It was Fall, and she was three years old. She went to Sunday School in the sweetest little long sleeve dress, but when I picked her up an hour later, there was green paint all over those beautiful sleeves. My heart sank. Carbona Stain Devils weren’t around back in the mid-1980s, and I had no idea how to get out the tempera paint. I tried, but no luck.
Final answer: My wonderful mother to the rescue . . . The dress was precious with short sleeves, too!
So when I received this letter, believe me, I felt this Mama’s pain!
Hi Susan,
I thought you might have an answer as to what product to use that would take out paints on children’s clothing. Not sure why, but some of the paints that are used in the preschools are impossible to remove. I’m wondering if they are even safe for the children. Nothing takes out these stains. Thanks for your help.
I’m so sorry to hear about the paint stains from preschool! They should be using 100% water-based paints, don’t you think? It would sure make it easier on the parents!
Anyway, to answer your question . . . Carbona Stain Devils makes a formulation (#1) that will get out paint. You can find a store near you—or purchase online—at www.carbona.com
There’s one thing I should mention: Stains Devils #1 is formulated to remove paint stains that have not been previously treated. Sometimes when a different product has already been used to treat a stain, it changes the composition of the stain (in your case, paint), and the Stain Devils formulation isn’t able to remove it. BUT–I’ve had success on other types of pre-treated stains, so I definitely think it’s worth a try.
Are you a Mama or grandmother—or preschool teacher? What’s your experience with paint in clothing?
Click to see more readers’ letters
