Vikki Vi Classics Stain Removal Test - The Exciting Results!

As a plus size woman, I've given up putting a napkin on my lap. If I drip or spill anything, it's not going to make it that far. My chest catches everything. At home, I'll wear an apron and at restaurants I'll keep my napkin on the table so I can daintily dab the corners of my mouth while I lean over my plate - or I'll tuck it into my collar hobo-style. Despite all this, I still get stains front and center and I've developed some excellent stain removal skills.

But the acetate/spandex blend we use for Vikki Vi Classics (aka slinky) doesn't behave like most fabrics. It drapes beautifully and lasts for ages, but getting out an oily or greasy stain can be more difficult with this material than others. We tell people to avoid those kinds of stains while wearing Classics because anything strong enough to get out the stain will also remove some of the dye.

So when clever customer Pat commented that she removes salad dressing stains from her Classics with Woolite Dark with no ill effect, I got curious.

The Methodology

The Mythbusters say that the difference between science and messing around is writing things down. So here we go: I tested six different stain removers, so I used six different swatches of our signature fabric. I dripped canola oil on the fabric and dabbed with a paper towel because that's what you'd do after getting a little salad dressing on your clothes. 

For the first round, I treated each swatch after a few minutes. Almost all the stain removers worked, proving that if you immediately leap up from the dinner table and wash your clothes, stains are easy to remove. Since no one does that, I realized that a second round was in order. I dripped more oil on the swatches, dabbed, and left them to set overnight.

Very Important Disclaimer: I tested swatches, not actual garments that someone had worn. Sweat, perfume, lotion, etc. may interact with a stain remover and affect your results. But if you get some oil on your classics, trying to remove the stain may be preferable to not being able to wear the clothes anymore anyway. This is all a suggestion more than an official recommendation.

The Losers

I sprayed a stain with Shout and some dye appeared on the paper towel I had underneath. It didn't get the stain out when I treated the stain right away, so it was disqualified from the second round.

I also tried Grandma's Secret Spot Remover and it got out the stain, but the dye ran in both rounds.

I've had success with both of those products with other fabrics and other types of stains, but they don't play well with slinky.

The Winners

Woolite Dark, regular Woolite, and Dawn dishwashing liquid each got out their assigned stains without removing any dye. For all three, I placed the swatch on a paper towel, poured a little liquid on the stain, rubbed it in with my finger, and then swished the swatch around in a bowl of water.

I'd use these to pretreat a stain right before throwing the garment into the washing machine, or rinse it out by hand. 

My personal secret weapon is a block of savon de Marseilles that I've had for years. It's a special kind of soap made in Marseilles, France (hence the name). I wet the stain, rub the fabric on the block of soap, and rinse. Then wash as usual.

The Results

I still suggest you do everything you can to keep oil and grease stains away from your Vikki Vi Classics. Ounce of prevention/pound of cure and all that. As I mentioned in the Very Important DIsclaimer, what works in lab conditions may not work in the real world. But if you're facing the possibility of having to throw something out, these are the products you may want to try.

Now - in the mood for a bargain?  SHOP SALE

Check out our other posts about caring for your Vikki Vi.