It’s one of the hallmarks of city-living: graffiti.
It was all over the car of my train as I hopped on the El to head to work yesterday morning. Since I happen to enjoy the smell of wet paint, I thought “this isn’t such a bad way to start my morning,” and promptly sat down, fumes swirling every time the doors opened and closed on a new stop. I closed my eyes and let the train car rock me into a doze.
Unfortunately, I didn’t notice the silver writing on the wall of the car right next to my seat (it kinda blended in), and I proceeded to lean up against it for about 15 minutes.
Enough time for the paint to rub off on my coat and mark me forevermore with silver lines and silver splotches. I tried to cover it up by drawing on my coat with permanent black marker–but it doesn’t look so hot. Any ideas from the cleaning geniuses out there?
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I will ask Mama, the StainMaster. She can get anything out, I swear.
I eagerly await her wisdom!
How unfortunate and frustrating! I have sympathy, but no solution.
Hi Jenna, It's Friday the thirteenth, and thirteen is the Trickster's number, not a good Christian idea, but it belongs to Hermes, the god of luck, travelers, artisans... inventor of the lyre which went to Apollo as god of art and music. I grew up playing in the shadow of the El (and it always struck me that "El" is a name of God in the Old Testament). Silver is the color of the moon, of the feminine and intuition... the kids who left that paint are tricksters, but they are also our shadow children, those unsupervised and needing to be seen. And just like our own kids, if we don't "catch them being good," they will be "bad" to get our attention.
When I was an art student in NYC Keith Herring's work started showing up on every wall downtown, and then moved to magazines and vodka adds as he passed away but not his influence.
Perhaps for your next post we could see a picture of the smudged silver paint on the fabric of your coat—so some eyes that might be a work of art. One of my favorite albums as a teen in Chicago, a kid getting into trouble, was Physical Graffiti by Zeppelin. Maybe it's time to get the Led out and not the pain remover? Maybe you're sporting an original Banksy on your back?
I am sorry your coat got messed up, and I can relate to not having money to throw away on new coats, but in some cultures the proper relationship to the Trickster is to thank them for bad luck, because they also rule good luck, and a proper attitude toward luck, good and bad, can open some interesting doors.
I care about your coat, but Honey Badger Don't Care, he painted on it. Here's to fellowship through the pleasurable and the not so fun. Maybe you're to have a lucky break with your music... maybe that's now your lucky coat and you should sing to the spirits while wearing it.
Namaste
Rubbing alcohol gets permanent marker off just about anything, so it could work on spray paint. If your coat is leather, you might try it... It might bleach fabric though.
I'm thinking I'll try a little vinegar first, then some rubbing alcohol on a tiny spot, to see what happens. It's a shiny fabric (not leather), and if it bleaches a little spot it won't be the end of the world.
That is sooo something I would do. I really don't know how to fix it. Vinegar maybe? That stuff seems to solve just about every other problem in the world. :)
I'll try some vinegar tonight--it is such a great cleaning subtance! Thanks for mentioning it.
No ideas here, Jenna, sorry... loved your ingenious creativity of covering it up with a black marker, though. Hope The Kitchen Witch's mama comes through!
oh no, that's awful! I have no idea what will help it, but good luck, I hope it comes out!
Ouch! I don't have any ideas, hopefully Kitchen Witch's momma will. Good luck.
That's what I'm hoping too! Thanks. =)
Wish I could help you but, I don't have a clue how to get it out.
awww sad. hope you can make it come clean!