Help! A laundry stain that is beyond my capabilities - YouLookFab Forum

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Help! A laundry stain that is beyond my capabilities

Aziraphale

Veteran

#@&% !!!

Our dog is elderly and increasingly incontinent. Yesterday, I stepped in poo. On the carpet. Smeared it into the carpet, in fact. There was some on the hem of my favourite jeans, which I tossed in the wash, along with a few other darks (and amidst a stream of profanity...I'm sure you can imagine).

Guess what? There was a LIPSTICK in the pocket. Did I mention #@&% ?!

Those of you who could not relate to my "going bagless" goal can feel free to say "I told you so".

So, I've washed the jeans several times using oxyclean, and the lipstick stains have faded quite a bit, but are not gone. Any other ideas? (Fortunately, I had turned the jeans inside out, so at least the stains are not visible. But if there is a way to get them out completely, I'm all ears).

General

14 replies

Latest reply was from Raisin

Anonymous

Ok you will probably need a multi-stage process -- you will need some kind of degreaser, a way to get waxes out, and something to get the pigment that is left behind. I would try dabbing it with alcohol and a blotting cloth first. Then I would soak with an enzyme cleaner, also use a pretreater like Shout or whatever, and then I would scrub it with Dawn or some kind of dishsoap.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Oh.

Oh, dear.

I am not an expert in these matters.

I think Sir Ceit has given you good advice.

So sorry this has happened.

cheryle (Dianthus)

(website)

Veteran

It is likely the oils in the lipstick that are keeping it in the fabric. I have heard that Dawn dishwashing liquid is extremely good for stains.

Anonymous

Yes - I use Dawn to degrease animal skeletons, and it rocks for that. It is a grease assassin, and getting that out will likely mean the pigments can come out. Hopefully the dye hasn't penetrated the cotton too much, and it's just the grease and wax holding it there.

Aziraphale

Veteran

Ceit -- it doesn't show from the other side, and the problem is, I'm worried that too much scrubbing will damage the fibres. So I'm wondering if it's best to just leave it. But I have heard that Dawn is a great grease buster, so I might give it a (gentle) try.

How do you pronounce "Ceit", by the way? Soft or hard c?

Anonymous

My name is Kate...so pronounce it like that! I saw when I started posting there was another Kate on the forum, and I didn't want to usurp someone else's username so this is an online handle I have had since 1998 or so. When I was first on the internet I was paranoid about anonymity so I just used Ceit as my username all the time, and it has stuck.

With the Dawn, even soaking it in a solution of Dawn and water will degrease. That's how I do bones.

Do try the rubbing alcohol and a cloth first though, you might get lucky that way!

Diana

Veteran

I ground a lipstick into my carpet once and got it entirely out with this and a lot of elbow grease:
http://www.amazon.com/Resolve-.....tain+stick
You are supposed to just put it on the stain and then wash, but I had good luck with putting it on, leaving it for a while, and then scrubbing by hand. Obviously I could not put my carpet in the wash, so I just scrubbed with water and soap.

(It used to be called spray and wash stain stick, but according to the amazon reviews it's the same thing.)

Freckles

Veteran

Lestoil works great on a lot of stains, especially if they are greasy.

When I had black dye transfer to a gorgeous green shirt last year leaving it soak in water overnight after I had tried some stuff removed the dye.

I would try straight Lestoil for an hour, wash and then if the pigment is not totally removed I would leave it soak in only water overnight.

Many ladies helped me with my problem last year and Gaylene's advice was spot on with the theory behind it.

Lestoil was recommended to me when I bought a raw silk dress at a boutique.

Good luck!

Aziraphale

Veteran

Oh, Ceit, like in Ceilidh! I didn't read it like that at all. (I was seeing it as Seet, like in ceiling, but that didn't seem right). Are you Scottish?

Freckles, Lestoil is indeed a wonder product. My mom used to use it. However, it smells like toxic waste and once a garment has been soaked with it, the smell WILL NOT come out. I am very picky about that sort of thing. But thanks for the suggestion.

Diana, I actually have a stick of Spray and Wash downstairs. Might give it a try. Thanks!

rachylou

Veteran

An old trick used to be hair spray, and also there's a product called Tech Stain that is very good (available from hardware stores like ACE).

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

I am going to echo the Dawn people. I got grease all over a cotton, embellished Ann Taylor top, during a microwave-popcorn- bag-opening mishap (believe me when I tell you it was spectacular. Popcorn everywhere. I'm still finding popcorn bits). I washed the top twice in warm water, with no luck.

Then I thought of the Dawn. I put it directly on the stains (no water), let it sit for about 30 minutes, then washed my top with my regular 'clear' detergent, and it took the stains out, without fading or damaging the fabric.

I've always been a fan of Resolve carpet products. I used to have a dog that barfed up everything that had food coloring (took a bit to figure out that culprit). I haven't tried the stain stick.

I've found Zout works very well on stains, but I always do a patch test first.

Barring that, I would say take the jeans to the dry cleaner and see what they can do.

Anonymous

Yes, my family is all Irish/Scottish/English -- I'm 1st gen Canadian

Thistle

Veteran

Mix one cup of Peroxide with 1 tablespoon of Dawn. I have used this to get A LOT of stains out of DDs clothes. It takes out the stain, but leaves the cute embroidery untouched.

I just used this on a white shirt with red embroidered flowers she managed to get totamto sauce on while DH was having lunch with her.

Raisin

Veteran

My son is always wiping his greasy hands all over his pants and I use Dawn to pretreat them before the wash all the time. Works like a charm! Just beware, sometimes it seems like the grease transfers to another garment or another part of the same garment, while in the washing machine. So maybe Dawn and hand washing will work well.