# Is plain water and a quick scrub the simplest/best thing to get dried semen out of cotton?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-plain-water-and-a-quick-scrub-the-simplest-best-thing-to-get-dried-semen-out-of-cotton/647170>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 14, 2013, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-plain-water-and-a-quick-scrub-the-simplest-best-thing-to-get-dried-semen-out-of-cotton/647170 "2013-01-14T15:20:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-plain-water-and-a-quick-scrub-the-simplest-best-thing-to-get-dried-semen-out-of-cotton/647170/21 "2013-01-15T14:48:14Z")

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This was brought up in a previous thread, and seconded by a poster in her life, about how a mother in the movie _Bridesmaids_ mentioned how she folded a towel (I think) and it cracked.

But my question on yellow is still out there.

I’ll look up the differences between detergent and soap, as suggested above. I’d also like to find out about the effect on protein.

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**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-plain-water-and-a-quick-scrub-the-simplest-best-thing-to-get-dried-semen-out-of-cotton/647170/22 "2013-01-15T14:51:32Z")

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> [@amanset](#):
>
> Very much so. As a teenager, I became quite aware of how semen turns in paper towels over time. Yes, I was disgusting. I was a male teenager.

If I may, your characterization of yourself as"disgusting" perhaps should be examined, and perhaps rejected.

I suggest a minimum of 15 years therapy, at $300/hr.

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**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-plain-water-and-a-quick-scrub-the-simplest-best-thing-to-get-dried-semen-out-of-cotton/647170/23 "2013-01-15T15:21:22Z")

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Come again?

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**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-plain-water-and-a-quick-scrub-the-simplest-best-thing-to-get-dried-semen-out-of-cotton/647170/24 "2013-01-15T15:53:12Z")

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Era plus works on protein, also Whisk. (Remember ring-around-the-collar? It’s the same thing; I guess proteins in your bodily oozings.)

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**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-plain-water-and-a-quick-scrub-the-simplest-best-thing-to-get-dried-semen-out-of-cotton/647170/25 "2013-01-15T16:11:01Z")

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One more vote for “just wash the damn shirt already.”

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