Paint on coat at school.

lindos90

My friend has just told me that her daughter came home from school yesterday with paint all up the front of her coat. She spoke to the teacher this morning and was told that some children were painting outside yesterday morning (during some 'free flow time'), and its up to the children if they wear aprons or not, as it has to be 'none directed play' and the teachers are not supposed to prompt them.

She is not happy, and I dont blame her. Her daughter only started school a few weeks ago, shes only 4, surely the supervising person could have prompted them to put aprons on? At 4 some may even have needed some help to get the aprons on anyway! There was no attempt to get the paint off at school, so it may have spread to other coats in the cloakroom too.

Shes tried soaking it overnight, but it looks like its stained (it happened yesterday morning, so it was already dry when she collected her from school at tea time)

Anyone got any MSE advice on how to get paint out of fabric?

Ive googled for a staindevil, and come up with this one which appears to be for oil based paint.

http://www.barnitts.co.uk/products/details/5868.html

Its the thick paint that comes in the big bottles that they use in school, which is waterbased, so this probably will not work.

Can anyone help? It would save her from having to buy another winter coat!

Thanks.

nuttybabe

i volunteer in a toddler group and find that washing clothing in cold water with washing up liquid usually gets the paint off unless its black. If she tries washing it in hot water or soaked it in hot water then the paint will be sealed in and probably wont come out no matter what she tries (my work shirt is covered in paint stains that i forgot to wash out first).

lindos90

nuttybabe wrote: »

i volunteer in a toddler group and find that washing clothing in cold water with washing up liquid usually gets the paint off unless its black. If she tries washing it in hot water or soaked it in hot water then the paint will be sealed in and probably wont come out no matter what she tries (my work shirt is covered in paint stains that i forgot to wash out first).

Heck, I'll check with her but I imagine she will have soaked it in warm/hot water thinking that would shift it!:(

andrealm

My dd got a bit of paint on her jumper sometimes, it always came out ok after a soak in cold water before washing, with maybe a prewash. Water based paints usually come out, as long as you don't leave them too long.
I just look at it as one of those things, they have a whole class of children to supervise, it's impossible to make sure that none of them ever gets a bit of paint on their clothes, even if they do have aprons.

The Old Style board might have some good tips for getting paint out.

MX5huggy

'none directed play' and the teachers are not supposed to prompt them

Bet they would have been stopped if they started painting the school walls or each others tongues.

pigpen

carpet and upholstory shampoo brings it out..

narabanekeater

cold wash with washing up liquid. Or and this will sound odd put vanish spray on it and leave it for 5 minutes. Then get a spoon and sort of lift the paint off and and as the colour comes off wipe it on kitchen roll

Counting_Pennies_2

Napisan works well.

Good soak of it overnight.

lindos90

MX5huggy wrote: »

Bet they would have been stopped if they started painting the school walls or each others tongues.

Lets hope so! When she told me about it, i though where do they draw the line? Surely they would have to get involved if a child was getting hurt or misbehaving? She said if it was just on a top she would not have minded, but its on a coat, she only started school after Christmas, so its only a couple of months old!

I'll pass on all your advice. The paint itself has more or less come off from what she says, its just changed the actual colour of the fabric.

Thanks for all the help. Ive also had a good talk to my daughter and told her to be a good girl and remember to put an apron on if she paints! (and not to wear her coat, seeing as the teacher doesnt prompt, Im guessing she cant ask her to put a coat on:D)

milliebear00001

lindos90 wrote: »

Lets hope so! When she told me about it, i though where do they draw the line? Surely they would have to get involved if a child was getting hurt or misbehaving? She said if it was just on a top she would not have minded, but its on a coat, she only started school after Christmas, so its only a couple of months old!

I'll pass on all your advice. The paint itself has more or less come off from what she says, its just changed the actual colour of the fabric.

Thanks for all the help. Ive also had a good talk to my daughter and told her to be a good girl and remember to put an apron on if she paints! (and not to wear her coat, seeing as the teacher doesnt prompt, Im guessing she cant ask her to put a coat on:D)

If she's painting outside, then she'll need a coat I would assume! Poster paint should come out in a normal wash. I would also make sure all coats are easily washable (along with everything else that invariably comes home covered in paint). Wait til she starts with a whiteboard pen - now they really don't come out!

alm721

personally I'd be more concerned at the 'couldn't intervene becasue it's free play etc' comment. Thats not what I understand to be free directed play? (that said I'm not a primary teacher). Free choice is one thing? lack of supervison is another entirely. The paint on the coat really wouldn't worry me, it's one of those things and an apron may not have made any difference, but the reason for not having an apron really would. Not that that help's get the paint out though!