REMOVING MASKING TAPE from silk velvet dress

shesabettie

shesabettie

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I bought a black silk velvet gown (probably 20's-30's) from an estate sale a couple of weeks ago. The sellers put a piece of very sticky masking tape on the velvet (!!!) as a price tag. It won't come off without damaging the fabric. From your experience, any suggestions on how to remove with minimal or (hopefully) no damage to velvet?

Your help is greatly appreciated, as always :cheer:
Jenn
 
Masking tape on velvet!! :USEROCKY: don't you just love the ignorance sometimes

I haven't dealt with such a "sticky" situation:P before, I look forward to the answer from some of our fabric experts as well.
 
I know ... such a shame! I was thinking maybe it could be steamed until dry and brittle and maybe it would just fall off by itself? Kind of like a wart (HA!)
 
Good Grief!! Don't you just love that!! I've never stumbled across this dilema, but I have come across sticky price tags on vintage silk ties, price tags stapled onto the bodice of a taffeta dress, etc and it just drives me bonkers!!

I think that your steaming idea is not half bad. If you can steam envelopes open :paranoid:, why not a sticky bit of tape off velvet. Of course I am talking about using an actual steamer on the back side of the velvet and you will have to make sure to brush the nap on the outside it it falls in another direction. You also would not want to go gung-ho either, I think a little steam and then test, a little steam and then test, etc.

Just an idea. I am not a fabric expert and I would wait until many people weigh in on the subject before you proceed.
 
I thought this might be helpful, it's an e-How article on the ingredients in different types of commercially available adhesive removers.
http://www.ehow.com/list_5924297_ingredients-adhesive-remover.html

Do you have a local dry cleaner you trust and can consult with?

If I had run out of other options, I would be tempted to try gasoline. It's an old-time solvent that was used to dissolve sticky stains like fly paper and gum, also used on grease. You would dab it on with a wad of clean cloth, and have a blotter cloth underneath, probably velvet nap down. You'd probably need to steam and/or dry clean afterward to restore the nap.

I don't have any personal experience using gasoline, but I would definitely consider it in the right circumstances.
 
If it were me I would start with alcohol.

I think it was Joan (catbooks) that taught me to use alcohol on velvet when trying to remove a crease in velvet. Gently dab it and use steam from behind. To date it has not ruined any velvet I have had and if the adhesive doesn't come off you can always go to something stronger.
 
Hmmm, the masking tape is pulling away the pile of the velvet, right? I think I'd try freezing it and see if the tape will break away from the velvet pile. Mom always used to put ice on chewing gum when it got stuck in our hair. The ice would freeze the gum and then it could be broken away from the hair. Good luck, and please let us know how it turns out!
 
Thanks everyone for the great suggestions! I think I will start with least complicated method (freezing) first, followed by the alcohol/steam therapy if needed. Hopefully, one or a combo of both will do the trick! And I'll take before/during/after photos to help document the results for future cases.

Here's to hoping!
 
I've successfully used alcohol for several spot/stain/gook removal, but always test on an inner seam allowance or something first to make sure it won't lift the color (most often it doesn't, but I had some cotton velvet with ink that I used alcohol on, and thought it was minor, there was some color loss--but at least the ink was gone!).
 
Jody - would you advise I place the entire dress in the freezer (maybe wrapped in a towel?) or just apply ice directly to the tape? Or should the ice be applied from the interior of the garment? Going to attempt this when I get home from work!
 
Alrighty y'all! The dress is in the freezer ... let the experiment begin! I am also documenting the process so we can know what works and what doesn't work. Stay tuned!!!
 
The dress has been in the freezer for several days and the tape doesn't appear to be losing its grip! Guess it's time to move on to plan b. Should I apply the alcohol to a q-tip and dab directly onto the tape or apply to the backside of the velvet on the interior of the dress? I will test an interior seam first to be sure the alcohol directly on the backside of the velvet does not damage it or lift the color.

I would appreciate any other suggestions!
 
Back to the freezing idea - can you get the tape wet without damaging the velvet? I am not a fabric expert AT ALL however, the tape probably wont freeze on its own - if it were damp then it might freeze better and break apart. Jut a thought. Freezing seems like the safest easiest thing so thought I would suggest but, as I said, don't know how it would affect your fabric. You could just dab it with wet qtip until it has a good soak then pop in freezer.

Makes me nervous to suggest...forget I said anything! :)
 
If that doesn't work, I would try heat to melt the glue on the tape. If you've ever left masking tape in the sun it gets all gooey because the glue starts to break down. If you don't have a steamer to try, try a hairdryer. I've been googling and seems a hairdryer is a good tool to help remove the tape at least. After the tape is removed, you can use the other remedies such a goo gone or vodka to take care of the residue.
 
I advise very strongly against using Goo Gone. It has a really pervasive odor and I don't think you'd ever get rid of it since you can't wash the silk velvet! I would try Vodka or alcohol if you need to use something to remove the residue. I must admit I've had the best luck with Goo Gone removing stickers on jewelry or glass but those surfaces are very different from velvet.

I wonder if you take the dress out of the freezer, let it come to "room temperature" and work on the tape with ice if that will help?

Linn
 
I would try this. Recreate the conditions. If you have enough seam allowance try and remove a similar piece of tape and dab with soapy (mild soap flakes) water. The backing may come away and may take some of the sticky residue with it.

My concern is the the age of the velvet and colour fastness. The colour is likely to come out. It depends where the tape is located if any colour damage can be touched up.

I'd also call up a museum that has a costume collection and see what they would advise.

Check this link for some 1930's tips:

http://vintagesewing.info/1930s/31-ldc/ldc-14.html

Here is the cleaning tip for silk velvet;

"Cleaning Silk Velvet.—In order that silk velvet may be cleaned easily and quickly, it must be flat and smooth; therefore, lay the piece on the top of an ironing board, stretch it so as to remove all wrinkles, and pin it on all four edges to the cloth covering of the ironing board.

The actual cleaning is done generally with chloroform applied by means of a small sponge. Pour a few drops of chloroform on the sponge and rub it carefully over the pile of the velvet. The chloroform will evaporate very rapidly, so, as soon as the sponge becomes dry, pour on a few more drops and proceed as before. In addition to removing stains and spots, this method of cleaning will restore the color of the velvet to a certain extent. In using chloroform, remember to do the work out of doors, on a porch, or near an open window, never in a closed room.

Wood alcohol or one of the other spotting agents may be used instead of chloroform with good results, alcohol being the best, for dark colors.

Whatever solvent you use, do not consider the velvet cleaned until you have steamed it. This process, together with the gentle brushing you give the velvet during the steaming, will raise the nap."
 
Goo might be gone but that smell hangs around forever. I used to remove a sticker from a golf club last summer and I swear I can still smell it sometimes when I swing the club. Pervasive is right! :)
 
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