08/2006 : 1:41:46 PM
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| when I get a stain that won't come out, I pour a little liquid detergent right on the spot when the article is dry and let it sit for hours, even all day or over night. Then I rinse it out and voila!. It might work. It took me 39 years to lean this trick. It is the soaking that does it I am sure. |
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Boogie
Permanent Resident
USA
3073 Posts |
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emeeekay
Chatty Knitter
USA
107 Posts |
Posted - 03/08/2006 : 2:35:28 PM
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Rather than trying to get the stain out, you could soak the whole sweater in brewed, black coffee (or tea). It will antique the color of the sweater and the whole thing will be um, stained. My mother taught me this ... but mainly for bras and underwear; you buy the cheapie white ones (cotton, if possible, though synthetics will take the color also) and dye them taupe/nude with coffee or tea.
HTH
Mandy
my knitting projects |
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jaymeKnits
Permanent Resident
USA
1326 Posts |
Posted - 03/08/2006 : 2:58:01 PM
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Mandy, we used to do that all the time with leotards for dance. You'd be surprised at how hard it could be to find fleshy colored leotards to wear under costumes.
Jayme
http://jaymeknits.blogspot.com/ |
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Erinplus3
Chatty Knitter
USA
189 Posts |
Posted - 03/08/2006 : 4:18:04 PM
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I don't have any suggestions, but keep wool away from Oxyclean. I ruined some yarn trying to get an orange soda stain out with it. I was desperate, nothing else had worked, so I was willing to risk it. The stain did come out, but the yarn was lighter after I used it, slightly bleached out, and very stiff after that. I ended up tossing it.
I love Oxyclean for all my regular laundry stains, just not my handknit items and delicates. |
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stitchmd
Seriously Hooked
716 Posts |
Posted - 03/08/2006 : 6:56:15 PM
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Liquid soap for dishwashing by hand, such as Dawn, is good for all kinds of food stains. Make sure you use cold water.
You can't have a battle of wits with an unarmed person. |
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ozknitter
Permanent Resident
Australia
3248 Posts |
Posted - 03/08/2006 : 7:13:22 PM
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Hi Toni,
I would try a few tablespoons of Borax mixed into a paste and then let it soak in tepid water for about 1/2 an hour.
Then just wash as normal.
Knit in peace and harmony.
Rose in Melbourne, Australia |
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lizknit
Permanent Resident
USA
1179 Posts |
Posted - 03/08/2006 : 10:33:18 PM
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I had good luck getting an old coffee stain out of a wool sweater that my grandmother made for me. I dampened the spot with a little water and then sprayed it with Simple Green, let it sit for a few hours and then washed the sweater. I couldn't see any remnant of the coffee and the color of the wool remained unchanged.
The cat, the only self-cleaning appliance in the house |
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The Irish Ewe
Permanent Resident
USA
1052 Posts |
Posted - 03/09/2006 : 10:07:38 AM
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Toothpaste works wonders. Or denture cleaning tablets.
The Irish Ewe
Norway, Maine
http://www.TheIrishEwe.com |
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iamthesponge
New Pal
10 Posts |
Posted - 03/09/2006 : 9:17:11 PM
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| Thanks to all for your suggestions. It's good to know that there are things I haven't tried yet that might do the trick. |
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elizh
Permanent Resident
USA
1248 Posts |
Posted - 03/10/2006 : 1:36:15 PM
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| How about that new Tide stain stick--Tide to Go? |
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