Removing Colored Hairspray from a costume piece

[kbell]

I am currently working on a production of The Shape of Things. In the opening scene an actress spray paints her number inside a corduroy blazer. I have an unlined corduroy blazer that we are using for the show. I have colored hairspray to use as spray paint. I am struggling with getting the dye out of the coat without staining it. It needs to look new every night. So far, I have tried scotchgard and sealing the test fabric with a spray sealer. Neither of these options have worked. Lining the coat is not really an option as the lining would need to be replaced every night. The stain doesn't set in and soak through until I get the area wet with a stain remover. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Van]

If you can un-stitch the bottom of the lining, right at the waistband, then you'll have access to the back of the lining. When ready to remove the stain. place a folded towel on a table, lay the jacket <liner side down> on top of the towel. Using a rag soaked in isopropyl < rubbing> alcohol, reach up inside the lining and press down on the backside of the stain. Once the initial area is damp you should lift the jacket and turn over hte towel to a clean spot, rinse out alcohol cloth and repaet until stain is soaked into the towel. Allow to dry. You can use Vodka as well. But rubbing alcohol is usually cheaper and better to use in a school setting.....

 

[kiwitechgirl]

When I did the show we used a lined coat with a second layer of lining - held on with velcro - in the back of the coat. Immediately following the scene, the actor would come offstage and rip out the second layer of lining and throw it in a bucket of cold water. You couldn't see the four small pieces of velcro remaining in the coat at all. At the end of the show the SM would put the piece of lining in the washing machine and Wardrobe would throw it in the dryer the next morning. We actually used ordinary black spraypaint and it washed out perfectly every night for four weeks. The advantage of doing it this way is that if the lining does start to mark, you can just make a replacement piece of lining - no re-lining the coat necessary.

 

[ruinexplorer]

What about using spray chalk instead of hairspray? Most of the time it is water soluable.

 

[Vampy]

I've used Kryolan's aquacolors to color hair.. unless it's very long it's a great makeup for that application. It washes out with soap and water and doesn't smudge on the costumes which is a plus.