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Home / Cleaning Guides / Clothing & Fabrics / Stain Removal / How to Remove Expanding Foam from Fabric

How to Remove Expanding Foam from Fabric

Jessica said, “My friend got white expanding foundation foam on his brand new black polyester shirt what would he use to get it out ?”

Table of Contents:
  1. Removing the Stain
  2. Additional Tips and Advice
  3. Sources

Expanding foam, also known as spray foam as it sprayed onto surfaces using an aerosol can or gun, is a polyurethane-based material often used as an insulator or foundation filler, but it can also be used for a variety of DIY and art projects. Removing it from almost any surface is difficult, if not impossible, but there are a few tricks that you can try.

Removing the Stain

You Will Need:

  • Gloves
  • Nail polish remover (acetone)
  • A mask
  • A nail file
  • A pumice stone
  • A dull knife
  • Mineral spirits
  • Polyurethane stripper

Steps to Remove the Stain:

  1. Put on gloves.Foam on Shirt
  2. If the foam has not yet fully hardened, wipe off as much as possible with a cloth or paper towel.
  3. Blot the remaining foam with some acetone nail polish remover. (Be sure to test this first on a small hidden area to look for any damage to the fabric.)
  4. Continue blotting the foam with the acetone until it is removed.
  5. If the foam has hardened, the only way to remove it will be to mechanically break it off. First, put on a mask or respirator to prevent inhaling any of the dust that will be created.
  6. Rasp the foam off the fabric with a nail file, pumice stone, scouring pad or a dull knife until it is gone. Use caution not to file the fibers of the fabric.
  7. It may help to loosen the foam by applying mineral spirits or a polyurethane stripper to the back of the fabric behind the stain. (Test this on a small hidden area first to look for any adverse reaction with the fabric.)

Additional Tips and Advice

  • If there is any foam embedded in the fibers of the fabric that is impossible to remove, you can try to dye it to match the color of the shirt so that it will be less noticeable. See our guide How to Fix Bleach-Stained Clothes for ideas on how to cover the spots.

Sources

  1. Great Stuff Consumer Safety Information by The Dow Chemical Company
  2. Safe Use, Storage and Handling for Low-Pressure Spray Foam Products by Convenience Products
  3. The Complete Household Handbook by Good Housekeeping

Clothing & Fabrics, Stain Removal

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Melanie

Hi! I am a seasoned writer-researcher who prides myself on quality and accuracy. I always vet my sources and test the cleaning methods I prescribe! I hope my cleaning guides can help you out! :)

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Comments

  1. Justin says

    November 23, 2018 at 2:53 am

    You will need:
    – A nail file and some isopropyl alcohol.
    – A new and firm toothbrush with a sprinkle of iodized salt and hot water. Depending on the size of the spot, you may end up using more/less salt.
    Here is my success story.
    First, I washed the clothes that had the dried and stuck-on expanding foam on them. Before drying them, I layed them out flat. I opened my toothbrush and grabbed the salt. I sprinkled the salt lightly on the desired areas. I used a small pot of hot water to rinse my brush as needed. Finally I began to scrub the spots vigerously until the salt dissipated. You may need to do this more than once. Lastly, I used a nail file to gently remove any remaining spots on the clothing. That’s all I did. I re-washed my clothes, dried them and they were spot-free!
    The clothing items that I applied this method to were as follows. (1) 100% cotton hooded sweatshirt/jacket. It is designed using the colors black, grey, and turquoise. (2) 100% polyester dress pants/slacks. They are a slightly darker shade of khaki and solid in color.

    Reply
    • Manuel says

      February 21, 2019 at 2:55 am

      What do you do with alcohol?
      I didn’t see anything to do with it.

      Reply
      • Joe says

        August 2, 2019 at 10:20 pm

        You drink your sorrows away once you realise that you can’t remove the expanding foam.

        Reply

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