Silly putty, as the name suggests, is a silly and fun item to play with and entertain the family. However, it’s not so fun when it makes contact with your fabric and refuses to come out. There are stains, and there are stains that never leave, regardless of the number of washes. And silly putty is certainly the latter.
One quick piece of advice, if you just got silly putty on your clothes, do not let it dry. It’s much, much harder to remove once it’s dry. Typically, it’s also much harder to remove from clothes with an uneven texture, like fleece.
However, do not be alarmed; silly putty might not come out with just washing, but we have several other ways to get it out of your clothes for good. These methods listed below are very effective and will restore your clothes quickly.
Note, before using any product on the affected area, test them on an inconspicuous area first to see what happens.
Also, while trying to get the stain out of your clothes, use a rag to intercept between the affected and the non–affected part. This prevents the further spreading of the substance. With these in mind, you can get the putty out of your clothes.
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How to Get Silly Putty Out of your Clothes
It’s easier to get silly putty out if it’s still fresh or the cloth has just been washed. This is because it’s still wet and has not yet bonded with your fabric’s fibers. This gives a more likely chance of these methods producing excellent results.
On the bright side, most of these methods contain materials that are usually lying around the house, so you have to go too far for a solution. And since fabric differs, our list ensures we have something for everybody.
1. Scrape gently
Now, this is the first method because it is the first thing you should do if you have excess silly putty on your fabric. This is you helping whatever cleaning agent you’re going to use to remove it completely. Let the agent work instead on the putty stuck directly on the fibers.
Use a blunt knife, a butter knife, or a putty knife to scrape off any excesses gently. Do not use a sharp knife while doing this, as you can damage your fabric. It is also advised that if you’re unsure how to gently scrape away the putty without getting it everywhere else, you should wait for method 2.
It is easier and more effective when it comes to controlling the menace that is silly putty. Either of them works fine; it depends on which is better for you and your fabric. (You shouldn’t use this method on fleece)
2. Use Ice
This is an excellent alternative for getting out the silly putty and its excesses. It’s like freezing glue. It hardens and makes it easier for you to chip it off.
Now, you can either put ice on the material or put your clothes into the fridge. Though it is acknowledged that some wouldn’t prefer dumping their clothes in the fridge, icing works too.
Just take an ice cube and rub it all over the affected part. Or, even better, place the fabric in a cooler with lots of ice. Like an improvised freezer. You can now scrape it off with your blunt knife. This makes it a lot easier.
For those who don’t mind putting the clothes in the freezer, leave them there for a minimum of a few hours and a maximum overnight period. Then, take the garment out and scrape away.
Do this method until the silly putty is out, then wash your cloth as usual. This works wonders for delicate fabrics that you can’t expose to heavy chemicals.
3. Hand Sanitizer
This method has been named the easiest and most effective way of getting silly putty out of your clothes. It is tested and tried, and it does the job. The alcohol breaks down the putty and, just as quickly, evaporates. So no stain, but a lot of gains.
Sanitizers with fragrances could leave a stain, so it’s best to avoid those. So, all you have to do in this method is simple. Pour a drizzle of your sanitizer on the affected part. Use your hand to rub it into that part gently.
Then, take your blunt knife or your fingernail to scrape off the substance. Repeat this till you get all the silly putty out. It would not take too long. Go ahead to wash your clothing as you normally would.
4. White Vinegar
This is a staple household cleaning agent at this point. It removes the smell of sweat and bleach stains and can also effectively get out silly putty stains.
The high acidity content ensures its dexterity in getting stains out. However, it must be diluted before use because of how acidic it is. This prevents any damage to the clothes.
All you have to do is mix one part of the white vinegar with two or three parts of water. You can do this in a bowl or a spray bottle for easy usage. Next, you can either dip your cloth in the solution or spray the solution onto your clothes. Scrape it out gently.
Once you’ve gotten out the putty, put your clothes in the washing machine. Detergent and half a cup of vinegar should do the trick, just wash as normal. Washing with vinegar is even more necessary for dealing with white clothes.
Note, do not attempt to mix vinegar with bleach to hasten the process. This is extremely dangerous as the reaction produces a toxic gas.
If you haven’t researched properly if or how these two household staples should be mixed, do not do it. You can rest assured using only white vinegar produces very effective results.
5. Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol is one of the most effective methods on this list. This is because of the high alcohol content. As for hand sanitizer, alcohol breaks down the silly putty. Unlike hand sanitizer, rubbing alcohol contains no fragrance, so it is not likely to leave a stain.
Ensure you test it out on an inconspicuous area first if the fabric you plan to use is delicate. Before use, follow step one. Gently scrape off the excesses. Then, take a cotton ball and soak it in the alcohol.
Use the ball to blot out the silly putty stain. If you have a more widespread or stubborn stain, just pour the alcohol on the affected part and use an old toothbrush to scrub it out.
Repeat until you’ve got it all out, then wash your cloth as you normally would. For this method, some might recommend using hydrogen peroxide as an alternative. However, it is not advised because that’s a very strong chemical, but extreme caution is required, if used at all.
6. WD-40
This is also a very good way of getting out silly putty stains. It’s also helpful in the removal of oil stains. The only problem with WD-40 is that it can leave its own stain. However, that can be removed during washing, so it’s not too much of a problem to prevent recommendations.
WD-40 is a very strong chemical, so it might not be the best for delicate fabrics. It works like magic for synthetic fabrics, though. A safety measure to note when using this material is, to ensure the space is well-ventilated. Better still, use it outdoors.
Also, this is optional, but you could wear protective garments like gloves and a face mask to prevent unpleasant odor or touching the chemical.
Spray some of the chemicals on the affected area of your clothing. Let the substance rest on your cloth for a few minutes. Then, scrub the stain well. Once it’s out, wash the cloth very well to remove the greasy stain of the WD-40.
7. Drinking Alcohol
Vodka is a good example of drinking alcohol, perfect for removing silly putty from clothes. They’re excellent for getting out stains in general.
In fact, vodka should be considered another household cleaning agent kept in the laundry room. Just ensure you don’t buy the flavored ones as they may contain dyes that will harm your clothes more than good.
The good thing is you don’t have to buy the expensive kind. The cheap ones will do. Vodkas have the same quality as rubbing alcohol and sanitizers; They all have alcohol. So just douse the affected part and scrub away. Wash as usual and air dry.
8. Iron
This is a good method but not necessarily the best method. This is because you’d have to combine it with another method on the list. This method is just the transfer of the silly putty from your cloth to a disposable fabric by melting it with heat.
Place your affected cloth on the ironing board or surface. Plug in your iron and allow it to heat up. While it’s heating up, place a disposable fabric on the affected cloth.
Ensure you do not use another useful fabric for the transfer, as you’ll be gaining one more piece of cloth with silly putty problems.
Once your iron is hot, iron over the affected area for a few seconds. Then, lift up the disposable cloth to see if any putty has stuck onto it. Rotate the cloth and place another clean part over the stain.
Do this over and over until you’ve gotten all the putty out of your useful fabric and onto the disposable one.
As was mentioned previously, this will not get the stain out completely. So, use alcohol or vinegar to scrub out the little residue. Wash as usual and air dry.
9. Liquid Dish Soap
This is one of the After methods. As in a method used after using one of the other methods listed above.
Once you’ve finally gotten the silly putty out with one of those methods, grease stains will be left behind. Or the grease stains might be from the WD-40 if you went with that method.
Liquid dish soap comes in here. This is a very good substance to break down grease and oil stains. This has been tested and tried on your oily dishes.
It’s best to wash the grease stains out before drying. Once you’ve dried your clothes, that grease stain might never appear again.
It works by drizzling some of that liquid dish soap on the affected area. Then use a brush, scrub brush, or toothbrush, to scrub the soap into the stain. You’d notice that the stain would start to lift. When it’s all gone, you can wash and rinse your clothing. Drying is also allowed now.
How to Remove Silly Putty from Carpets and Fabric Couches
There is nothing grand in the removal of silly putty from these items. They may be larger, so more time-consuming, but it’s more or less the same ingredients involved. Two main ingredients required for removing the stain from carpets and couches are Ice and Rubbing alcohol.
These two ingredients go a long way. If the silly putty is still fresh, scraping off the excesses is a good way to start.
If it’s days old, it’ll need some loosening. You can go in with ice first, using the tutorial above. If that doesn’t remove it properly, finish with rubbing alcohol. Also, follow the tutorial above.
Once the silly putty is out, use dish soap and wash to scrub the affected area. Rinse the area using a wet rag to dab up all the soapy bits.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can Silly Putty be Removed from Hair?
Baby oil or hair conditioner would do the trick. Massage the affected part with the conditioner and warm water, then gently comb through.
Can Vinegar be Used to Remove Silly Putty from Couches?
Yes, it can be used. Pour your white vinegar onto a rag and rub the rag onto the stain. It works, but ice and rubbing alcohol are easier and faster.
What Dissolves Silly Putty?
Several things can dissolve Silly Putty, such as WD-40 and alcohol or alcohol-based products, for example, rubbing alcohol, vodka, or non-fragrant hand sanitizer.
Final Words
Silly putty is a tough nut to crack, but once you know the tricks, you know the tricks! Scraping off the excesses and loosening up the remnants is all you have to remember. So enjoy a family fun–filled time with silly putty, rest assured!
You can leave your comments and opinions once you’ve tried our methods below. We’ll love to hear from you!
