One way of getting your kids occupied, so you could do some work is getting them involved with playdough; it could keep them occupied as they can roll out colorful shapes. However, this temporary advantage also has its downside, and that is when it sticks to their clothes.
Though, a downside, it can be corrected easily by using some handy ingredients. We’ll discuss the different ways to get playdough out of clothes.
10 Ways to Get Playdough Out of Clothes
Playdough playtime often leaves pieces of sticky dough, pressed hard on rugs and carpets or smeared on your kids’ clothing. Most times getting rid of fresh playdough from your clothes is easy.
Getting rid of dried-out playdough is harder and more challenging, especially when you wash and dry cloth without realizing that it had playdough smeared on it.
Playdough usually does not leak its dye, but can if it gets wet. This can cause the dye to spread on said clothing, thereby damaging the fabric more.
Here are ten different ways to get rid of playdough below:
1. Use a Stain Remover
Stain removers work best for any kind of stain or residue, and it is quite effective. Here is a step by step guide on how to use stain removers to get rid of the stain on the clothes below:
Step 1: Use a bread knife to scrape the playdough away from your clothes. Apply the stain remover to the stain and rub it in.
Step 2: Allow it to set in for about ten minutes before washing and drying the clothes.
2. Scraping
Let the playdough dry, do not try to scrape it off while wet as this could embed the dough more in the fabric. Use a butter knife to scrape away dry particles of playdough. If after you are done the stain persists, try some other methods below.
3. Laundry Detergent
You can remove playdough by just simply washing it with your regular laundry detergent and a cold-water setting on your machine. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to go about it:
Step 1: Allow the playdough to dry on the clothing, this way you can avoid spreading it or smearing it deeply as you try to get rid of it. Use a brush with hard bristles to scrape most of the dried dough.
Step 2: Put a safety pin on the cloth next to the stain, this helps you monitor the stain to know if it’s spreading or disappearing.
Step 3: Put the fabric in the washing machine and set the washing machine to cold wash and add a reasonable amount of laundry detergent.
Step 4: Place the cloth under a bright light to see if any stain is left. If the stain is removed completely, hang the cloth outside to air dry.
Note: If there are still marks of playdough repeat the process again. Do not put the cloth in a dryer to prevent any leftover stain from settling into the fabric.
4. Cornstarch
If you are in a hurry to get rid of playdough stains or don’t have much time, cornstarch would be the best option for you. Cornstarch powder is a dehydrating agent; it speeds up the cleaning process. Here’s how to go about it below:
Step 1: Place the fabric on a table or any flat surface with the affected area facing upward. Pour a good amount of cornstarch on top of the playdough, especially when sticky and wet.
Step 2: Ensure that the cornstarch mounds up to entirely cover the dough stain. Allow the cornstarch to sit on the stain for about an hour.
Step 3: Hold out the cloth over a sink or a trashcan and shake off the cornstarch. As you shake off the cornstarch, most of the playdough should come off with it.
Step 4: If there is still any dough lingering on the cloth, use a butter knife to scrape it off. Wash as usual, either with a washing machine or by hand.
5. Dish Washing Soap
Besides just throwing dough-stained clothing in the washer, the dishwashing soap method is the next popular method. It gives you a lot more control over the cleaning process.
In addition, it is very effective on both branded and homemade playdough stains. For this procedure, follow these simple steps below:
Step 1: Allow the stain to dry off and then use an old toothbrush or butter knife to remove as much residue as you can. If the stain is old, you can safely skip this process.
Step 2: Fill a bowl or bucket with cool water, add enough dishwashing soap, and soak the stained cloth in the solution for thirty minutes. Then rinse thoroughly with cool water.
Step 3: Inspect to see if there are any stains lingering. If there is, pour a teaspoonful of dish soap directly on the stain and use your fingers or a soft brush to scrub gently.
6. Baby Powder
The baby powder method is most times used in place of cornstarch because of the nice scent that comes with baby powder. Here is how to use baby powder to get rid of the playdough below:
Step 1: Dump a handful of baby powder on the playdough stain and allow it to sit for two hours. Hold the cloth over a trashcan or a large tray and shake off the powder.
Step 2: Most of the dough stains would come off with the powder as you shake it off. If some playdough still lingers on the cloth, brush it out with a stiff brush. Wash the cloth in your washing machine with your usual laundry detergent.
7. Pine-Sol
This simple household product also comes in handy when it comes to getting rid of dried-on playdough smeared on your kids’ clothing. Pine-Sol can work such magic because it works as a degreasing agent.
Getting dried dough off can be pretty difficult but this amazing cleaning product makes it so much easier for you. Here’s how to use pine-sol to get rid of playdough below:
Step 1: First, try scraping most of the dried-on playdough from the clothing with an old toothbrush or a butter knife.
Step 2: Mark the stained spot with a pin so you can monitor the stain as you get rid of it. Then pour some pine-sol on the stain. Allow it to sit for about ten to fifteen minutes and wash regularly.
8. Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol gets rid of so many kinds of stains from greasy stains, to food coloring stains and even playdough. Just like pine-sol, it acts as a degreasing agent on playdough.
It can also get rid of dye or ink stains, which means that if the playdough leaks its dye on your clothing, rubbing alcohol can remove it for you. Here’s how to make use of rubbing alcohol below:
Step 1: Use a brush to scrape away dried dough properties, and submerge a clean white cloth or rag in the alcohol. Blot the dough with a wet cloth.
Step 2: Do not rub the stain so it doesn’t spread the color into other parts of the cloth. As you blot, if you notice any playdough transferring onto the clothing, continue blotting but with a different corner of the cloth until you can no longer see any stain on the cloth.
Step 3: Fill a bucket or bowl with cool water and add a small amount of dish soap or laundry detergent in it. rinse the cloth in this solution to get the rubbing alcohol out.
Note: When you are done and are sure that all the alcohol is gone, rinse the cloth and wash as usual.
9. Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide has bleaching qualities that can remove ink and dye from clothing. So if you’ve mistakenly washed your child’s cloth, without realizing that he had a chunk of playdough smeared on his shirt and now have the dye spread all over the cloth, hydrogen peroxide is your solution.
Step 1: Scrape away as much dried dough residue as you can if there is any. Mix hydrogen peroxide, a cup of water with dishwashing soap in a bowl to form a solution.
Step 2: Put the cloth in this solution and leave it to soak for fifteen minutes. Then rinse the cloth beneath cool running water. Now wash as usual in your washing machine under a cold water cycle.
10. Nail Polish Remover
Nail polish remover is an acetone-based solution and is one of the easiest ways to get dye stains off fabrics. To use nail polish remover to get rid of playdough stain, follow these simple steps below:
Step 1: Use a stiff brush to scrape away dried-on playdough from the cloth before you start this process.
Step 2: Soak a cotton ball in this solution and dab at the stain continually, renew the cotton ball as it soaks in the dye stain.
Step 3: Once the stain is gone, rinse the cloth under cool running water and wash in your washing machine under a cold water cycle.
Something To Note
When trying to get rid of playdough stains on your clothes, you might need to stay away from dryers as much as possible. Of course, dryers are incredibly useful appliances to help dry your clothes in half the time they would normally take.
However, the heat they emit causes more damage to the clothes because they set the stains into the fabric, making it almost impossible to get them out.