I love Play-Doh and was a huge fan of Play-Doh for kids before I became a parent. In fact, I gave Play-Doh as gifts to my nieces, nephews and godchildren and could not understand why my friends and family would complain when it was so obvious that the kids loved Play-Doh. No that I am a parent, I understand why other parents hated the site of Play-Doh – – the stains. Play-Doh is a wonderful tool to spark a child’s imagination; however, it makes a huge mess and creates stains that are difficult to remove. Determined not to limit my daughter’s imagination or creativity, I learned how to remove Play-Doh stains rather than hiding the Play-Doh from her.
I always try the easiest solution first before moving to a more difficult remedy for Play-Doh stains. Gently brush away any excess Play-Doh from the garment first; however, do not use a brush to rub the Play-Doh as this will only make the stain worse. Dilute ΒΌ cup laundry detergent in small plastic bucket with one gallon of cold water. Soak garment in the mixture – – use a glass if necessary to keep the stain completely submerged for thirty minutes. Remove garment, launder according to the manufacturer’s washing instructions and allow to air dry. If the Play-Doh stain remains, try another method to remove the stain.
Check the garment’s washing instructions for any warnings about using bleach. If no warnings against using bleach, soak the stain in color-safe bleach for approximately fifteen minutes (color-safe bleach with a stain removing agent is best). After soaking, launder as normal and allow to air dry. If the stain remains, repeat the process and allow the stain to soak for up to thirty minutes before laundering. WARNING: Before applying any harsh detergents, bleach or stain removers, read the laundering instructions to avoid damage to your clothing.
If your Play-Doh stain is stubborn, you may want to try a more aggressive means of stain removal. Using a white paper towel, rag or washcloth, saturate with rubbing alcohol and apply directly to the Play-Doh stain (you may also try hydrogen peroxide too) and continue to dab the stain with different sections of the white cloth until no more color will transfer from the garment to the white cloth. Make a mixture of one cup water and one tablespoon of clear liquid soap, apply to the stain and blot with a dry section of the white cloth. Continue applying small amounts of the mixture and blotting with the white cloth until the stain is gone or no more color will transfer to the white cloth. Launder in cold water and allow to air dry.
While the above methods of removing Play-Doh stains have worked for me in the past, remember that different brands of Play-Doh will react differently to stain removal remedies. Always test stain removing agents on a small, inconspicuous portion of the garment before attempting to remove the stain.
