Scratchy Tyvek tags - how to eliminate the scratchy?
September 9, 2015 9:04 PM Subscribe
Garments that have Tyvek instructional (bunch of icons like a lizard with an international NO symbol across them) icons are scratchy. I try cutting them off with varying results. Is there a way to remove these horrid little impediments that doesn't result in different but equally irritating scratchiness?
The utility of the Tyvek tags on the mainly cheap shirts i buy is undisputed, but these little bastards are scratchy. I would like a way of removing them that a) doesn't involve taking out the overlock stitching and b) disables the scratchiness on my left flank. I've dismembered more than a few shirts trying to remove every last vestige of this horror; there has to be a way to get rid of the tag without damaging the shirt. If you know what it is, please share it.
The utility of the Tyvek tags on the mainly cheap shirts i buy is undisputed, but these little bastards are scratchy. I would like a way of removing them that a) doesn't involve taking out the overlock stitching and b) disables the scratchiness on my left flank. I've dismembered more than a few shirts trying to remove every last vestige of this horror; there has to be a way to get rid of the tag without damaging the shirt. If you know what it is, please share it.
I hate hate hate scratchy tag remnants and I find they bother me if even a small bit remains... So I remove the tag with a seam ripper tool and then stitch it right back up with a needle and thread, it takes a few minutes.
posted by pairofshades at 9:42 PM on September 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by pairofshades at 9:42 PM on September 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Teeny tiny scissors. Like these curved nail scissors. The curve helps you from snipping things on accident as opposed to straight scissors and the tiny tips means you can snip in between stitching to soften it up.
The problem with taking it out and restitching is that the shirts are likely serged on the inside and it's difficult to replicate and stitch enough so the threads don't unravel more.
You could snip it out as much tag as possible, wrap a small piece of an old t shirt over the leftover tag and stitch (on the inner side of the seam stitching so it won't show on the outside.) Think of it like a little taco with the old shirt as the shell and the tag/seam as the stuffing. But that's a bit of work for a t shirt and you may not have enough inner seam space.
Alternatively of course is finding tagless shirts you like and slowly replacing your collection.
posted by Crystalinne at 10:41 PM on September 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
The problem with taking it out and restitching is that the shirts are likely serged on the inside and it's difficult to replicate and stitch enough so the threads don't unravel more.
You could snip it out as much tag as possible, wrap a small piece of an old t shirt over the leftover tag and stitch (on the inner side of the seam stitching so it won't show on the outside.) Think of it like a little taco with the old shirt as the shell and the tag/seam as the stuffing. But that's a bit of work for a t shirt and you may not have enough inner seam space.
Alternatively of course is finding tagless shirts you like and slowly replacing your collection.
posted by Crystalinne at 10:41 PM on September 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I came in to recommend what Crystalinne did about a good pair of curved nail scissors. My Tweezerman pair is worth their weight in gold for -- well, they're nice for nail issues too, but -- snipping the bits of those pricks out of overlocked seams.
My technique is to cut as close as I can to the stitching -- first I try a snip then tear; if the tear isn't immediately coming through for me, back to snipping -- then just make loads of little careful cuts within the serging, making sure I don't cut through any threads. It's a bit of work, worth it if you like the shirt -- just cut up any bit of tag you can that doesn't involve cutting thread. A few trips through the wash finishes off the rest of it.
posted by kmennie at 10:54 PM on September 9, 2015
My technique is to cut as close as I can to the stitching -- first I try a snip then tear; if the tear isn't immediately coming through for me, back to snipping -- then just make loads of little careful cuts within the serging, making sure I don't cut through any threads. It's a bit of work, worth it if you like the shirt -- just cut up any bit of tag you can that doesn't involve cutting thread. A few trips through the wash finishes off the rest of it.
posted by kmennie at 10:54 PM on September 9, 2015
DEATH TO ITCHY TAGS. What is with people making shirts where the tag is more durable than the shirt itself?
When a seam ripper won't work (as with t-shirts), I like embroidery scissors for this task, and try to focus on cutting so that the corners are rounded rather than getting it as short as possible (but still pretty short). If it's still itchy or irritating, I cover the remnants of the tag with cloth surgical tape, which usually solves the problem.
Just be aware that some kinds of cloth surgical tape are softer than others, and some sort of meld permanently into the clothing if you put it into a very hot dryer, so maybe test it on a shirt that's not your most favorite ever shirt with your usual laundry process before going crazy and putting it on all your shirts.
posted by rafaella gabriela sarsaparilla at 5:41 PM on September 10, 2015
When a seam ripper won't work (as with t-shirts), I like embroidery scissors for this task, and try to focus on cutting so that the corners are rounded rather than getting it as short as possible (but still pretty short). If it's still itchy or irritating, I cover the remnants of the tag with cloth surgical tape, which usually solves the problem.
Just be aware that some kinds of cloth surgical tape are softer than others, and some sort of meld permanently into the clothing if you put it into a very hot dryer, so maybe test it on a shirt that's not your most favorite ever shirt with your usual laundry process before going crazy and putting it on all your shirts.
posted by rafaella gabriela sarsaparilla at 5:41 PM on September 10, 2015
These are the sharpest embroidery scissors I have found, to help you with some of the above suggestions.
posted by freezer cake at 2:29 PM on September 11, 2015
posted by freezer cake at 2:29 PM on September 11, 2015
Response by poster: Tearing out has not worked, because as Crystalinne notes the serged seams don't withstand it - the unravelling makes the shirt worthless in time. The teeny tiny scissors of which I have a pair - nail scissors - do the job. In an hour I cut out eight of these annoying tags and the very small margins are not an irritant.
posted by jet_silver at 9:45 PM on September 14, 2015
posted by jet_silver at 9:45 PM on September 14, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Atrahasis at 9:35 PM on September 9, 2015