Trade Secrets- Eeeek! I'm such a mess!
What’s a girl to do?
Well, I’ve experienced such fashion disasters in my own life, not to mention on photo and TV sets, and I have a few tricks of the trade to share that will make dealing with such things a little easier.
De-Pilling-
I got to thinking about removing pesky sweater pills the other day when a friend mentioned that she was attempting to de-fuzz with one of those battery powered pill removers, became momentarily distracted, swiped the device over her chest and sliced off a mole!!! OW! I have to say I amazed at its capacity to remove a chunk of skin, since I have never seen one of those things remove a single sweater fuzz with any bit of efficiency!! When it comes to battery defuzzers, I just say- NO!
But, truth is I have one in my styling kit anyway, lord knows why. So I dug it out and decided to put it to the test once and for all. And while I was at it, I decided to try a new technique I recently discovered.
My guinea pig for this experiment was my favorite cozy hang-around-the-house cashmere hoodie. It has been looking a little worse for wear lately due to the abuse my well meaning crutches have been imparting to sides of my torso, as well as a tragic shrinking accident, due to a “misunderstanding” at the Laundromat, where apparently “Please Dry-Clean this…” translates into “Oh, just toss this into the washing machine with my jeans and socks and such…” Grrr. Anyway, I’m over it, but cozy hoodie definitely needed a little TLC.
So, first I tried the battery powered thing-a-majig. In my experience the only way to get it to work is with constant pressure on a firm surface. I slid a nearby book underneath, but using a table, dictionary or the Vogue Fall Preview would do just as well. Or, just do it on your body, but be sure to keep it away from any skin protuberances.
I worked in a circular motion, pressing down for a good solid minute on about a 2” in square section of my sweater. And sure enough…nada. There was a miniscule amount of pink fluff inside the fuzz catching compartment, but no visible improvement to the collection of fuzzies. At that rate I would have been there all afternoon. So I moved on to a new a controversial (well, at least to me) technique I read about from those crazy geniuses over at ReadyMade Magazine… Sandpaper!
That’s right, sandpaper. According to the article (in the April/May issue, hot off the presses!) you just wipe the paper down in one direction and voila! the pills disappear. And you know what? They did! I have to say my first thought was that this idea seemed like a good way to scrape a hole right thru your merino cardigan (since in my experience sandpaper is one great way to distress or de-construct your garment) … and I was not entirely wrong. My one critique to this technique is that in addition to removing the pills, it also took off a perfectly good non-pilled layer of sweater. I think in the future I’ll save this method for heartier wool sweaters. But, even so, it defuzzed the entirety of cozy hoodie in a matter of minutes. I tried both 220 grit paper and an x-tra fine grit sanding block. I have to say I thought the block did a better job. It picked up more fuzzies, was more gentle, and was easier to handle.
Despite my skepticism, I have to say this is great way to de-fuzz if you are already dressed and on your way out the door, or need to do a large surface area quickly.
My favorite time tested technique is to just cut off the pills with some small pointy scissors, or just to pick the damn things off with your fingers. This is how I’ve handled most pills in both personal and professional life. I find it to be the most precise and delicate way to address this problem- no over de-fuzzing or accidental holes. Granted it will also take the longest… but hey just think of it as something for your hands to do while your brain slowly melts in front of VH1s Sunday night reality shows. (No judgment, you know you love them too…)
Seriously though, I prefer this since it is an easy way to prevent the pilling from getting too bad to begin with. Pretty much every sweater (no matter how nice it is) is going to pill a little over time. So if you notice one or two or five, just pluck or cut them off and move on. That way you won’t ever have to worry about sanding blocks or nasty mole eating de-pilling machines!!
Deodorant Stains-
OK. This tip is a quick one. It is the easiest clothing care trick up my sleeve and I have never seen it fail. Scouts honor.
If you spy a deodorant smudge (even old ones), take the inside of the shirt—the same fabric that the stain is on—and use the back of that fabric to slowly and carefully buff out the deodorant. Done. That’s it. This works… I PROMISE!! I’ve practiced this on my own clothing, designer pieces on shoots, and even garments hanging on the rack at the store. Works every time.
Also, if you want to prevent stains to begin with… and file this under ‘duh’, if your shirt or dress is sleeveless… just get dressed first…then apply your Secret Extra Strength in Malibu Mango. Wave your arms in the air for a minute while it dries and then you are good. No stains.
And FYI… no deodorant is “invisible” I don’t care what the container says. Even the gooey gel stuff can and will leave a stain. Sneaky, but true…so watch out!!
Food and Make-Up Stains-
I remember an incident from my past where a certain disco diva that will remain nameless guest starred on a kids show I costumed a few years ago. She arrived to the wardrobe room with about 20 layers of foundation already spackled on. So, needless to say, said foundation rubbed off onto everything she tried on including a Chiffon dress I would then get to terrifyingly return to Saks Fifth Avenue. Thankfully the wardrobe gods were with me. I was able to get most of the thick pancake out, and even though it wasn’t perfect, the return went off fine. Whew…
Hopefully you will not have to face a stain challenge as daunting as this, but we have all had a make-up smear on the collar of a dressy top or spilled a little something that needs to be removed ASAP.
Here is my quick fix stain removal technique-
Say you find yourself in the restaurant bathroom with the aforementioned chocolate sauce dribble. First of all…don’t panic.
Just take a paper towel (those hard stiff ones in public restrooms are great for this) and fold it so that you have a sharp stiff edge and corner. Use the towel to scrape off the sauce. Use a scooping , lifting motion away from the fabric. The idea here is to get rid of as much gunk as you can without rubbing anything else in.
Then, take out a Shout Wipe (love love love them!!) that you have cleverly already stored in your tiny clutch for such an emergency. Place a fresh paper towel under the stained spot and then use the Shout Wipe to blot the spot out. Blot gently and the paper towel beneath will pick-up the excess moisture of the wipe and will take on the stain. As the stain fades, you can start to gently wipe in a outward feathering motion. This helps to keep a ring from forming where you have been cleaning. Give a final blot with a dry paper towel and then stand under the hand dryer just for a moment to dry the wet spot.
Now, this is not a fail-safe method. But, I’ve had success with this technique on set plenty of times for everything from smeared in make-up to cake batter splattered across the front of a host’s apron. It tends to works really well on more natural fabrics and tight weaves- like a Cotton Broadcloth, for example. A Polyester Satin may show more of a ring after the stain removal… but even so… its gonna look a whole heck of a lot better for the rest of the night, than that chocolate sauce on your chest! Plus any remaining stain will come out much more easily in the wash later.
Alright! There are a few of my favorite tricks, new and old. I love figuring out great new ways to handle whatever life tosses at you… and I’d love to hear some of your own trade secrets!
‘Til next time…Stay Clean!
-Becca
But...but I LIKE my fuzz shaver! It's works...sort of. I added you on Twitter, btw!
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It "sort of" works?? haha! Hey, if you like it, more power to ya!!
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I got deoderant on my cute blue cotton top the other day, and, thanks to you, I was able to get it right off using the inside of my shirt! Outfit saved! Crisis averted! And, I made it to work on time! Thanks, Becca!
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