Acne cream for stain removal...again

Ebakala · Post by **Ebakala** » Sat Jun 25, 2022 10:16 am

I know, acne cream and stains... again.

Something new this time! I have a bowl that I use for washing dark clothes. It has picked up a lot of staining over the last year.

After using it a couple of weeks ago I smeared some acne cream on a couple of spots. The next day I didn't see any real results so I rinsed and wiped the bowl out and put it away.

Yesterday I got it out and saw the attached photo. I love empirical evidence!

seagull · Post by **seagull** » Sat Jun 25, 2022 7:53 pm

White plastic cutting boards tend to stain, warming them up with hot water and pouring neat bleach over them, leave for a few minutes and rinse thoroughly with more hot water brings them back to a pristine white

Ebakala · Post by **Ebakala** » Sun Jun 26, 2022 8:24 am

Maybe I should explain myself a little better. For a while, I was uncertain if the cleaning and oiling of a stained area caused the offending dye to just absorb and dissipate into the TPE and become less noticeable.

I was not completely convinced that the acne cream was all that effective at removing the color. After seeing overnight results being minimal I was even more doubtful.

But after seeing the results two weeks later without any effort or additional applications I was amazed at how the dye had faded.

I guess time is the important factor.

I just thought I would share reassurances with the community that acne cream really does attack dye staining. It has worked on my doll and now I know it isn't just fading.

I've also done testing of acne cream on TPE in a sandwich baggie, not allowing the cream to dry, where there was no detectable damage to the TPE after a couple of weeks.

Michaelangelo · Post by **Michaelangelo** » Sun Jun 26, 2022 1:35 pm

That's very interesting Ebakala! I too am much more relaxed about staining since I have my trusty 10% cream. Recent stain on my girl (total blue ass after some cheap 'n' nasty black lingerie) completely gone in 24 h. I was dumbfounded. It works!

Ebakala · Post by **Ebakala** » Thu Jul 28, 2022 4:50 pm

Unsure as to where this should go I'll add it to this thread.

If you wrap an area in plastic with the acne cream underneath it prevents the cream from drying as fast and you use a lot less cream for stain removal. It still takes days, but one application might be all that is needed if you give it time.

The value would be the cost comparison between using more cream vs the cost of the plastic wrap. That and the washing and reapplying time.

Just sayin'...just trying to contribute.

seagull · Post by **seagull** » Thu Jul 28, 2022 7:16 pm

The two approaches to stain removal:
1. Leave it alone and the TPE will absorb and dissipate it, eventually
2. Use a peroxide product to bleach the stain and the stain is gone in days

Initially the stain is pretty much surface only
The TPE will already be starting to absorb the stain into the TPE while a peroxide product works from the outside
Keeping it wet (and active) by covering with plastic wrap seems a pretty good idea

Just how far the peroxide gets into the TPE has never been quantitatively examined

The evidence of owners experience is conclusive that most TPE stains disappear faster with the use of peroxides

Ebakala · Post by **Ebakala** » Fri Jul 29, 2022 5:08 pm

I use a TPE block 1.5x1.5x.5 for stain testing fabric. Observation of the staining from a cross-section of the block shows the stain is only on the surface after 24hrs.

I figured this trick out when I would wash the block after a test, apply the cream and put it in a small plastic baggie.

Surface staining from black cloth disappears in about 3 days. After I rinse and powder the block it is ready for another test.