What is this mystery gunk that bleached my pants?

November 8, 2009 7:29 PM

What is this mystery gunk that bleached my pants?

Last week, I noticed some weird stuff on the back of my black polyblend H&M pants... It looked like lipgloss, a little bit pink and similar in texture except maybe a little less thick. When I wiped it off, I found that the spots where it had been were bleached out to a purpley-pink shade. Sad. Anyway, what could this stuff have been? I didn't go or do anything out of the ordinary-- a college campus, a coffee shop, my car... I really can't think of anything I would have come in contact with (no cleaning products, etc, what I know of?) that could have caused it... Any thoughts?

posted by lalalana to grab bag (11 comments total)

Could it have been hair color?
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 7:39 PM on November 8

It would help to know where you were & what you were doing that day. Could be anything: Hair bleach, glass etching fluid, cleaning products, a facial peel gel (spa product)...
posted by cuddles.mcsnuggy at 7:43 PM on November 8

Oh sorry, guess I didn't read the question thoroughly about where you were. Could still be any of the above, though. Did you wander by the art department at school?
posted by cuddles.mcsnuggy at 7:45 PM on November 8

Nope, no art department, no spas or hair salons. :( Seriously, it was classroom, car, cafe, home.
posted by lalalana at 7:57 PM on November 8

Maybe some kind of bleach compound from the cafe?
Anyway, you can fix it by coloring the bleach spots with a Sharpie marker. Permanent!
posted by twistofrhyme at 9:09 PM on November 8

A lot of metal polishes are pinkish. Brass cleaner from the cafe, maybe?
posted by Acacia at 9:20 PM on November 8

Sounds like it could be rust stains. Did you wash the pants in an old washer/dryer lately or brush up against anything rusty? A quick Google for "rust stain clothes" gives various folk remedies you may want to try.
posted by zachlipton at 9:46 PM on November 8

Where do you wash your clothes? I have lost more clothing to the washers/dryers in my apartment complex than to any other cause. People leave bleach/softener in the washer, run pens and lipstick through the dryers, etc.
posted by twblalock at 10:43 PM on November 8

- Whereabouts is it? (On your butt/down the leg?) Did it get on your car seat?
- How big was it?
- Was it a smear or a glob?
- Was there a smell? Was it sticky ect.? (I know you said it was like lipgloss...)
- Does the fabric seem damaged at all or is it just where colour has leeched out?
- Are the pants colour fast?
Speaking of which, is it possible the pink tint was a result of the purpley-pink it was removing from your pants?
posted by mu~ha~ha~ha~har at 12:06 AM on November 9

Whitening toothpaste and benzoyl peroxide acne cream are two things that have ruined a fair number of my garments. I could see either of these ending up 'mysteriously' on your pants if you use them, and turning into a 'lipgloss' consistency if left there to dry up long enough. Just a thought.
posted by sunshinesky at 5:37 AM on November 9

I would guess acne medicine -- like a cover-up stick with benzoyl peroxide in it. My towels are all bleached out to a pink color where I dry my face because of the residue from my face wash.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 10:28 AM on November 9