# Help! Lubricant mishap. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 25, 2006, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-lubricant-mishap/362042 "2006-06-25T02:13:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Phrontist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/839c29/32.png) [@Phrontist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phrontist)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2006, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-lubricant-mishap/362042/1 "2006-06-25T02:13:21Z")
So I had a bottle of Jo System Lubricant that opened in a drawer and poured all over a cotton pillow casing. Jo is silicone-based, and although soap and water seem to work in getting it off my hands (etc), after a thorough washing in the machine (with Tide and Vanish Stain Removal liquid) I have succeeded only in spreading the stain around. Now the entire pillow casing is covered in the stuff. Jo brags about being “water activated!” but right now this seems to be my biggest problem. To the best of my knowledge, the ingredients are: Polydimethylsiloxane, Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, Dimethylsiloxane, hydroxy-terminated. So, um, any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2006, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-lubricant-mishap/362042/2 "2006-06-25T02:25:07Z")
Buy a new pillow case. Use current pillow case as a rag for the workshop. ---
**Author:** ![SleepyDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@SleepyDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SleepyDuck)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2006, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-lubricant-mishap/362042/3 "2006-06-25T03:57:41Z")
_Otto SleepyDuck hurls one final scowl at the title as he exits the thread_; Man, that is **blatant** false advertising! ---
**Author:** ![FormerMarineGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/65b543/32.png) [@FormerMarineGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FormerMarineGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2006, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-lubricant-mishap/362042/4 "2006-06-25T20:56:05Z")
> [@Phrontist](#): > > So, um, any suggestions? THIS IS WHY I PREFER RUBBER SHEETS. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2006, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-lubricant-mishap/362042/5 "2006-06-25T21:26:44Z")
> [@Phrontist](#): > > So I had a bottle of Jo System Lubricant that opened in a drawer and poured all over a cotton pillow casing. Jo is silicone-based, and although soap and water seem to work in getting it off my hands (etc), after a thorough washing in the machine (with Tide and Vanish Stain Removal liquid) I have succeeded only in spreading the stain around. Now the entire pillow casing is covered in the stuff. > Jo brags about being “water activated!” but right now this seems to be my biggest problem. To the best of my knowledge, the ingredients are: Polydimethylsiloxane, Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, Dimethylsiloxane, hydroxy-terminated. So, um, any suggestions? If the stain is dark grayish to black in color it is likely fine graphite. Nothing will remove it entirely, not even dry cleaning. If is ‘another’ “JO” it is for uses unmentionable. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2006, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-lubricant-mishap/362042/6 "2006-06-25T22:26:50Z")
If this stuff is what I think it is, your local \ adult boutique will probably have silicone-based lube remover meant for getting the stuff off of your skin. Said stuff might helpp remove it from cloth. It may be cheaper and far faster to just get a new pillow case. ---
**Author:** ![ASAKMOTSD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2006, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-lubricant-mishap/362042/7 "2006-06-27T00:11:57Z")
The ingredients all seems to be related to silicone componds. I did a quick google & saw that silicone stains can be removed with a product called “Motsenbocker’s Lift Off # 2”. [http://www.doityourself.com/stry/motsenbocker2](http://www.doityourself.com/stry/motsenbocker2) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2006, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-lubricant-mishap/362042/8 "2006-06-27T03:07:07Z")
The thread title reminds me of a cartoon I saw once. A naked woman is running out of the bed with both hands on her crotch. Her boyfriend is holding a small jar, saying ‘Oh, my god! _Vicks!_’ ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2006, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-lubricant-mishap/362042/9 "2006-06-27T05:17:42Z")
> [@spingears](#): > > If the stain is dark grayish to black in color it is likely fine graphite. > Nothing will remove it entirely, not even dry cleaning. > > If is ‘another’ “JO” it is for uses unmentionable. It’s not graphite. The OP gave the specific list of ingredients, all of which are silicones. I don’t know why you even brought graphite up. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2006, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-lubricant-mishap/362042/10 "2006-06-27T09:08:26Z")
Acetone will do an acceptable job of removing silicones, and shouldn’t damage cotton. You’ll need to rinse it out thoroughly before laundering. If acetone doesn’t do the trick, toluene will, but it’s hard to get and it causes cancer. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2006, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-lubricant-mishap/362042/11 "2006-06-27T14:46:37Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > It’s not graphite. The OP gave the specific list of ingredients, all of which are silicones. I don’t know why you even brought graphite up. Read the OP again, "To the best of my knowledge, the ingredients are: Polydimethylsiloxane, Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, Dimethylsiloxane, hydroxy-terminated. Now why would there be anything in that list that would leave a black/gray non-washable stain? Graphite is one of the few substances other than dye that is nearly impossible to remove with washing procedures. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2006, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-lubricant-mishap/362042/12 "2006-06-27T15:13:16Z")
> [@spingears](#): > > Read the OP again, "To the best of my knowledge, the ingredients are: Polydimethylsiloxane, Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, Dimethylsiloxane, hydroxy-terminated. > Now why would there be anything in that list that would leave a black/gray non-washable stain? > Graphite is one of the few substances other than dye that is nearly impossible to remove with washing procedures. He never says that it left a black or grey stain. And it’s not graphite! It’s silicone! The difference between them is pretty obvious - especially given the ingredients, which are all silicones. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2006, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-lubricant-mishap/362042/13 "2006-06-27T18:02:25Z")
> [@Nametag](#): > > If acetone doesn’t do the trick, toluene will, but it’s hard to get and it causes cancer. And if toluene doesn’t remove it, then I guarantee that trinitrotoluene will. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2006, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-lubricant-mishap/362042/14 "2006-06-27T18:18:41Z")
> [@FormerMarineGuy](#): > > THIS IS WHY I PREFER RUBBER SHEETS. Dude–no need to shout. 🙂