You’ve returned home from a picnic in a spruce or pine forest, and only then have you noticed an unpleasant surprise of tar spots on your clothes. But do not despair! Pine sap is actually fairly easy to remove from most fabrics. All you need is to know how to remove a resin stain with the help of home remedies since ordinary detergents do not always cope with the task.
First steps
Before you try to wash the resin off clothes at home you need to prepare your garment:
- Try to clean some of the stain mechanically, using any sharp object, such as a knife.
- Place your garments into the freezer for a few hours. When the resin gets harder, crush the stained piece and intensively scrap off the cracked particles of resin.
These actions are mandatory before applying other detergents since it is very difficult to remove resin even for dry cleaners. However, if the fabric is thin, you’d better forgo the frost treatment so as not to spoil the delicate tissue.
Use of materials at hand
The best effect can be achieved by combining various home remedies. Before using each of them, you should carry out a test on the stability of the dye (preferably on an inconspicuous area).
Solvent
It can be refined gasoline, acetone, nail polish remover (with acetone) or turpentine. Acetone-based solvents cannot be used for acetate silk fabrics. To remove the stain, just dampen it several times with a sponge dipped in one of these substances.
Turpentine and alcohol
To clean the contamination from clothing, treat it first with turpentine, and after 30 minutes – with alcohol. Dampen the stained area with these two substances a few times (do not rub or you risk aggravating the situation further). After treating with alcohol, the stain may not leave immediately, but it will do after a while. To get rid of unpleasant sharp smells wash the piece with detergent.
Iron
This way you can clean the stains from delicate fabrics (silk, chiffon, and others). You will need paper towels or napkins – cover the fabric with them from both wrong and right sides, and then iron the stained area. Change the napkins periodically. Don’t forget to wash the clothes after that.
Coca-Cola
With this drink, you can remove stains from pine resin (or any other stains). Soak the clothes in a basin filled with Coca-Cola for a few hours. The contamination will become softer and can be easily removed with a brush.
Dish soap and vegetable oil
You can wash the stubborn stains off a woolen garment by means of a dish soap, having treated the stain with sunflower oil for 10 minutes before that. The detergent should be applied with a swab. After all the manipulations, wash the clothes.
Vegetable oil
Vegetable oil copes with this kind of stains well enough. Apply oil for 20 minutes and wash off with a soap solution afterward.
Starch, ammonia, turpentine
A mixture of 1 spoon of starch, 3-4 drops of ammonia, 3-4 drops of turpentine will help to remove the resin stain. Dampen the stained area with the mixture and let it dry. Clean the area with a hard bristled brush. Repeat if necessary.
Industrially manufactured stain removers
You can try using factory stain removers or bleaches for removing the stains. They can be poured, applied in the form of paste; you can dampen the fabric with them or soak it in a solution – depending on the manufacturer. They often show an excellent result on all types of fabric.
Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol is excellent for removing resin stains from clothes. But you need to wait about 20-30 minutes for the reaction to start. Apply with a cotton ball or gauze on a stained area, and after the specified time, you’ll be surprised by the result. You will have no difficulty in removing the stains with that method.
White spirit
Excellent for synthetics. Apply with a cotton ball and wait until the stain dissolves. After that wash with detergent.
Additional tips
You need to know that not every tool can remove the stains from clothes so take into account some useful tips that allow you to get rid of the stains easier, rather than make the area larger, and the boundaries more vague:
- Trying to treat acetate silk with vinegar or acetone can lead to a hole in the delicate fabric in place of the resin stain.
- Some brightly colored clothing fabrics do not tolerate the use of alcohol and acids (denim, for example).
- Bleach will clean only white fabrics.
- If you wet the area around the stain, it will help to remove the stain without it spreading.
- The cloth around the contour of the stain must be sprinkled with talc or starch. This will allow the stain to stay within its borders, and not get smeared.
- It will be easier to wash a small stain if the cleaning compound is applied locally with a dropper or a cotton swab.
- It will be easier to wash off the stain if you start from the edges and move to the center of the spot.
- Remove resin from the wrong side of the clothes.
- Before starting the actions, you need to put blotting paper or napkins on the inside of the fabric.
As you can see, it’s not a big problem to remove the tar drop from the fabric. Just choose the right remedy!