# Getting stains out of a cyc



## fatherpierce (Dec 13, 2009)

I have a light blue cyc with brown water stains in a few spots in the center, no hiding them!

Anyone had luck getting water stains out of a cyc?


----------



## ajb (Dec 13, 2009)

Do you know what caused the brown? Iron in the water, or general dirt?

Whatever you decide to try, be sure to test it off on a corner first, even plain water can dissolve flame retardant salts the drop may have been treated with, leaving ugly white stains and possibly necessitating re-treatment. Other sorts of solvents or detergents may also harm the treatment; if you know what was originally applied or who built the drop you should probably contact them for advice.


----------



## fatherpierce (Dec 13, 2009)

Unfortunately, I know very little about this cyc, other than the fact that it is too big for the space. The brown stains appear to be water stains, caused by improper storage where perhaps water from a leaky roof dripped on it.


----------



## Footer (Dec 14, 2009)

eh... If its a blue cyc odds are the fabric won't go back to blue too easily. 

I you can use the cyc as is right now, do. If you can't.... tack it down on your floor and just paint it white. Think of it as a new drop. If you are not going to move it, this will work great. If it is going to be taken down.. go back up... over and over.. you could try bleaching the entire thing but that might be a bit harder to achieve. 

How large of a cyc are we talking here?


----------



## erosing (Dec 16, 2009)

Ok this may seem silly, but did the stains go through to the back?

Back in high school I remember someone spilled coffee on the cyc right before we opened house. We brought it down and flipped it around after blotting up the spill a bit, it didn't go all the way through and worked as a temporary solution, until we could clean it better.


----------



## David Ashton (Dec 16, 2009)

If it's too big for the space can you cut it down in size and cut out the stains?I have tried many things on stained cycs and have been a complete failure.Bleaching will usually destroy an older cyc, painting the whole thing can work to a degree, then flameguard it.


----------



## fatherpierce (Dec 16, 2009)

OK the piece is 24' by 60'. I need the width, and the stains are directly in the middle, so cutting the stains out is not an option.

I never actually checked the back, but I will!

The fabric is in decent shape, I feel like it could hold up to a bleaching. I might try that first (I am going to be lighting it so as long as the bleached fabric looks close to the light blue, it should work?)

If I decide to paint it white, where can I get flameproofing material?


----------



## ajb (Dec 16, 2009)

You can get fire retardant compounds from any theatrical supplier, as paint additives or as stand-alone treatment. Be aware that adding a fire retardant additive to paint (ie Rosco P50) only makes the *paint* fire retardant, and will not adequately protect a painted drop--except maybe if you paint both sides heavily. If the drop itself has been adequately treated recently enough (and you haven't washed it), you can just paint it and be done with it, otherwise you can (re)treat it with a penetrating agent like Rosco C26 applied before or after painting in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.


----------

