[Histonet] Desperately needing suggestions please!

[Monfils, Paul]

For basic dyes like pararosaniline or hematoxylin, acid alcohol would
probably be your best bet. I keep a little bottle of acid alcohol (fairly
strong - about 4% hydrochloric acid in 70% ethanol) in the cabinet above the
washer at home, to pretreat such stains.  Acid dyes like eosin or fast green
will usually wash out pretty easily without pretreatment because of the
basic pH of the tap water and the detergent.  But those same basic
properties will set basic dyes rather than remove them. I just saturate the
stain with a little acid alcohol, work it in a bit, then blot it firmly
between paper towels (under and on top of the fabric) (pound on it a bit
actually), repeating if necessary, and then when I have sufficiently removed
the stain, drop the garment into the already running washer.  Sounds like
your concern may be a non-washable garment, in which case the saturate and
blot technique alone will HOPEFULLY be sufficient.  In that case I think I
would finish up with one last saturate and blot using either plain 70%
alcohol or distilled water, to remove excess acid from the fabric.

I haven't seen a case where acid alcohol had any direct effect on fabric
color, but you might want to try it on an inconspicuous part of the garment
first, just to be sure.  My wife once got some black grease on a white
blouse that had little green leaves and pink and blue flowers. I brought the
blouse in to work and treated it with xylene, which didn't completely remove
the grease.  They I tried chloroform, which quickly removed the grease, and
the blue flowers.