If You Can Cure Dry Rot (Acid Rot) We’ll Give You $1000

Have you figured out the cure to Acid Rot (aka Dry Rot)? If you can be the first to prove it to the community, you’ll win $1000! We want to definitively know if a t-shirt that has been damaged by Acid Rot can be restored back to a state that will survive regular wear and washes.

Remember, curing Acid Rot is not about just neutralizing the shirt against further decay, it’s about strengthening the cotton fibers.

The Rules:

1. The entry fee is $25. This isn’t for us to profit and we’ll refund it if you win. Keep in mind, we’ll have the expense of shipping multiple times to participants. But truthfully, the entry fee is also to prevent a flood of submissions. In other words, please don’t enter unless you firmly believe you have a proven method.
2. First, we’ll send you a piece of certified Acid Rot fabric from a t-shirt. It will be marked and already have a small tear in it from a stretch test. Your goal is to strengthen the fabric so it won’t tear again. We understand that certain methods may change the feel of the fabric, but the fabric must still be in a wearable state. If you think you’ve achieved this – mail the fabric back to us.
3. Once the fabric is returned we’ll put it through a stretch test, then wash it 5 times. If it can still pass the stretch test after this, you’re almost there!
4. Finally, we’ll send you a full shirt for you to work your magic on. Does your method work when collars, seams, and prints are involved? If so, return it to us, and if the shirt passes multiple washes and stress tests and can be worn comfortably (not a stiff piece of cardboard) you win $1000! We’ll also reimburse the winner for their shipping expenses.
5. You don’t have to reveal your method if you do not want to (although it would be a nice thing to do in the spirit of the community.) The goal of this challenge is not to figure out the antidote to Acid Rot, we just want to know if it can actually be done.
6. There’s only one prize of $1000. The first entrant to submit a full t-shirt that passes our tests is the winner. All other entries will no longer be eligible for the prize.

To enter, please DM @waxandthreadsvintage (U.S.) or @defunkd (Canada) on Instagram