Grab the Goop

Karin Wells · 09-16-2003, 01:33 AM

Last night we had dinner reservations and I was all dressed up and waiting for my husband. I couldn't resist going out into the studio, picking up a brush and doing just a little bit of painting while I waited.

Almost immediately I dropped my fully loaded oil palette upside down on my lap. I managed to scrape off the worst of it with a knife but figured that this was probably a lost cause and I had created yet another "painting outfit."

After I changed, I grabbed the Goop. (It is available at most auto supply stores and is in my local grocery store - thank heavens.) I rubbed a handful of the stuff into the fabric and let it sit overnight.

This morning I ran it through the washer and dryer cycles and every bit of the paint came out!

I am a very neat painter, but when I have a paint spill it is usually a good one and that is why I consider Goop to be an essential tool in my studio.

Mike Dodson · 09-16-2003, 10:55 AM

Thanks for the discovery Karin. In the past I've used mineral spirits followed up with soap/water and it has worked well but this sounds like it will be an easier clean-up to deal with.

Karin Wells · 09-16-2003, 11:04 AM

You're going to love Goop.

Here are a few more tips:
1. Don't try to use turps to get the paint out - it just makes the color spread.
2. Don't try to "scrub" the paint out of the fabric. Just "work in" lots and lots of Goop.
3. Before you drop the clothing into the washer, put a little soap directly on the bad area.
4. If it doesn't work the first time, do it again - especially if you have spilled something like Prussian Blue or one of the awful staining colors.