Don't Get Scared
 

This has not happened to any of my quilts, but after making some Black Cherry Kool-Aid a few minutes ago, I poured some for myself and trotted back to my computer. On the way I passed by my "Pipe Dream" quilt with the VERY light grey background.

I have a question for you. What would you do IF you managed to spill dark Kool-Aid or something like that, on a very light quilt? Is there something that you can soak it in to make it "new" again?

I would put it in the washer immediately and wash on cold water, color catcher and Tide. If the stain didn't come out I'd use a color safe bleach and wash again. If it still didn't come out I'd say Oh well, and forget it.

Kool-Aid is dye. I would pour it all over the light grey fabric to make it consistent.

Oxy Clean? Not sure. So far any red wine accidents didn't affect actual quilts. I do know that I would utter some very bad words.

This is precisely why I never allowed koolaid with red dyes in our house when my kids were growing up. We learned to really like lemonade, LOL

Unfortunately, there's no fixing red koolaid or yellow mustard stains (ask me how I know). So, best not to tempt fate

Love your "Pipe Dream" quilt! Is there a pattern for it or did you wing it?

I'd get out my Stomp 'n' Go pads. Love those things. They get out red wine, spaghetti sauce, popsicles ... just about anything bright & colorful that doesn't belong on the ridiculous white carpet that seems to be in all the apartments I've rented lately (seriously! what a terrible idea! so glad my next apartment has concrete floors).

Those things have dissolved every stain I've ever encountered. They're made for carpet, but I've used them on plenty of other items, including bedding (not quilts so far, but desperate times would have me reaching for them). Just press on them & leave for a bit, then after it's soaked in for a while, work on spot cleaning with cool, clear water and finally toss the quilt in the wash.

But all that said, just don't go near a quilt with any beverage other than water. It's not worth it.

First I love your quilt. This happened to me with Orange Crush soda. I immediately washed it using color safe bleach and cold water. The stain did not come out so as onebyone said, I said Oh well and chalked it up to experience.

Change the kool-aid to Vodka!!!!

I think it is hopeless.

Long before I took a job as a church administrator, red Kool-aid had been banned from that church. The rule had been made based on experience.

RetroClean is my go to. A tad spendy, but consistent results, safe even for antique quilts. I have no connection to the company.

I would try Oxy-clean. I dropped a bowl of cherry jam on our creme carpet (multi-tasking and trying to get too many dishes to the kitchen at one time) and in the couple of minutes it took to grab a knife and paper towels, it had left a horrible stain. I made a paste of Oxy-clean and water, and dabbed it on part of the stain. Worked in seconds.

And this is why the DGK's are not allowed to have coloured drinks in the living or family rooms!

I too love your quilt. Was it your own design or did you have a pattern?

Great top. I would try washing just that area by hand. Didn't see it on the picture. I have poor coordination so I drink out of a cup with a lid and a straw. It really does work well for me.

Love your quilt. What pattern did you use?

LOL - spill and shrug.

My mother always said to support the area of fruit stain over a bowl or something in the laundry tub, then pour the boiling water FROM A HEIGHT. Is this an old wives' tale (the "from a height" part), or does it make a difference? I don't mean stand on a stool, just lift it up, extending your arm slightly upwards, and pour. I've always been nervous to omit this step, in case the stain didn't come out.

I have had real good luck with both Kool-Aid and mustard stains using Shout. A few yrs back DH had put in a light grey Berber carpet -not even 30 minutes later 3yo niece spills a 16 oz to go cup of red Kool Aid -I blotted up most of it but the red dye stayed. I squirted the day lights out of it with Shout and it all came out. It didn't do much good for my freshly painted wall. Mustard can take a few treatments depending on how old the stain is-youngest GS ate mustard like it was choco syrup and every thing the kid owned had mustard on it-Shout got even the oldest stains out. When my son was in 2nd or 3rd grade the class made Tye dyes using all the Kool Aid flavors - the shirts are 30 + yrs old and there is very little fading after all 6 kids and a zillion washing's.

I would NEVER allow Kool Aid in my quilting room. Other than that, I would follow the advice of Onebyone to the letter.

I would immediately take it to the bathroom and do a power hose rinse on it, trying not to allow anytime for it to set. Rinsing from the outside edges of the stain in. My grandmother also used baking soda to help absorb as much of the stain as possible.

Dh has small single servings of jello that he takes to work. The only thing he may carry from one room to the next is coffee. When my kids were younger, I rarely bought Kool-aid. Always told my kids they were out of the red colors and they were actually ok. I just bought sodas or sometimes made lemonade. Most sodas were 7-UP or Sprite, rarely Coke or Pepsi. Absolutely no red drinks. No gum.

Changing the Kool-Aid to vodka would be the perfect solution, although temporary. My accidents have all been resolved by OxiClean, love that stuff. It even takes out the spaghetti sauce stains that my DH just can't keep off of his tee shirts. I spilled orange soda one summer day and it took almost a year to clean everything it got on, dripped down the side of my cutting table into a file area, etc. No more sticky drinks are allowed. Oh, got it on the plastic covers for my AccuQuilt dies and thought I'd have to live with that forever. Yeah, vodka is the answer.

These are all good suggestions. My drink container has a snap on top, but it just crossed my mind as I walked into the room with the drink the other day. About the pattern. I took a piece of graph paper and used a pencil to draw out the bending shapes for the "pipes" to go. There are over 90 different fabrics in this quilt and it is one of my favorites.

I would pour boiling water thru the quilt, while it was suspended over a sink or bowl. I have done this successfully with cherry juice and other red juices, thankfully never on a quilt.

Carbona will take it out.

I would douse it with club soda first, then soak in a solution of Biz and OxyClean. If that didn't work, I'd go with Shout.

I would first use Clorox POWER stain remover which is a gel . This product takes out even stains set by the dryer.
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My kids spilt some red Kool-Aid on my light grey carpet. After my heart attach, I moved the furniture. I took ten years, but the dog finally licked the stain out of the carpet. My suggestion - carefully dye the rest of the quilt (just like tea dying).

Be careful. Although it is a cherry flavor, I don't think that the Kool Aid drink is fruit based therefore, you don't want to treat the stain as if it is fruit based. You need to check the ingredients on the package. I've decided I can only be trusted with ice water as I sew or quilt unless I take a break. Loved the vodka idea however!

I don't know about koolaid even, but I have great luck getting red wine and many other stains using hydrogen peroxide and if that does not work, I make a paste of hydrogen peroxide and dawn detergent and let it soak for a bit. All my drinks have lids...the wine was on my friends new pretty white shirts.

Forgot to tell you, I love the quilt!

I keep a liter of club soda in case of wine spilled on my carpet; it takes wine out so I would try it on a scrap of fabric to see if it removed kool aid from the fabric. Hope so. Beautiful quilt top, by the way!

The best stain remover I've found is called the Magic Wand:

http://www.amazon.com/Dritz-20125-Cl...rds=magic+wand

It looks like an oversized stick of chapstick and you rub it on the stain and then take a wet brush (I use an old toothbrush) and brush the spot. Then just throw it in the washing machine. If it's a bad stain, like grease, sometimes it takes more than one application, but it will work even if something has already gone through the dryer. Best ever.

I used to find it at Hancock's or JoAnn's but it was discontinued in stores a couple of years ago. Now, I order it on Amazon when I can add it on to another order with free shipping.

I think I would cry !! No suggestion as to how to remove, my sympathy

Oh quiltykiwi, I did not have this happen to me. I was just wondering what anyone else would do if it had happened to them. I try not to bring things that might hurt my quilts or the fabric into the sewing room. The thing is that the sewing room is also the computer room, and I like a drink now and then.

I love your quilt! I have googled Pipe Dream Quilt pattern and not found it. If you are using a pattern, can you share what it is called, please. If you just created it on your own....well Wow!!!!

Dina

Yes, it is a dye, and has been used as a safe method for children to tie-dye t-shirts. Keep it in the kitchen if you have to serve it; even iced tea is safer!