# Clothes cleaning question (sticky stuff - but not TMI!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 1, 2006, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothes-cleaning-question-sticky-stuff-but-not-tmi/342481 "2006-02-01T06:53:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MilTan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@MilTan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MilTan)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothes-cleaning-question-sticky-stuff-but-not-tmi/342481/1 "2006-02-01T06:53:23Z")
I have a fairly bizarre clothes cleaning situation: I was recently sitting on a beat up old couch, where the upholstery was torn in places. As such, some tape-like substance was exposed, and I sat upon it. After I got up, I noticed that the back of my jeans was now sticky as well (in the way that the surface you remove a sticker from becomes sticky). I can’t seem to clean it off, and was looking for suggestions. Would something like Goo-gone work? Or would it damage the clothing? ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothes-cleaning-question-sticky-stuff-but-not-tmi/342481/2 "2006-02-01T16:26:42Z")
Boy, I think Goo Gone would be too harsh to use on fabric without either weakening or bleaching the cloth (or both). Test it out on a rag or something before you use it on your clothing. You might have some success with peanut butter. That tends to break down sticky stuff and make it easier to scrub out. You can also soak it in an Oxyclean solution for an hour or two before washing. I’ve had good luck with that. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothes-cleaning-question-sticky-stuff-but-not-tmi/342481/3 "2006-02-01T16:44:29Z")
Try CRC Cleaner & Degreaser [http://shop.sailnet.com/product\_info.php/cPath/66/products\_id/2804?osCsid=c3cc39bd7d51aa56f457f643cdec1407](http://shop.sailnet.com/product_info.php/cPath/66/products_id/2804?osCsid=c3cc39bd7d51aa56f457f643cdec1407) NOT WD-40 or brake cleaner My Mom and I use it as a “quickie dry-cleaner” to get the spots off all kinds of her expensive clothes without harm. I will dissolve tape adhesive. Should be available at your local hardware store. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothes-cleaning-question-sticky-stuff-but-not-tmi/342481/4 "2006-02-01T17:00:16Z")
Try peanut butter. Just rub it in, let it stand for a few minutes, then launder. It works great on most adhesives that I’ve run into except rubber cement, but that doesn’t stay sticky. ---
**Author:** ![MilTan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@MilTan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MilTan)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothes-cleaning-question-sticky-stuff-but-not-tmi/342481/5 "2006-02-01T17:06:47Z")
Thanks for the replies, everyone! I’m trying the peanut butter thing as we speak – if that doesn’t work, I’ll move to **Enola** ’s CRC suggestion. Wish me luck - we’re talking about one of my favorite pairs of jeans here 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ryobserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@ryobserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryobserver)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothes-cleaning-question-sticky-stuff-but-not-tmi/342481/6 "2006-02-02T00:44:52Z")
> [@Beadalin](#): > > Boy, I think Goo Gone would be too harsh to use on fabric without either weakening or bleaching the cloth (or both). Test it out on a rag or something before you use it on your clothing. > > You might have some success with peanut butter. That tends to break down sticky stuff and make it easier to scrub out. You can also soak it in an Oxyclean solution for an hour or two before washing. I’ve had good luck with that. I used Goo Gone last summer to get chewing gum off a pair of cotton/poly twill pants. Worked fine and did no damage. (However the pants were very pale in color, so if there was very slight bleaching it could go unnoticed.) I tested the stuff on a hidden area first, just as the instructions tell you to. ---
**Author:** ![MilTan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@MilTan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MilTan)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothes-cleaning-question-sticky-stuff-but-not-tmi/342481/7 "2006-02-02T01:30:09Z")
I tried the peanut butter thing, and it seems to have worked (won’t know for sure until the jeans are done drying), except that even after laundering, they still smell slightly of peanuts 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothes-cleaning-question-sticky-stuff-but-not-tmi/342481/8 "2006-02-02T02:49:21Z")
Well, if you go to the zoo this weekend, stay away from the elephants. ---
**Author:** ![dinahmoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@dinahmoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dinahmoe)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothes-cleaning-question-sticky-stuff-but-not-tmi/342481/9 "2006-02-02T02:54:51Z")
> [@Enola Straight](#): > > I will dissolve tape adhesive. Ooh! Problem sovled! Now get to work, you. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![dinahmoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@dinahmoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dinahmoe)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothes-cleaning-question-sticky-stuff-but-not-tmi/342481/10 "2006-02-02T02:56:31Z")
Dammit! I suck. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothes-cleaning-question-sticky-stuff-but-not-tmi/342481/11 "2006-02-02T21:37:25Z")
I’ve never had any problem with Goo Gone on fabric. It’s safe enough to use on skin. A couple of weeks ago, I used it on pants that got tree sap on them - just saturated the spots with Goo Gone, let it sit for about ten minutes, then into the wash. It all came out and there were no spots or damage to the fabric. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2006, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothes-cleaning-question-sticky-stuff-but-not-tmi/342481/12 "2006-02-02T22:02:52Z")
I just realized that I was thinking of Goof Off, not Goo Gone. I get those names confused a lot, eventhough I use both!