Help Laundy Mavens!!

[michaelman2]

Hi All, I have a great girlfriend that is a flight attendant and wears white all cotton, "no iron" dress shirts with her uniform. Her make up gets on the collar and, guys, we have tried every imaginable thing under the sun to remove the "ring around the collar".

I even had her call the makeup company and ask for their suggestions. (they suggested Tide with Bleach directly on the stain...did not completely remove the stain)

Here is what we have tried:
Zout
Shout
Spray & Wash Stain Stick with Resolve
New Oxy Clean Stain Stick (actually a paste in a cartridge)
Tide Bleach Pen
OxyClean Laundry Spray
Oxyclean powder in a paste with very hot water
Shaving Cream rubbed into the collar and rinsed
Chlorine bleach dabbed on the affected area.
Amononia dabbed on the area
Tide with Bleach liquid directly on the stains.

As you can see we are in a true quandry about this. She has a beautiful olive complexion and the foundation that she uses is a tan type shade. One of them was an Olay liquid makeup that had a moisture product in it and the other is a waterbased product.

I collect old linens and have removed all types of "set in "stains. Now that she has brought these shirts over, I am stumped. Even the new shirts with no former stains after the pre-treated first washing the stain around the collar remains. .....oy!....Suggestions Welcomed.

 

[laundromat]

What fabric is the blouse made of and are you using warm or cold water??

 

[mixfinder]

Petroleum Stains

Many cosmetics are made from derivitives of petroleum and or animal fats and byproducts. To remove greasy stains hot water or a warm water wash adding ammonia would help. If the blouse is wrinkle free or synthetic high temperatures can cause wrinkling. Cooks Magazine did a test several years ago to see what products and methods would remove stains from their work uniforms. At the end of the day Cook's determined the most effective process was a brief agitation in warm water using an enzyme powdered detergent and OxiClean followed by an overnight soak. The next day the soaking liquid was spun away and the load was relaundered with fresh detergent. Softeners are sometimes referred to as soft/sour in the laundry industry. Using liquid fabric softener helps to prevent stains from setting in subsequent loads.

 

[circlew]

Lestoil

If it's a greasy type stain, you will need a solvent based cleaner to remove it. I usually use Lestoil in these cases. You have to rinse throughly to remove the pine fragrance.

 

[yogitunes]

a few ideas.....mostly available at any auto parts or Lowes/Home depot......

Simple Green

Purple Super Clean

Full strength, spray on, and wash in hottest water fabric will allow..........

caution...this is powerful stuff, I usually lay the clothes out in the drive way, spray them down and wash right away.....this suff will take the lettering off your machine, and strip the oils right off your skin, but works miracles on all types of stains....

another option is GOOP hand cleaner....spread the gel on the stain and again wash in hot/warmest water for the fabric

works for me everytime....

 

[mrb627]

Goop

My mother used to use Goop to pretreat her white uniforms before washing. Did a pretty fine job, even in cool water.

Malcolm

 

[mistereric]

I second Yogi - have used Castrol Super Clean before, in the big purple bottle. Its got a lot of sodium hydroxide in it, and it will digest paint, dissolve aluminum, and utterly destroy your hands. If you put a white shirt on an asphalt driveway, your driveway will melt and your shirt will be forever stuck to it. I'm assuming Yogi has a cement drive.

Wear gloves, don't use a sprayer and breath it in. Its water soluble so it should wash out easily. I wouldn't use it in the washer either, lord only knows what it would do to the metal or rubber guts,

 

[michaelman2]

Hey guys thank you for the responses, this really had me stumped. I mean I am this gal's gay guy laundry expert and I was determined to get the stain(s) out. Laundromat: the fabric is 100% Cotton with a "no iron" treatment. Interestingly enough she had another white cotton shirt that was different and I had trouble with it too. It is as though this makeup crap that she uses (Olay Definity)...the company suggested using Liquid Tide with Bleach....lightened it...but nothing.....okay...I am headed out for the "Goop"and the Purple Super Clean. I thought of using something called Greased Lightning, but did not have it on hand.....this is costing her (and me) a fortune....its like, I am hellbent on removing this crap.

 

[circlew]

Another thing-

The make-up may contain mineral oxide colorants, similar to rust. Make a paste of Bar Keeper's Friend, and apply to the stain for a few minutes, then rinse. My neighbors removed a stubborn rust stain from their carpet with it.

 

[whirlcool]

Has anyone suggested Wisk, the original ring around the collar remover?

Cotton shirts are a necessity in the flight crew business. You walk on aircraft that has not had the a/c turned on yet, walking up and down those aisles slinging food makes you sweaty. The F/A's can get food stains on the uniform. But while the shirts are cotton most uniforms have a high polyester content. This is for bathtub washing in the hotel rooms. Dunk your uniform upon arrival and hang it up, it'll be as good as new in the morning.

 

[toggleswitch]

And no more clothes dryer which sets stains!

 

[launderess]

Two Words - (Vintage) Fels Naptha

Soap,

Have used either the "old" Fels, or Purex version to remove everything from lipstick, to mascara, to foundation stains on bed linens. Have a 98% sucess rate if the stains are fresh.

Have a huge stash of the stuff, if you can't find any locally drop me an email and would be happy to move a bar on in your direction. One or two small bars shouldn't cost that much to post.

Methinks it is the "naptha" in vintage Fels along with glycerine and of course soap that does the trick.

 

[polkanut]

If you can find a Stanley Home Products dealer in your area, try their Degreaser liquid. It works wonders. Use it as a laundry pre-treater.

 

[neptunebob]

Maybe you need to actually give up on the stain and send the shirts to a dry cleaner. The perchlorethylene is derived from petroleum and hopefully should remove the grease of the stain.

Whirlcool, I though polyester would be bad for a flight attendants or a pilots uniform because of the fire hazard. I read that at least for a man it is best to wear a wool suit because it would buy you some time to escape a fire. Maybe that explains why every dressed in the Sunday best in the past.

By the way Olay is going to recommend Tide because they are both Proctor and Gamble brands.[this post was last edited: 4/29/2010-19:53]

 

[variflexpghpa]

Dawn Power Dissolver

I have found this stuff to take out set in grease stains and other food stains as well. It even saved a favorite tie of mine.

I figure it this way, if something is stained and you cant wear it you have nothing to lose trying to get the stain out.

 

[saltysam]

What about good 'ole soap

Wife and I use good 'ole Granny's Lye Soap. Does wonders for just about every stain you can imagine. Wet the fabric thoroughly, rub the bar on the stain then using your fingers work the soap into the fabric. Let it sit for about 30-45 minutes and throw it in the machine. Give it a whirl!
Mark

 

[mtn1584]

How about washing them in HOT water, and using a Good Quality Powder Detergent like Tide or Cheer, and using one cup of Clorox liquid bleach. If you are afraid try to use chlorine bleach try Clorox 2 first.
Mike
PS you might try the Soak cycle first, then wash as instructed above. But use Hot water, yes I know they might shrink, and iron them anyway.

 

[whirlcool]

Nope, polyester blend is what is used in most F/A uniforms. I assume your girlfriend flies for DL just as I do. I am up front on the flight deck. Our pants are a polyester/rayon blend and out coats are kind of a wool blend. We must dry clean our coats but the pants can be washed overnight with no wrinkling. We have a choice of shirt fabric, but it has to be regulation.

These uniforms are not cheap and we have to pay for them. They do last a long time though.