This question was submitted from Carolyn D.
“I accidentally left a tube of Chap Stick in my pants pocket. Then I washed and dried them. In the dryer the Chap Stick melted and made oily marks on my pants. The pants are 100% cotton. How can I get the marks out? “
Since the stain sounds bad you maybe best to try dry-cleaning fluid first – you can buy it at larger grocery stores. If the Chap Stick has no color you could treat it like an oil stain. Always test a small area before you proceed to clean with a chemical or technique you have not used before on the fabric you are working on.
Try these techniques :
Chap Stick – Always read and follow the care instructions and any warnings on the garment label.
Saturate the areas with a pretreatment stain remover.
Wait several minutes for product to penetrate. Rub with heavy-duty liquid detergent. Launder immediately.
If color stain remains, launder in chlorine bleach, if safe for the fabric, or in all fabric bleach. When using bleach always check an inside seam for colorfastness.
For extra heavy stains apply dry cleaning fluid to the back of the stain over white absorbent towels. Let dry, rinse and launder as above. (Carefully read and follow directions and cautions on dry cleaning fluid.)
