Q: I recently had a “lipstick load.” Since I had to work on each piece, it took me hours to restore the entire load. Is there an easier way to handle the mess that results when accidentally running a load with ink or lipstick?
A: The majority of pieces in a lipstick or ink load can be corrected by manually filling the loaded machine to half of its normal solvent level and adding half a gallon of oily-type paint remover (OTPR) or paint, oil and grease remover (POG) for every 25 pounds of the machine’s rated capacity (for example, ½ gallon for a 25-pound machine, or 1½ gallons for a 75-pound machine).
Run a “batch” or “mill” cycle (without letting the solvent circulate through the filter) for 20 minutes in perchloroethylene or 30 minutes in hydrocarbon. Drain and extract to the still, pump fresh solvent into the drum, and rinse thoroughly. You may want to drain the rinse into the still.
Work on the remaining stains with OTPR or POG combined with amyl acetate.
Additional stains may have to be worked on the wet side using the protein procedure first, then the tannin procedure. Bleaches may have to be used as a last resort. Test for colorfastness before using any bleaching agent.Have a processing problem? Click here to Ask The Expert!
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