It always happens! Just when you don’t need the extra stress of a hard to solve laundry problem someone in the family gets into a bit of a sticky, gooey, mess. Never fear! There are a few tips to help you remove these messes from your clothing or upholstery.
Tar Stain Removal Tips | Raleigh Laundromat
Things you will need before tackling the problem:
- Dull knife
- Plenty of Ice Cubes
- A Lubricant (choose) Goo Gone, WD 40, Vegetable Oil, Peanut Butter, Lard
- Laundry Detergent
- cloths (soft)
Tar Removal | Raleigh Laundromat
- If the are affected is a large one it is suggested that you try and scrape away all the tar you can first. You can harden the tar using the ice and then use your dull knife to scrape. Loosen and remove all you can before proceeding with step 2.
- There will be a residue in the fabric after the tar is removed. This is where your lubricant comes into use. Put your soft cloth underneath the area that is stained to help absorb the excess lubricant.
- Using your chosen lubricant, blot it onto the area with the residue making sure that you wet the stain completely.
- Gently rub the area with another cloth. You can also simply blot using pressure making sure to work as much lubricant in the stained area as possible.
- Once you have saturated the stain leave it to set for a bit before you wash the item.
- Wash the item as you normally would, however do not dry the clothing until you are certain the stain is removed. If there is any tar still on your item of clothing the heat of the dryer will melt it and it will then adhere to the walls of your dryer. You will then have tar on any other pieces of clothing you dry creating a huge mess for you and ruining more items!
- If you cannot remove all of the tar and residue, have it cleaned professionally.
Removing the tar from upholstery is much the same. Keep in mind that wet tar is easier to remove than dried stains. Dried can still be removed but will require much more time and energy.
- As with clothing remove all of the tar you can by scraping with a plastic utensil. Be very careful as the fabric of upholstery is different and you can harm it easily!
- Using a cotton ball moistened with water only, moisten the area.
- Using clean cotton balls use the lubricant and wet the stain thoroughly with the lubricant.
- Allow it to penetrate for a few minutes. and then use a clean cotton ball to blot. Tar should begin to come off.
- Continue the above steps until all of the tar is off.
- When all is removed clean the area to remove any of the residue with a mild soap or upholstery cleaner.
- Let the area dry.
A few extra tips are to be sure you test a hidden area to be sure your lubricant of choice will not harm the fabric. Also peanut butter can be a great choice as it is an all natural product and its oil has been a useful product in the removal of tar from both clothing and upholstery. Simply apply, let it sit, and then remove and wash.
Our Raleigh laundromat knows how busy you and your family can get during the holiday season. Extra laundry just adds to that stress. Why not check out our professional laundry services? We offer a great services that can really help you keep your laundry under control! This will ensure you can enjoy the holidays and enjoy your family this season!
