OS Cleaning Tips and Quick Questions...

Toomuchdebt

Oh dear, I would probably have just washed it as it's mostly cotton.Not sure if you can do anything with it now

fuddle

the elastane element will be be why the garment is dry clean only. When you wash elastane it tends to make the fabric crinkly. Sorry, not very good at explaining.

If you pointed out the mark the dry cleaner would have pre-treated the item, although it sounds like a delicate item so they maybe have just blasted with high pressure water hose to help remove the stain before hand. This only is cold water though, very effective and may not have been done due to the elastane.

You could try mixing liquid laundry detergent with cool water and soak the stained part for 15 mins but again, that part may dry awkward with being wet with water as opposed to dry cleaning fluid.

You could try taking the garment back to the dry cleaners and saying there's still a stain. When I worked in dry cleaning (10 years ago though) I would have happily ran it through again for you to try.

HTH even if just a little bit.

carolinosourus

Thanks fuddle, it was actually put through a second and then third time, after the first cycle the marks still weren't very visible, however when I went in to pick it up again the marks have gone a very dark brown! I'll try the detergent, am also considering that vanish oxi action powder stuff to see if that does anything...

I haven't used that dry cleaner before and don't think I will again, when I told a friend where I'd taken it she made a face and said that she didn't feel they were very professional!

fuddle

If there's no chance of wearing the item again, go for it. Hopefully because it's only 2% it'll be fine. I wish you luck, hope it comes out and washing powder is much better as a stain remover than dry cleaning fluid in my opinion. The whole dry cleaning process is actually pretty vile from start to finish.

Let us know how it pans out

carolinosourus

Sorry to bump this but thought I'd let you know that I ended up using vanish in the pink spray bottle, left it for a couple of minutes then put the dress in the washing machine on the delicate cycle with some vanish oxy-action powder and colour detergent with stain removal stuff. I've done this twice and the marks seem to have disappeared! So the dress is salvaged! I wish I'd taken a before and after picture

fuddle

That's brilliant news Well salvaged!

annie123

Hubby has bought a new (to us) 2nd hand van and the gray plastic dashboard has lots of greasy finger marks on it (yuck) and in general is in need of a good clean.
I've tried flash and washing up liquid which hasn't made much difference.
Would vinegar, stardrops or bicarb help? or have you any other ideas please?

Uniscots97

If I'm cleaning my car I use a stardrops solution then a wipe over with one of those cheap sponge shoe shines. It always does the trick.

annie123

Thanks will try star drops and as I'm off to the 99p store tomorrow will get a cheap shoe shine pad too.

minniemaus1970

The White Stardrops is excellent on plastic things, u could use a dash board restorer or leather polish afterwoods to get a little shine on it