How To Remove Masking Tape From Clothes

Sharon asks: I found a sweat suit with masking wrap around the outfit that had been taped together for organizing a garage sale. It has been in a storage tub for several years. When I took the tape off, it left white marks where the tape had been. How do I remove the marks?

You Will Need:

• Cooking oil
• Isopropyl alcohol
• A dull knife
• Tweezers

Steps to Remove the Tape:

1. Rub some cooking oil over the tape. Let the oil sit on the tape for a few minutes to freshen the adhesive.
2. If you don’t want to use oil, you can use isopropyl alcohol instead but be sure to test it on a small hidden area of the fabric first as it can have a bleaching effect on some dyes. Wipe the alcohol over the tape so it is thoroughly wet and let it sit for a few minutes to freshen the adhesive.
3. Use a dull knife to carefully scrape up a corner of the tape and use the corner to peel off the rest of the tape. If you can only get a tiny piece of the corner up, use tweezers to grip it so you can pull off the tape.
4. Once the tape is removed, follow the instructions below to remove any remaining tape adhesive if needed or wash the item as usual to remove the oil residue.

You Will Need:

1. A cloth
2. Paper towels
3. An iron

Steps to Remove the Residue

1. If you just used the method above to remove the tape, blot the area several times to remove the oil or alcohol.
2. Place a paper towel over the remaining tape residue on the fabric.
3. Warm an iron on the lowest temperature setting with no steam.
4. Run the heated iron over the fabric and paper towel with the paper towel side up. This will cause the residue to melt and stick to the paper towel, freeing your clothing from it.
5. With another clean paper towel or cleaning cloth, wipe the area to be sure all residue is removed.
6. Wash as usual.

• Be sure to not scrub the fabric, but just gently wipe it. Scrubbing could cause the residue to go deeper into the fabric, making it harder or even impossible to get out. When cleaning, make sure to use gentle, circular motions to remove the residue most effectively.
• If the residue is stubborn, there are commercial adhesive removers you can try, such as Goo Gone or Un-Due. Be sure to test them in a small hidden area on the fabric first to look for any adverse reaction.