Often in the process of creativity, children or adults stain clothes with paints. Some varieties can be washed in warm water. However, when using gouache, certain difficulties may arise. There are some simple tips on how to wash gouache. They will be discussed in detail below.
What is gouache?
Probably, there is no such person who has not painted with paints at least once in his life. In childhood, everyone tried himself as an artist. And for some, this hobby has become a matter of a lifetime. Every artist, whether a child or an adult, knows how easy it is to get dirty with paint while painting. And how difficult it is to wash such pollution afterwards. One type of paint often used in art is gouache.
To know how to wash gouache most effectively, you need to consider what it consists of. The basis is water, but it will not be possible to wash it off simply by dissolving it in a stream from the tap. Main Componentsgouaches are glue and white, thanks to which the paint is thick, adheres well to the surface (including clothes) and dries quickly.
In addition, the composition includes various binders - phenols, gum arabic, alizarin oil, as well as plasticizers - glycerin, dextrin, gum and others. And complement the composition of various synthetic substances that enhance the pigments, which gives the gouache an extraordinary brightness.
Gouache properties
Thanks to this composition, gouache has certain qualities. This must be taken into account when choosing a stain removal method. Paint has the following properties:
- has high density and density;
- sticks well to any surface;
- differs in a very bright color, it is well absorbed into the fabric of clothes, leaving colored spots on it;
- cracks when dry.
All of the above suggests that the sooner such pollution is noticed and the sooner the artist tries to remove it, the better the effect will be achieved. How to wash gouache from clothes at home? There are some simple tips to help solve the problem.
Fresh spots
Gouache-stained clothes should first be soaked in cold water. It is in the cold, because the paint will instantly harden from hot water. Next, the stain should be well soaped with laundry soap at least 72% concentration and rubbed intensively with your hands. If the fabric is thick enough, you can rub it with a brush. Then the clothes should be rinsed several times under coldflowing water. This is usually enough to remove fresh stains.
You can remove gouache paint from jeans or jackets using a solvent. It is desirable to know what components were included in the composition that got on the clothes. For washing, use these types of solvents. This is the most efficient approach. To remove stains, the thing is moistened with a solvent, and then washed off with cold water. This method is only suitable for thick fabrics.
Cleaning delicate fabrics
The question of how to remove gouache from white clothes or from thin delicate fabrics is especially acute. For this purpose, it is better to use a stain remover. The choice of these products on sale is very wide, which will help you choose the composition that is suitable for each specific case. If you carefully follow the instructions, the thing, as a rule, can be saved.
Effectively helps to cope with a stain on a blouse or nylon tights oxygen bleach that does not contain chlorine. If you need to act quickly, and you don’t have any of the above tools at hand, you can remove gouache from white using dish detergent. It is best to use formulations in the form of a gel, since the higher the concentration of the agent, the better the result will be. It is diluted in water, placed there for a few minutes, and then washed by hand or in a washing machine.
Folk cleaning methods
There are several ways to remove gouache from a shirt, pants, and other typesclothes, using household improvised means. However, they should be used carefully so as not to spoil things.
So, for example, a mixture of gasoline and slightly warmed vinegar works well, which is applied to the fabric, kept for about half an hour, and then washed off using washing powder to get rid of the unpleasant smell. However, this method is not suitable for delicate fabrics, since the mixture of gasoline and vinegar is very aggressive and can ruin them. By the way, you need to work with this mixture with gloves so as not to damage the skin. In addition, gasoline can leave greasy stains on the fabric. To remove them, use nail polish remover, which is rubbed over the contaminated surface, and after a few minutes, washed with a large amount of powder.
Acetone and kerosene will help remove the dried gouache of dense materials. However, these substances are very aggressive and can corrode the paint on colored clothes. Therefore, they must be used carefully.
A mixture of ammonia and glycerin in equal proportions cleans the paint less aggressively. It is applied to a contaminated area and left for forty minutes, and then washed with soap or powder.
A mixture of ammonia with oxalic acid in equal proportions will help remove stains from a down jacket or cotton fabric. The mixture looks like a gruel, which is applied to the contaminated area with a cotton swab for half an hour.
Home cleaning methods for synthetic fabrics
How to wash gouache from synthetic fabrics with improvised means? To eliminate stains from fluorescent gouache, you can use oileucalyptus, which is applied to the place of pollution in its pure form, and after a while it is washed off with acetone or alcohol.
There is an original way to remove paint from a white synthetic shirt using butter. A teaspoon of this product is mixed with a quality laundry detergent and rubbed into the stain. After half an hour, wash the shirt in soapy water by hand.
If the gouache is dry…
How to remove gouache from clothes if it has already dried? First you need to carefully clean the composition from the surface with a knife. Then dilute a large amount of washing powder or laundry soap in water and place the soiled item there for at least an hour and a half. After that, apply a little detergent to the stain and scrub it with a toothbrush.
If a color mark remains on the fabric, use one of the above recommendations to remove it. At the end, wash the item in the machine with the addition of a good washing powder.
Removing paint from various surfaces
Often, gouache gets not only on clothes, but also on various objects. How to be in this case? Sometimes - just put up with it, as in the case of gouache on the wallpaper. It will not be possible to wash off the paint from such a surface, so it is better to immediately hide the stain with a picture or pieces of furniture.
Gouache hitting the carpet is not so catastrophic. How to remove paint stainscarpet, rug or carpet? It is necessary to moisten the stain as soon as possible with plenty of water, substituting a container under it to drain the liquid. After removing the top layer of contamination, pour powder on it or pour liquid soap, dish detergent or stain remover. Next, rub the soiled area with a brush until it is clean, and then rinse it with water.
To remove a stain from a sofa, use a stain remover. The furniture around the stain is covered with oilcloth so as not to smear the paint on its surface. The place of contamination is abundantly moistened with a stain remover for several minutes, and then cleaned with a brush, wetting it in water. Sometimes one procedure is not enough, and it has to be repeated.
Gouache that has fallen on wooden furniture is easily washed off with a sponge coated with liquid soap or dishwashing detergent. After removing the stain, wipe the surface with a dry cloth to avoid deformation of the wood.
From plastic or linoleum, gouache is washed off with liquid soap, gasoline, nail polish remover, citric acid, or bleach purchased at a hardware store.
General recommendations
So, to effectively get rid of gouache pollution, you need to perform a number of simple steps. It is necessary to take into account a number of general recommendations. The main ones are as follows:
- try to wash off the paint as soon as possible, avoiding drying;
- use only cold water for cleansing;
- soak the soiled thing for at least half an hour before carrying out the procedure;
- do not use for cleaningsynthetic fabrics gasoline and various solvents;
- when working with gasoline, alcohol, acetone and other combustible substances, the workplace should be away from sources of fire, and the room should be well ventilated;
- when using aggressive substances, protect your hands with gloves and prevent these substances from getting into your eyes;
- When using bleach on whites, make sure it does not contain chlorine, which can cause yellowing of the fabric.
Do not be upset if the paint has stained clothes, carpet or furniture during the process of creativity. Knowing the ways by which you can get rid of such pollution, you can choose the one that is right for you. Having considered the methods and recommendations on how to remove gouache, you can deal with the problem quickly.