Stelco Safe Silk Spotter 5Ltr NVDS

Safe Silk Spotter is a dry solvent-based agent that is extremely effective in the removal of built-up stains such as makeup, lipstick and dirt around hemlines.

It is also extremely effective for the prevention of watermarks by applying to a spotted area prior to cleaning and preventing wetted areas from drying prior to the cleaning.

Silk and Delicate Fibres

Silk has no tolerance for the alkalinity or the moisture that a general spotter brings. A dry solvent works without wetting the fibre, which is why it is the approach on silk, on some wools and on face fabrics where water marking is a real risk.

Solvent-based and non-volatile dry solvent products still need ventilation. Check the SDS.

Safety Summary (from the Australian SDS)

The SDS lists hydrotreated heavy petroleum naphtha (over 60%) as the main ingredient. It is a flammable liquid (flash point 40 °C) with the signal word Danger, because it may be fatal if swallowed and enters airways (H304). Other hazard statements: flammable liquid and vapour (H226), causes skin irritation (H315), may cause drowsiness or dizziness (H336), toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects (H411).

Gloves: the SDS specifies nitrile for longer-term protection, or PVC and neoprene for incidental use, with safety glasses and an organic vapour respirator to AS/NZS 1715 and AS/NZS 1716 if vapour levels may be high.

A Textile Spotting Range

Stelco Chemicals International (Rowville, Victoria) supply this range for professional textile and dry-cleaning spotting, and their safety data sheets give that as the recommended use. Carpet and upholstery cleaners use the same chemistry on the spot, but a spotting board and a steam gun are not the same as a carpet in a client's home — rinse and extract thoroughly, and keep solvent out of the backing.

Specifications (from the Australian SDS)

Method Matters More Than the Product

Apply to a white towel rather than pouring onto the carpet where you can. Work from the outside of the spot inward so you do not spread it. Tamp or agitate gently rather than scrubbing — scrubbing distorts pile and leaves a permanent mark that is more visible than the original stain.

Rinse and extract afterwards. Spotter residue left in the pile attracts soil, and the spot comes back as a dark patch a fortnight later — which the customer reads as your work failing.

Before You Use It

Read the safety data sheet for this product and follow it. Solvent-based spotters in particular require ventilation and appropriate gloves — check the SDS for the glove material, because it is not always the same across products.

Always test on an inconspicuous area first. Fibre, dye and backing all react differently, and a spotter that is safe on nylon is not automatically safe on wool or on a solution-dyed synthetic.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does it prevent watermarks?

Applied to a spotted area before cleaning, it stops wetted areas drying unevenly before the item is cleaned, which is what leaves the tide mark on silk.

Is it safe on all silks?

Test on a seam or hidden area first. Silk dyes and finishes vary, and some will not tolerate any spotting.

What does NVDS mean?

Non-volatile dry solvent — a solvent that evaporates slowly and does not wet the fibre the way water does. It is still flammable, as the SDS shows.

Information Documents

• Safety Data Sheet (PDF)

DG Shipping Surcharge Applies

Other Stelco Spotters

• Stelco Adhesive & Lacquer Remover 5Ltr
• Stelco Blood Remover 5Ltr
• Stelco General Formula 5Ltr
• Stelco Instant Paint Remover 5Ltr
• Stelco Oily Type Paint Remover 5Ltr
• Stelco Tan Off 5Ltr
• Stelco Spotting Solutions

Not sure which spotter the stain calls for? Tell us what it is, what the fibre is and what has already been tried, and we will talk it through — the wrong first move on a spot is much harder to recover from than the spot itself.