Grr and HELP PLEASE! Paper mache

[Thatchermom]

Ds came home from kindergarten yesterday covered in paper mache goo from his shoulders to his knees. Wearing a new gymboree shirt he'd worn just one other time! Teacher "didn't think" to put on aprons or anything. The school director's answer was that DS should just wear clothes that I don't mind being trashed. It bugs me that other kids in his class wear ripped up sweats and ratty things to school, I don't think that it is teaching the kids proper respect for school and learning environments. (A whole other debate, I know) I personally just can't do that.

I've googled a bunch this morning and have not come up with any great answers for how to get this stuff out of his clothes. Anybody have any experience with this stuff? I want to rescue this cute little shirt!

[Marisa6826]

It should just be a flour and water type glue. Have you tried soaking the outfit in really cold water first to see if you can get it out? That would be my very first step. Put it in the bathtub if you have to, so that you can really agitate it to get the paste loose.

-m

ETA - If they can't apologise, at least they can do is find out wtf the stuff is the teacher used so that you can contact the manufacturer about how to remove it from clothing.

[Thatchermom]

It is soaking already. I have left a message for the correct teacher - he has a m/w/f teacher and a t/th, so the teacher we talked to today had no idea what they used and the one who knows won't be back until Tuesday. From what I've read some have glues and things added to the flour/water to strengthen it - we're hoping this one doesn't!

[Marisa6826]

Hmmm. I can't imagine that they'd use anything particularly nasty in a preschool/kinde class, kwim?

Maybe toss in some Oxyclean. If nothing else, put the outfit through a regular wash but DON'T PUT IT IN THE DRYER! Hang it out of the sun in your basement or laundry room to see if the goo-factor comes out. If it doesn't, I'd just keep the stuff in a bucket of water until you can get a hold of the teacher. Is there some sort of a teacher's assistant that maybe was also in on the project?

I'd be *furious* (as I'm sure you are).

hugs

-m

[ilfaith]

I don't have any advice on cleaning beyond what has already been oered. I would hope that a kindergarten class wouldn't be using art suplies that would permanently damage clothes. I know my son's preschool always uses washable paints and markers (althought he has come home occasionally with something that didn't come out in the laundry).

I feel the same way you do about dressing kids nicely for school. We do have some cheaper clothes (Circo, Sonoma, and the like) which I bought expressly for messy days at school. But more often than not, I dress my son in his better stuff, simply because he just looks so darn cute in it.

I know in my son's school the tescher gives parents a monthly outline (subject to change) of what activities will be on what day...so I generally know if he'll be fingerpainting on Thursday, I shouldn't dress him in his good white Polo shirt. Perhaps you could ask your teacher to notify you when they'll be doing particularly sloppy projects.

My son recently "lost" a pair of shorts and underpants at school. He had an accident during the day (he's three) and when I picked him up he was wearing the backup shorts he keeps in his cubby. When I checked his backpack, his soiled shorts and underpants were not inside. I asked his teacher about it the next day and she said she'd look into it. Well a few days passed and they never did turn up. They weren't his most expensive shorts (Carter's) but they were the ones that best matched the shirt he was wearing (brand new, and a favorite) and of course the underpants were not the inexpensive Hanes ones he typically wears, but the Gymboree ones I'd just bought him.

[bubbaray]

I'd soak it. Try Dawn dishwashing liquid with Oxy. Its one of my favorite stain removers. It really should come out if it is safe for them to be using!

How about sending a larger shirt (adults size) for him to throw on during art time??

FWIW, IME, Gymboree clothes seem to hold stains more than other brands. Maybe I've just had bad luck, but I've had some stains that just won't come out of Gymbo clothes and I'm usually able to get them out of other lines. I don't buy a lot of Gymbo clothes for daycare/school use anymore for that reason. I still buy them, but more for dressy occasions.


Melissa

DD#1: 04/2004

DD#2: 01/2007

[new_mommy25]

Wow, I'm really surprised. At DS's school we had to purchase a denim smock at the beginning of the year. They send it home every Friday with the nap mat to be washed. I would be pretty mad too if a brand new shirt got ruined. I hope you can get it out.

[nfowife]

I'm sorry you are upset, but IME things are going to get stained when you have young kids at school. It can't be the teacher's fault to make sure the kids stay neat. I taught kinder and we did things like paint with tempra (which doesn't come out of clothing well) and paper mache as well (our recipe used liquid starch).
Anyhow, our school advised parents to send their kids for "messy not dressy" and so does DD's MDO program. I purchase cute but not $$ clothing for her to wear. Some of it is gymbo that I've gotten at a consignment sale so it was cheap, or I buy target or okie dokie stuff for her to wear there. She still looks cute, and I don't feel horrible if I just have to through something out if it was only $5, you know?
If you are that concerned I would send in a smock, but don't be super surprised if the teacher doesn't always remember to put it on. Maybe teach your DS to remember on his own?