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Jill asked: I have a fairly new, light polyester jacket with a couple of small watermarks on the back that I hadn’t noticed. I have rinsed, blotted with tissue paper and ironed, but it’s still there. I wonder if you’re able to help? Thank you.
The secret to removing watermarks from fabrics is to evenly wet and then evenly dry the material. This process removes the “edges” that define watermarks and should improve the look of your fabric. Here’s what you need to do.
You Will Need:
- Water
- Clean wash tub or sink
- Two white absorbent towels
- Hair dryer or fans
Steps to Remove the Stain:
- Fill the tub with clean water.
- Spread one of the towels out on a nearby surface.
- Gently submerge the garment in the tub. Hold it under the water long enough to get it wet.
- Take the fabric from the tub. You can shake it to remove the excess water, but do NOT wring it out.
- Lay the garment on the clean towel.
- Place the second towel over the garment.
- Press straight down with gentle pressure to squeeze out moisture.
- Remove the garment from between the towels and hang it up immediately.
- Dry evenly with a hair dryer or position it in front of a fan, if desired. You may allow it to air dry as long as it appears to be drying evenly. Watch areas around pockets, collars, and cuffs carefully, as these tend to have more layers of fabric that will hold water and cause the garment to dry unevenly.
Additional Tips and Advice
- If the garment is dry clean only, use a clothing steamer to add moisture. Wipe immediately with a lint free cloth to distribute the steam in the fabric, then dry with a hair dryer.
- If this method does not work, there’s a good chance your stain is something other than a watermark. Try spot cleaning with a detergent made for delicate fabrics such as Woolite and a soft cloth, then immediately dry the area with a hair dryer.
Your advice on how to remove a watermark from polyester material has saved my daughter’s costume that she has to wear for work tomorrow. Her efforts to clean it after a child poured tomato sauce on it left the heavy cotton skirt of a costume, with dark satin attached bodice, seriously watermarked all round about 30 cm. below the waist and to the floor down one side. I have just sponged the dark stain edge a section at a time and used the hairdryer on it. There is virtually no trace of the original damage. Thank you.