I've got a confession to make: I'm always dealing with tough stains on my clothes and furniture. Recently, I had to tackle acrylic paint and dandelion stains, so I decided to put Faber-Castell's stain remover pencil to the test.
Where I bought it: Faber-Castell catalog
Price: 149 rubles
Volume: 35g
Manufacturer: Russia
Shelf life: 24 months from the date of manufacture
Product code: 30152
PACKAGING
The stain remover came in a standard white and blue cardboard box with all the necessary information on the sides. It's a pretty standard package, but it gets the job done.
Faber-Castell stain remover reviewsInside the box, the stain remover was wrapped in paper with the brand name. It's a nice touch, but not essential.
Faber-Castell stain remover reviewsYou need to remove the paper in parts as you use up the stain remover. There are special perforations for this, and it comes off easily.
Faber-Castell pen
CONSISTENCY, COLOR, AROMA
The stain remover is a small, round white block with a hard consistency. It's not too big or too small, just right for the job. There's no discernible aroma, which is a plus in my book.
Faber-Castell Universal Stain Remover Review
USAGE
To use it, you just need to dampen the stain with warm water and rub it with the pencil until you get a foam. It's a pretty straightforward process, but it can take some elbow grease to get the stain out.
Faber-Castell Stain Remover ReviewThe foam doesn't always appear quickly, sometimes you need to rub and rub, add more water and rub again. I sometimes use an old toothbrush to scrub the stain extra. It's not the most efficient process, but it gets the job done.
Faber-Castell Universal Stain Remover ReviewAfter that, you need to let it sit for 3-10 minutes, and then wash it under water or do a laundry. I usually just throw it in the washing machine. It's a convenient option, but it's not always the most effective.
RESULTS
Let's start with the simple stuff. I've got a few examples to share with you.
Fat Stain. I got a stain on my jeans during dinner. The next day I applied the pencil and then washed it in the machine at 60 degrees. The stain came out, and I was happy with the results.
The stain came out, and I was happy with the results. I also scrubbed it with a toothbrush after applying the pencil, just to be sure.
Unknown Stains. I'll show you two examples. My t-shirt with unknown stains.
The process of applying the stain and subsequent steps are the same everywhere, and washing it at 60°C works just fine. Unfortunately, the stain remained in place.
My son's shorts. Got a weird stain. Same stain-removal process, washing at 40°C. The stain remained in place.
Old stains. My daughter's leftover dress. Stains are probably from watercolor, but that's just my guess.
After treatment with a pencil and washing at 60°C, the stains didn't disappear. They're still there, and I'm not happy about it.
Markers. Usually, they come out easily in the wash. But not this time.
Dandelions.
New outfit, which after a short walk with dad got a prize in the form of brown spots from dandelion stems. Who doesn't know that dandelion stems secrete a juice that darkens over time and permanently sets into the fabric.
I spent hours scouring the internet for weird and tedious ways to get rid of these stains, but I didn't want to go through all that hassle. I decided to try using a stain remover pen instead. I used it just like I normally would, but I left it on for an hour instead of the usual time.
Faber-Castell stain remover pen reviewsAfter an hour, the stains had turned into these light patches on my daughter's costume. You can barely see the outline of the dandelion flowers anymore.
When I washed the costume in the machine at 40°C, I noticed that the stain remover had bleached out some of the color of the fabric. It's not visible in the photo, but if you take a closer look, you can see the patches where the color is missing.
As for the stains themselves, they're still there. Since the costume is a deep purple color, you can't really see them unless you know they're there. But I know they're there, all right.
THE VERDICT
The stain remover pencil works okay for simple stains like grease or berries, but it's not up to the task when it comes to tougher stains. It's more effective on fresh stains than on old ones.
I've found the pencil to be super economical in terms of usage. However, the application process isn't always straightforward - it can take longer than I'd like.
Despite the quirks, I'd still recommend this pencil. It's a decent value for money, considering the price.
Thanks for reading my review.