[bass19]

I've had the misfortune of getting an unknown drink spilled onto my Protec XL soft tenor sax case. It appears to be some sort of caramel coffee/latte liquid that has now dried into a crusty/flaky layer on the case. I'd like to remove it, but I don't want to force the gunk into the material of the case if I can help it. Any suggestions on how to remove it with the least amount of residue left over?

 

[1saxman]

Begin with a stiff brush and get off all you can that way. Follow up with a moist wash cloth.

 

[lydian]

Don't use a brush or a cloth. I would rub an ice cube on it, then scrape with a butter knife or putty knife and follow the instructions here to get the rest of it off:

https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-remove-caramel-stains-2146866

 

[saxoclese]

You might take it to a local dry cleaner to see if they can help. Going back and forth over the area with a hand held attachment of a powerful vacuum can also break up and remove some of the residue.

 

[Fader]

Begin with a stiff brush and get off all you can that way. Follow up with a moist wash cloth.

I have successfully used this method on my Protec XL.
Good Luck!

 

[Dr G]

Go to a car detailing shop or an upholstery cleaning shop - they have steam wands with integral suction. Carpet cleaners are another source using similar tools.

 

[PigSquealer]

Looks tasty! Stick it in front of your dog. Will be licked clean in a few minutes.
Otherwise try calling Protech. I'd be willing to say they know how to clean their products. It may have Scotchgard on it and you don't want to clean that off.
Toll Free: 800-325-3455 (USA Only)
https://www.protecstyle.com/contact/

 

[bandmommy]

What Dr. G said.
If you dont have the funds for the detail shop, ask some friends if they have a carpet cleaning machine with an upholstery attachment. These little home units do a nice job, and you DEFINATELY want to get that nasty crap off from your case. If not... it's gonna start to smell like rotten milk. Once that gets into the fibers it doesn't leave, and you need a new case. 😉

 

[mmichel]

The fabric case covering is actually just screwed onto the underlying wood part of the case.

I have Protec cases that I have owned for more than 20 years, and over time dust, spills, etc. made the case covering difficult to clean using a sponge or brush.

What I did (and what I would recommend that you do) is simply unscrew the screws holding the fabric covering in place and remove it. Throw the fabric part into the washer and wash and dry it as you would any other piece of black fabric, and then screw it back onto the wood frame.

I did this with two of my Protec cases and they wound up looking like new.

 

[milandro]

I have cleaned a protec case with some similar white stains on it with warm water, brush and soap and no ill effects . I second the steaming , typically there are steamers for clothes which will work but also the ones for wall paper work well for this kind of thing.

Ot doesn’t look terrible

 

[Warilla]

I'm not a great fan of Protec cases. At least with the stain you can pick out your case from others, and stained or not it will still function.

This last comment probably explains my divorce!

 

[germanwatches]

Tuff Stuff foam cleaner

 

[pontius]

That stain looks a lot like candle wax

 

[bass19]

Thanks for all the suggestions everybody! Although I really liked the idea of going to a car detailer or upholstery/dry cleaner, various factors made that impractical. I decided the next best solution would be to do as mmichel suggested. All the screws came off no problem and I tossed the fabric in the washing machine. It took three washings and stain removal applications to get the vast majority of the gunk off. I always made sure to use a low spin cycle so as to not stress the material too much. After air drying, I put the fabric back on the case. This is where I started to get a bit nervous because the fabric had partially lost its form and was difficult to get back on the wooden frame. I decided to push on despite nearly all of the screw holes in the fabric not lining up with preexisting holes in the wooden frame. There were some spots (for example, where the fabric is shaped around the saxophone bell part of the frame) where the fabric was very taut after putting in the screws.

Now, more than a week later, the fabric is still taut, but I haven't noticed any tears in the fabric or other signs that the fabric is too stressed. I feel quite confident that everything is going to hold and be just fine. One thing I'd be conscious of is taking off and reapplying the case fabric multiple times as this might cause the wood to weaken due to having several different screw holes in close proximity, but that is just a guess on my part. If anything changes as time passes, I'll be sure to post an update here. Cheers!

 

[milandro]

nice to know about this option which I would call a last resort option, I don’t think that most people would make a habit of doing such a thing, so the danger of overdoing this is negligible.

I have owned many protecs over the years and I have never had the need of doing such a thing and when any started weariing out I bought another one, secondhand, in good nick and sold the older one or equipped a horn without a case with it.

 

[PigSquealer]

I tossed the fabric in the washing machine. It took three washings and stain removal applications to get the vast majority of the gunk off. I always made sure to use a low spin cycle so as to not stress the material too much. After air drying, I put the fabric back on the case. This is where I started to get a bit nervous because the fabric had partially lost its form and was difficult to get back on the wooden frame. I decided to push on despite nearly all of the screw holes in the fabric not lining up with preexisting holes in the wooden frame. There were some spots (for example, where the fabric is shaped around the saxophone bell part of the frame) where the fabric was very taut after putting in the screws.

That's a little more than a stain. I would have pre-soaked everything in woolite for several hours to maybe a day. That alone with a lite brushing could have done the job. If not a go with a gentle cycle in cold water. After air drying a slight warming may just relax the material enough to the original fit. This done while fitting using a hair dryer on low. Being careful not to melt anything.

Just out of curiosity were you unable to get a response from Protec ?

 

[zorroperro]

This why I started using case covers. I stopped using them because in my mind having a kind of synthetic wool would cook the instrument inside. My bad, I was kindly explained by a member or this Forum that the material keeps de instrument cooler in hot weather and warmer in cold weather.

 

[bass19]

That's a little more than a stain. I would have pre-soaked everything in woolite for several hours to maybe a day. That alone with a lite brushing could have done the job. If not a go with a gentle cycle in cold water. After air drying a slight warming may just relax the material enough to the original fit. This done while fitting using a hair dryer on low. Being careful not to melt anything.

Just out of curiosity were you unable to get a response from Protec ?

I should have specified: I washed it three times on gentle cycle with cold water and 800 revs spin cycle. Between washes I scraped away as much gunk as possible.

Never thought to warm up the fabric while putting it back on the case, although that sounds quite logical to me.

No, I did not reach out to Protec about this.

 

[bandmommy]

In the areas where it's still a bit tight;
Mix a tiny bit of liquid fabric softener in a pint of warm water in a spray bottle.
Generously spray the area and allow to air dry.
Hand stretch the fabric into shape if necessary. (While the fabric is still wet)
The water and fabric softener relax and smooth the fibers allowing them to assume their original position.
This method has been successfully used by THOUSANDS of women to ease the fit of slightly snug formal gowns.
If the case fabric needs laundering again, pretreat, warm water, gentle cycle, and put it back on while it's still slightly damp. 😉

 

[PigSquealer]

I should have specified: I washed it three times on gentle cycle with cold water and 800 revs spin cycle. Between washes I scraped away as much gunk as possible.

Well you gave it your best go at it. I'm sure it's a lot better than it was. Thank you for posting a thread. I learned something.

In the areas where it's still a bit tight;
Mix a tiny bit of liquid fabric softener in a pint of warm water in a spray bottle.
Generously spray the area and allow to air dry.
Hand stretch the fabric into shape if necessary. (While the fabric is still wet)
The water and fabric softener relax and smooth the fibers allowing them to assume their original position.
This method has been successfully used by THOUSANDS of women to ease the fit of slightly snug formal gowns.
If the case fabric needs laundering again, pretreat, warm water, gentle cycle, and put it back on while it's still slightly damp. ?

Can you recommend a liquid fabric softener? Will this technique work on some type of imitation leather? I have a skirt I need to stretch out. I hand washed it but it shrunk some. I followed the washing instructions.