Any tips for getting a gummy substance out of a cashmere sweater?

Question

My husband got a pink, gummy substance (its some sort of sealant) on his beautiful grey cashmere sweater ... WHY he was wearing his cashmere sweater while on a job inspection is beyond me, but now I need to try and remove this gunk :(

Answer 1

Sadly cashmere is a very fine and short staple wool and therefore dreadfully fragile.

:-(

The sealant- is it rubberised (impossible to get out unless it has not been pushed INTO the knit) or is it hard?

Sealants which are used to close gaps with movement will appear rubbery to the touch ("cow gum" if that means anything to you) and these are killers. You CAN have a relatively successful time of picking it off.

Because cashmere is such a short staple wool it is easier to pick from it than from, say, merino or shetland.

Problem is that you also pick the individual hairs out and leave a weakened area...

If it is chewing gum (ie that it does not dry ever but stays gluey and gumm) you can do as has been suggested- use peanut butter (first time I heard that- we in the UK are not peanut butter-savey I guess) or a drop of a LIGHT oil on your finger tip to apply as directly to the substance as possible. Oil, ANY oil (and it is the peanut oil, quite a heavy oil I might add which does the "magic") will mix and soften. This alone might not help AND it can actually work the substance into the knit more... Ice will harden and you can pick (but then remember- bald patches).

BEST advice IS to take it to a professional. Cashmere does NOT like the washing machine that well and is usually recommended for dry cleaning.

In order for THAT to be successful hubby will need to spill the beans (please not on the jumper!) about WHAT it is he has on that jumper!

Have fun.

Answer 2

I know peanut butter gets out gum...the oils in it break down the gum and you can wash out the peanut butter. But I don't know on Cashmere. I wonder if the oils would stain the sweater. Sorry I couldn't be more help.

Answer 3

You can try rubbing with baby oil or peanut butter. Both have very mild solvent properties and the peanut butter will also provide a grit. As far as products more specifically developed for such an incident try Goo-Gone. You can find it in any chain grocery store or hardware store.

Answer 4

Maybe some peanut butter or some goo gone.

It may get the gummy stuff out but it might leave a stain. See what the cleaners say.

Answer 5

Maybe he lent it to his other girlfriend and she got gum or makeup on it.

If it really is a sealant, ask him if he has a sealant-removing or weakening compound and gently apply it to the spot on the sweater. Do this ONLY if you are unwilling to take it to a cleaners, because I recommend that first and foremost.

Answer 6

Ice....either freeze the sweater and try and peel it off or use some ice to freeze it and try and peel it off that way... if that doesn't work...take it to a GOOD dry cleaner and see if they can get it off...( I'm allergic to wool and this is the only method I know to use on wool, because I can't touch it. So I don't have much practice with removing stains from it..)

Answer 7

i know why he was at that job inspection with his beautiful grey cashmere sweater. it was because he doesnt even like that sweater.

sorry but its the saaaad truth

Answer 8

You could try freezing it and then picking it off... it seems to be the only thing that would get it off without using some other substance to do it.

Answer 9

Oh I know! Get out $112.95 from the bank...head on down to Macy's and get a new one....that's like asking how you get a stain out of a cotton ball!

Answer 10

Put peanut butter on it hten put and ice cube on it to get it cold and scrape it off???