A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Banter Hall ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR MY LAUNDRY WOE?

Hi everybody ~

I need help! I can't believe I did this! Today I accidently sat on a wrapped piece of salt water yellow taffy. Although it had been wrapped, my sitting on it during my nap melted it and caused much of the wrapper to come loose. Now I have a sticky, gummy mess on the back of my new shorts. They are a pale grey short made of t-shirt fabric.

I have no idea how to get the taffy off my shorts without ruining them. And since they are brand new, I don't want to discard them if I can help it!

Anyone have any ideas?

Merme *not laughing over "sticky buns"*

Merme. Put them in the freezer. First. See what breaks off when it is frozen. Taffy, being mostly sugar will probably soak off the rest of the way after that. If it was highly colored taffy, then you might also have a stain to deal with. But deal with that after, just don't dry them until you know if the freezing/soaking worked.

Thank you, Tina. I will try this!

Merme

Yup, and lots of warm sudsy water to dissolve what's left after the freezer run.

Poor Merme, she's got a case of the 'Laffy Taffy Sticky Buns'

merme, after you get the taffy out, if there is a yellow stain, try peroxide. it will get out a lot of things without damaging the material. just rinse well

You can also try generic glass cleaner. I know it sounds weird but it will get any stain out. I think it's the ammonia in it maybe. I use it as a pretreater spraying it on the clothes before I put them in the wash.

i use vinegar for a lot of different stains too. just regular white vinegar from the grocery store.

Vinegar & glass cleaner--who knew--thanks ladies for the tips.

Just wanted to let y'all know that putting the shorts in the freezer first and then washing in cold water did the trick just fine!

No more "sticky buns" here!

Thanks, everyone.


Merme

Thanks for the update, Merme. Sometimes you wonder how things turn out and never hear.

After the freezing and chipping off what you can, try spraying a bit of WD40 on the spot prior to washing. The stuff is amazing and does a lot more then just loosen stuck bolts. Its main ingredient is not petroleum, but rather fish oil, so it is easily washed out of clothes. The next part I copied from a web page but I have used many of this persons ideas and it does work:


Here are some of the uses:
*Protects silver from tarnishing
*Cleans and lubricates guitar string
*Gets oil spots off concrete driveways
*Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making it slippery
*Keeps flies off cows
*Restores and cleans chalkboards
*Removes lipstick stains
*Loosens stubborn zippers
*Untangles jewelry chains
*Removes stains from stainless steel sinks
*Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill
*Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing
*Removes tomato stains from clothing
*Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots
*Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors
*Keeps scissors working smoothly
*Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes
*Gives a children's play gym slide a shine for a super fast slide
*Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers
*Rids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises
*Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open
*Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close
*Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers
*Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles
*Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans
*Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons and bicycles for easy handling
*Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly
*Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools
*Removes splattered grease on stove
*Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging
*Lubricates prosthetic limbs
*Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell)
*Removes all traces of duct tape
*I have even heard of folks spraying it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
*Florida's favorite use is "cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers
*The favorite use in the state of New York--WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
*WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a LITTLE on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time. Also it's a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed in some states.
*Use it for fire ant bites It takes the sting away immediately, and stops the itch.
*WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
*Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and rewash. Presto! Lipstick is gone!
*If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start.(If I knew what a distributor cap was, it might help)
*WD-40, long known for its ability to remove leftover tape mung (sticky label tape), is also a lovely perfume and air freshener! Sprayed liberally on every hinge in the house, it leaves that distinctive clean fresh scent for up to two days!
*Seriously though, it removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor!
*Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn't seem to harm the finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off.
*Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
*Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly!
Use WD-40!