How to remove washed stickers from clothes

I’m hopeless at checking clothes before they go in the washing machine. I rely on people doing the right thing and emptying pockets etc before clothes go in the laundry hamper. That worked out ok for me when it was just me and my husband, but as the kids get older and messier, my system is failing me!

This is what I pulled out of the washing machine last week, on my son’s school uniform:

The dentist had come to school, and my son was given a sticker for being good getting his teeth checked. The sticker went on his shirt, and stayed there while it went through the washing machine.

Trying to pick the sticker off is a waste of time, but thankfully, I had a magic trick up my sleeve:

A long time ago, someone working in a bookstore told me that citrus-based solvent (such as De-Solv-It) was great for getting sticker goo off books (why do they use such strong sticker glue for that?). I decided to try it on my son’s shirt.

Seriously, this stuff worked like magic – a quick spray and the sticker just rubbed away with no effort at all. I was amazed how well it worked!

Next time you discover you’ve washed clothes with a sticker on, get out the citrus-based solvent.

What little surprises do your kids leave in (or on) their clothes for you to wash?