Ok football moms. My sons team wears white practice pants. How on earth do you get these things clean? The oxidation clean gel stick won't wash out of the pads. The oxidation clean spray doesn't get out the grime. Color safe bleach helps but doesn't get it all and ceratainly doesn't work alone. The shout for set in stains works reasonably well. But still not that wow real clean white look. What do you use. Or do you just concede to dingy knee pads
Those stains are a badge of honor in football, just like the gouges and scratches on their helmets. My son actually got upset when I tried to get all the stains out the first time. That was before I became a "seasoned" football mom:)
Have you tried Oxyclean with an extra rinse?
I concede, but I try really hard before I do.
I spray with the plain old white bottled Shout spray about 20 minutes before washing. I also started using my home made detergent this year - the Duggar recipe - and wow do those pants get white. Oh, I also toss in a small handful of washing soda for good measure. (the same stuff i use to make the detergent.) Finally, I wash them with the bath towels in my front loader. I like to think the friction from the towels do a little extra scrubbing for me.
Vinegar in my rinse makes our whites really white. I usually let it sit there for an extra 20 minutes. The smell rinses right out.
Try Simple Green. It's amazing what it takes out!
I would just let the stains be since they are practice pants. But if you really want them white - use Simple Green. It's in the automotive section at Wal-Mart. Just use straight - don't dilute. It works wonders on my sons baseball pants and my hubby's white work shirts. It has taken out red baseball dirt and everything else I've used it on.
My son has these also. I have given up on the stains. I just wash them and don't worry about the stains. Since it's only practice I don't really worry about them looking sparkling white.
Updated
My son has these also. I just wash them and don't worry about the stains. Since it's only practice I don't really worry about them looking sparkling white.
Zote soap. It's a pink bar, I get it at big lots for 90 cents a bar. I use an old cheese grater and grate the soap into a sink of hot water, throw in a little oxyclean and let them sit. Bad stains I use the nub of soap that's too small to grate anymore and scrub it on the stain and rub the pants together. My son plays baseball and wears white pants, so I'm always getting grass and dirt stains out.
Another one I have heard is good is fels napa soap at the Hispanic grocery stores, also a bar that you grate.
Not sure on football pants but white baseball pants and powdered Cascade work quite well! Soak overnight in a bucket of dissolved Cascade then rinse in the washer-I have a front loader and just dump pants and water from the bucket in all at once, launder in normal detergent.
As a baseball mom, I'd suggest dishewasher detergent. Works for baseball knees!
Soak in Brite White or Iron Out diluted with water for 15 minutes before washing. We usually pour the whole bucket of the solution into the washer with the pants. Works great on white baseball pants.
