The pure pigments are the worst! I'm curious to hear the answer... Any idea if they were mica or oxide based?

Mama knowing nothing about this type of make so let me first ask..is this stuff washable? I'm assuming it washes off skin and isn't some new fangled permenant makeup? answer this than I'll give my chick some ideas..lol

Alice, socks arnt all cheap, if your outfitting children from the skin out everything adds up, good s ocks are pricey. I know I have two grandsons I'm raising and socks are not cheap in my house, I would also never dream of wearing anything less than clean white non stained socks on the boys..am I ocd probably, but I also don't want my boys growing up thinking if no one sees it its ok..I'm not bytching here lol..just sayin

The socks can't be worn in their current state. I'd have makeup stains all over the house. I can't really throw them out either. Aside from the fact that I don't want to toss close to 100 pairs of socks, those belonging to my oldest were rather expensive (embroidered with his schools mascot... silly I know but it's part of the uniform) and would take time to order and replace. I've got 3 days free this week so I have no problem trying to get them back to white by Monday.

It was some of my MAC pigments (the agony!), so its a mixture of both oxides and micas.

Mama,

I've had pigment stains on my clothing and towels before and it always washed out but it was never anything close to the situation I have now haha. The socks look like they've been dyed black with hints of fuscia and purple. The socks are $9/pair and they are required to have 20 pair. While the money isn't really an issue, I don't want to spend the money haha. I'd rather try and fix it and there's no way I can order more and have them by Monday.

Andi, admittedly I know nothing about this type of make up..first..don't let them dry..keep them wet..fill up the top loader or tub with warm water..not hot, hot can set some stains, add a good dose of powder detergent, liquid detergent if the makeup is oil based..let them soak overnight...give me a second here Andi

SINNNN where are you when a girl needs you...lol

Ok Andi I'm back, you know Mama just can't say she doesn't know, but we will figure this out. I guess you don't have STPP?? Tell me you do..lol..wait a sec..forget the detergent. ..add automatic dishwasher detergent. .powder not liquid, and Stpp if you have it in warm water and let them soak a few hours.

Is this stuff oil or clay based?? Get them soaking before you answer me..we have no time to waste her my chick..were saving socks. Than get back to me here..I'm on call till midnight..so I'll be here

LOL Mama, you're a hot mess! :-P

I have a deep kitchen sink and the socks are currently soaking in warm-coolish water with a healthy dose of Biz. (The water is a really dark and shimmery purple) The pigments aren't oil based or anything like that. They're an extremely fine powder, so fine they're creamy, that can be used as eyeshadows, blushes or added to clear gloss to make a custom lip shade.

No, I don't have an STPP. I quite buying it at the beginning of the year. After using it for quite a while, I just didn't notice any difference and the chemistry store was charging way too much for shipping.

Oh, and as far as the dishwasher detergent... this house doesn't have a dishwasher aside from me :-/ Grandma refused to have one in her home. I can try and get some tomorrow after my rounds if I can escape for a few min, my kids are in bed so I can't make it to the store tonight.

I was thinking.. tossing them into the bathtub, with very hot water. And letting them soak for 15 minutes. And then... emptying the water, and repeating the process, three times, or as long as it takes for the water to begin to noticeably clear up.

Then Wash in the (Pre-Wash if Possible) Hottest Water, Longest Cycle you can with Tide with Bleach or Mexican Ariel, and after it's completed, rewash on a short cycle with 1/4 Cup Baking Soda & 1/2 cup of 8.25% Chlorine Bleach.

That might just do it ;)

Don't put them in hot yet...hot relaxes and opens the fibers so all that grime just gets in farther...but with the water changing color..you should drain and refill..no sense in letting them soak in that muck

Andi, do you have a top loader?

@mamapinky0... Just, getting some of the grime out though will help. Having all that stuff saturated, just wastes the detergent, and get's in the way.

You know.. Some Household Ammonia (as crazy as that sounds) might just work well.

@mamapinky0, I *think* she has/had a LG Front Loader.

Run over to your nicest neighbors and ask to borrow some DW detergent? Explain it's a laundry emergency ;)

I had the Kenmore Elite 41072 (loved it!) but sadly lost custody of it haha. Im going to get another as soon as the laundry room is renovated so it will fit. I have a tiny little 1.0 cu ft washer (love it too) for things that cant wait or for loads that don't need a full size washer. Otherwise I gather my dirties up and my mom comes and gets them while Im at work to wash at her house :-/

Just changed the water!

fishcow... LOL I might just do that! I would be amused by the baffled looks I would surely get.

Watch her run over... and all they have is (Cascade) Pods or Liquid ;) lmao.

Andi..every time the water looks really grimey change it..it won't help if they just soak in stained water...its a process for sure, but once the soak water is clear..they will go in the washer...do you have Tide with Bleach or sodium percarbonate?

After you see the water isn't nearly so grimey..in the washer with good detergent. .Tide Bleach or Tide with added Biz..Biz is a good product...and hot water.

They're mica clay and iron oxides if that helps

Lol Mich..yep it would probably be a pod..lol...Mich think of the bigger picture, 100 pairs of socks at 9$ each= I don't care how much detergent I use I'm saving a larger investment...haha

Sandy that doesn't help me..I know jack about this stuff, your the chemical expert, I only know if I don't wear it..its a scary sight lol

laundry mitch, that would totally be my luck!

working on the 3rd water change....

Sandy, thanks. Im assuming the clay is probably kaolin which is used for it's excellent adhesion... yay.

Only about 20-30 pair are the $9 dollar ones lol The rest are regular socks and infant socks

Powder detergent is better for the clays. Clays come in many colors naturally. Liquid detergent and the polymers in it are bad here. The oxides are titanium and iron based. They usually come out the easiest. Do some plain water rinses before washing with detergent. If that doesn't work try dish soap. Avoid anything oily that will bind it. I play with pigment a lot. You should be able to get them to wearable.

Are you changing the water lol..you don't have to keep adding detergent, just change the water until it starts looking clear..but if your going to soak all night add some Biz to it.

Put them in the washer on Cold(God forbid) and add some Clorox and detergent. Let wash on long wash and finish cycle. If needed rewash at warmer temp but if you use hot now it will be like using Rit on them with the stain in them. IMO

Sparky what's Cold Water going to do with Clorox? The Bleaching action is very limited at tempatures below 80*F

You might try what Mitch suggested and add ammonia to the soaking water.

Andi..I would just continue rinsing and draining using luke warm water...once the water is pretty clear..go ahead and put them in the washer, if your washer does a prewash, than do a lukewarm prewash using only a small amount of detergent. .for the main wash use hot water a good powder detergent either Tide with Bleach or regular Tide with added Biz, select a long wash, you could add Chlorine Bleach to the last 5or6 minutes of the wash cycle, no longer, be sure to select extra rinses..if they smell like chlorine when they are done rinse again. I wish you luck.

Sparky is right, hot water first is going to permentely dye the socks..when you have garments with heavy soil, enough that it changes the color of the wash water dramatically, you should always do a cool or lukewarm prewash...hot water opens the fibers allowing all that soiled water to penetrate deeper becomming trapped.

Sparky...a long wash with Clorox? No fabric should be exposed more than 5 or 6 minutes to chlorine, and those socks have elastic threading.

I wouldn't use chlorine with the iron (oxides).

What about Rit Dye Remover, using the stove method?

Pink: It is my understanding that bleach is dead in around that length of time??

For years people added it to the washer as it filled and it was in the water the whole wash cycle, especially when using a wringer machine. That way after washing whites in it, then you could continue on with colors with no harm.

Mitch: I would like to know what your problem is with me? I don't think I have said anything to you not that I can remember, but a lot of the post I comment on you have to come back at me in a rude way. You may be smarter than I am,(or think so) but what you are telling me how to do, I have already done a lot more than you. Like the carpet cleaning with the detergent, vinegar rinse. You couldn't wait to tell me and everyone else how wrong I was. I have used detergent, have used different steam cleaner brand detergents, have used pro maid cleaning service product they use and I haven't ruined my carpet yet. It is off white and 22 years old (Older than you) and it still looks almost as good as when it was installed. The vinegar rinse came from Martha Stewart and I have tried skipping it and it makes a big difference, the vinegar rinses it cleaner and No it hasnt ruined the pad that I know of. Doesn't feel like I am walking on hard floor so it has to still be together.

About the bleach and cold water, if it doesn't work in cold why is that the only temp they let packing plants use to clean floors, machines? I said use the cold in the socks because hot would probably set that color in them. I'm not pushing for cold water washing full time either.

I'm not going to keep defending what I write here. I am 40 years older than you so I just bet I have washed LOTS more clothes than you and cleaned a lot more carpet and so far I haven't destroyed any floors or got a germ from unclean laundry, or destroyed any washing machines. Again, I have nothing against you, just tired of seeming like the target.

Pink: I am no more afraid of ruining elastic with Clorox than I would be all the boiling water you use--and No I am not having a problem with you, just saying. Plus the other day you asked me where I had been, and I said I just didn't have anything to add---well this right here is why.

Sparky...chlorine bleach will ruin elastic...chlorine bleach should only be used the last 5 minutes of the wash cycle, all of its benefits are in that 5-6 minutes. .any longer and its just destroying the fabric...

That being said don't drag me into your mood...as far as all that boiling water I use..I add a soup pot to my washer to boost the temp to between 135-150 depending on what I'm washing...that's not exactly the same as washing my laundry in boiling water...if you are going to try to throw up my laundry practices as if washing in 135 deg f is sooo bad..than repeat it properly..only things I do a boil wash on is vintage linen..and things that I have no other option...get this straight Sparky..I AM NOT WASHING MY LAUNDRY IN BOILING WATER!!!!

I am also gonna say I don't have a problem with you. .but you can't go on here implying I do my laundry in boiling water..what if some young impressionable young person read that and took it the wrong way..

Sparky, something you need to do..take a breath and think..this forum is to voice our likes and dislikes ect...sometimes someone else's dislikes or opinions go against what someone else thinks..that's not a affront to you..don't take things so personal..your gonna have to buck up my friend and learn like I did...no ones against you ..everyone just voices their opinion and we all should...that's part of what this is all about..your in a mood Sparky..take a break and sip some wine..

update....

I got tired of changing the water so I sprayed each sock with the little spray thing at the kitchen sink. The pressure is pretty strong and it actually just blasted a lot of the color out, they are now a gray color with pink and purple casts... They are soaking with a Tide boost vivd whatever its called pod, Im going to leave them like that for a bit.

Good luck andi! Also, as a side note, I am super duper sorry it was your MAC stuff. That stuff is expensive!!

Try using Lestoil cleaner. Works especially well with oil based stains.

Thank you all for the many suggestions!

i just drained the tide boost soak and the socks are rinsing now... they look better, still have pink and purple tints here and there but they look so much better! Almost there!

KittyCat, I know! It hurt haha. They used to be 7 grams for about $20, now the jars are 4g for the same price. Ridiculous. I think he took maybe 8-10 of them, 4 of which were discontinued so that hurt even more. Im obsessed with them, I've got (had) every color that has come out since 2002.

If the majority of it is out, I'd do a prewash now..warm water and small amount of detergent. .than do a long hot wash with Tide and Biz. If they still arnt good soak them again this time soak in hot with Biz.

Andi, you should really take some pictures - what a laundry adventure...