Laundry Solutions / Upcycle Clothing

tortoise

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Thread for photos and instructions for salvaging clothing by laundry processes.

Stripping, stain removal, etc.
 

tortoise

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My next project is a 100% silk turtleneck. From ThredUp, paid $3.90 on final sale (clearance, as is, no returns)

Shirt looks dull, feels coarse/scratchy, is shrunken and has pit stains. Looks like a laundry problems to me! I'm curious what will happen 😁 due to shrink I dont expect to add it to my wardrobe. Its like XXS, size 0-2. Labeled S size 4-6.

20220922_190509.jpg
 

flowerbug

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i have a light green shirt on that is a hideous color. i asked Mom if we could squirt it with ink or something to make it look better. then i asked about getting some brighter green dye because i hate wimpy green color clothes. no luck with either of those ideas so likely we'll just bleach it and hope it ends up white enough that i don't want to barf when i see it...

institutional green is almost as bad as institutional peach...
 

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I'm someone who regularly has to use WD-40 to remove hydrolic fluid and aircraft grease from shirts.
Wow, I would never have guessed!

Super Clean degreaser in the purple bottle works wonders on laundry. I used it diluted 50% most of the time, sometimes full strength. I damaged one thing using it full strength, beware. I stopped using products with fragrance so I haven't used it in a long time.
 

tortoise

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My next project is a 100% silk turtleneck. From ThredUp, paid $3.90 on final sale (clearance, as is, no returns)

Shirt looks dull, feels coarse/scratchy, is shrunken and has pit stains. Looks like a laundry problems to me! I'm curious what will happen 😁 due to shrink I dont expect to add it to my wardrobe. Its like XXS, size 0-2. Labeled S size 4-6.

View attachment 20391
I soaked it overnight in a solution of washing soda, tide free/clear powder, odormute and BIZ. The first two are for removing oils, the second two are for removing organic material (sweat, etc).

It wasn't as bad as I expected.
20220923_064258.jpg
 

flowerbug

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Hmmm peach. Now thinking pie! :lol:

i was so glad a few hours ago when i was done cleaning out and eating a small melon that i dropped the container with the skins and seeds and gunk (technical name there right?) and the top came off. so i had a reason to take the shirt off and wipe the floor after i'd cleaned up the mess. i told Mom that i was putting the shirt in the dirty clothes and that the next time she bleaches something she can do what she wants with it. i felt like a mental institution prisoner the whole time i was wearing it. i wouldn't even wear that shirt to a vomitorium...
 
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