So, here's a horror story. Last year at work, I went out to grab lunch and returned quickly, holding my burrito bowl and drink. Using my upper left arm, I pressed open the huge and heavy metal door to my workplace. I felt and heard this sticky sensation peel off from my M65's left arm sleeve to the door and realized they had painted the door with black tar-like acrylic or oil-based paint.
I wish I could say they hadn’t put up a warning sign, but they had. In my hurry to rush back up for work, I completely missed the tag they had taped to the wall next to the door. I felt angry and stupid. I panicked as my brain just wanted to remove the paint quickly before it dried. I went upstairs, grabbed paper towels, and tried to tap most of it off, followed by some mistakes involving water, sponges, and liquid detergent.
Long story short: It did remove some of the paint but not all—perhaps 60%. The worst thing isn’t the paint; it’s how my rubbing, and perhaps the detergent, damaged the fabric and its "sheen," making parts of the fabric dull. I rubbed too hard and "aged" those spots by about 30 years. I’m all for patina and aging, but this is just weird. The thing is, I’ve read that parts of the discoloration might actually be particles from the paper towels and sponge - making it fixable? I hope.
Once my head cleared up, I realized I should have gone to the dry cleaners instead and let the pros take care of it.
I’ve worn the jacket since and felt bad about it, but in the end, I’m always the one telling people who get precious about their workwear and leather boots to just embrace the battle scars. Well, this battle scar came with PTSD and the works—I can’t open the door without flinching.
Anyway, to the question: I still haven’t taken the jacket to the dry cleaners. Should I do that, or should I continue trying to remove the remaining stains with lemon essential oil? I've seen that recommended for stains like this. I'm not as precious as I was 6 months ago. I've let go and don't mind trying different solutions. I'll post pictures later.
️ The only downside to the Billy Boot is that unless you cuff your jeans all the way up, the full beauty of the boot stays hidden from plain sight. But it's a cool little secret. 
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? The shop says "Continuous Production" 
