Laundry Stains

Did you ever find anything? I use an enzyme based product....NO CHEMICALS that works FABULOUSLY!! I've even taken out permanent black ink from a white sweatshirt!

Also, soaking in Dreft worked woders for me when my kids were babies. Made especially the whites much brighter. Good luck!

I have the perfect solution which I wish I knew about when my daughter sarting eating baby food and staining all of her clothes. It is called "Spray and Wash Resolve Power Stain Stick". It's about $3-4. You wipe it on the stains before you throw it in the hamper. There is no need to rinse out or soak. It can remain on for up to a week before it is washed. You don't have to do anything else to it. It is convenient and has worked wonders the past 2 years I have been using it. I no longer buy the regular spray stain removers because they never work.My daughter is 3 now and we are expecting another one. So we can definitely use her clothes for the next one because they are stainless!!! This is a product I rave about. It even got out red koolaid that had been dried on a white shirt for almost a day. I used this and I never knew she spilled koolaid! Good luck and I hope this works for you :)

Hi! Looks like you got a lot of responses but I wanted to add one anyhow. My husband researched getting stains out of his own baby clothes so that our son could wear them. Bizz took out 25-year-old stains! It works on yellow breastmilk poo, which if you breastfed you know is IMPOSSIBLE to get out most the time. We just follow the instructions on the box and it works every time!

I use shout. I spray it on the stain and use a soft toothbrush and lightly scrub in a circular motion and the stains come out. I let it soak about an hour before washing.
Jenn.....

Try Zout, I have been using it for six years. After you treat the stain leave it on for five to ten minutes then wash it. GL.

For some reason I think the Spray and Wash Stain stick works better than anything else and you can let it set for up to 5 days. I have also used the Spray and Wash Spray but I don't think that works well. I have used the stick and let it set for about 5 minutes before throwing it in the wash and it does wonders.

How long are you letting the stains sit on the clothes? I use the Spray Oxi Clean and the food stains always come out. I typically spray it on the clothing within the first 24 hrs. I also use the Oxi powder as well.

When you use the spray are you just letting it sit or are you giving the stain a little rub down as well? I find that that helps. I had some clothing that was stained from months ago - I came along a coupon for the Oxi Spray - so I tried it on those clothes and the stains came right out.

I also use gerber foods and have no problem. It also works well on coffee stains (for some reason I always spill it). Maybe you should try giving it a little rub and let it sit on there longer. However, the bottle suggests no longer then ten minutes.

Hope you figure it out!

Hi K., I see where some other moms have already said this, but I will add to it. I used the Dreft stain remover and laundry soap for my babies clothes. It worked wonders. However, I have started using Greased Lighting on everything. My oldest son (13) plays baseball and you would never tell that he has ever had grass stains on his ball pants. It is amazing stuff. Good Luck!

Hey K.,
I always had a real problem getting stains out too. I just started using bibs all the time. I know it's a hastle but that's what I had to do instead of ruining everything. I found a neat bib for toddlers that someone made on her own. It's just a regular hand towel with a hole cut in the middle and she put elastic around the hole to gather aroud the neck and it was perfect for older babes and I just threw them in the washer with the towels and let them stain away until they got older and I didn't have to worry about it.
Good luck.
SAHM of three 14.9.4.

Greased Lightening. It's amazing. It's an all purpose cleaner, but can be used on laundry. I've used it on set in stains and they come out. Sometimes I have to wash the clothes more than once, but to me it's worth it. Baby food with orange dyes in them will NOT come out, no matter what you do. Same with spaghetti O's. That stuff is like super glue!

The best is a very old bar soap called Fels Naptha. It works awesome! You can find it at some hardware stores (Ace). Our Walmart used to carry it before coming a super center. I have saved soooooooooooooo many clothes with this! I know you can also find and order it online. Hope this helps!http://www.soapsgonebuy.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCod...

If you can find a Dollar Tree around where you live they sell a product called Awesome. It's yellow liquid in a spray or pour bottle. I use it all the time it's great!!

I've had the same problem. The only thing I've found that works is Everyday Living brand stain remover. It is found at Kroger and is actually quite inexpensive. Good luck!

start making her food for her because it doesn't stain as much. I know the labels don't "say" anything about dyes...but me and my husband found out our food did not stain hardly as much as the baby food. (?????) Buy a Magic Bullet. It is great for making quick puree's. And my son loves eating what we eat! I think it has made him a better eater. Regular adult food still doesn't freak him out. He will try anything. Won't always like it, of course, but he tries it. I hope this helps. :)

I found that Zout stain remover works pretty well. I still haven't found anything to lessen formula stains but Zout will take the food stains including ketchup out.

I use Amway laundry detergent. I don't have a washer and dryer so I have to use the laundrymat. Even if it takes two weeks to do laundry, it still gets clean. You have to buy in bulk but when you average out the per load cost, it's less than Tide and OxyClean.

Please feel free to email me if you'd like info on ordering.

Try spraying with lemon juice and letting them dry in the sun. This helps with a lot of different stains. A lot of times this will even help with old stains.

Try Zout. A girlfriend gave me a bottle as a baby shower gift and I have been using it with much success for nearly 5 years. You can find it on the laundry isle near spray and wash. I just spray the stain and throw the item in the laundry basket until I am ready to wash. Zout takes out almost anything.

You did not say if you use a bib for your daughter.
Maybe you need a bigger one, or the kind with sleeves.
Or, some kind of coverup to put over her clothes when she eats, like a tee shirt.
Or, get a baby food grinder in which you can hand grind most table foods at mealtimes for her.
I do think that commercial baby food stains more than homemade.

Try a coverall bib. You can get ones that are like a hairdresser's cover up - with arms and that cover the front of the shirt completely. The only other way is to take off the clothing as soon as the stain is made and treat it with something like shout while it's still wet. You don't have to wash it right away but it has to be treated immediately. Hope this helps!

I spray Simple Green on my kids (11 and 14) stains (mostly chocolate and mud!) and soak them with the normal laundry soap. It seems to work really well. I've even been able to get off some stains that were put through the dryer. Hope this helps. I believe Simple Green is one of those bio friendly cleaners too.

I had the same problem with my 8mo. old! I bought a mesh laundry bag, tied it to her changing table. Anytime there is a stain I pretreat it immediatly, then put it in the mesh bag. Before I wash all her clothes I soak what's in the mesh bag in a soapy mixture overnight, then wash. If there are stubborn stains you can put some frsh lemon juice on the stain and set the item in the sun. This is a bleaching method so watch the items carefully the first few times you try it. Just remember that the heat from the dryer will set any stains. Good luck!

Hi K.! I just discovered Spray & Wash with Resolve Power. I didn't use it when my DD was younger and we were dealing with baby food stains, but now that she is almost 2, we rarely get through a meal with out SOMETHING on her. She got into ketchup this past weekend, and I spraed it on there, let it set for about 5 minutes, then washed in hot water and it came out. I have the worst time with tomato based stains, but this seems to work the best for me. I think it has peroxide in it and that seems to be the key! Good luck!

We have always used the Dreft Spray, you can get it at Target. It works most of the time. When it doesn't we used the Clorox Oxy Magic and soak the item or items in a sink of warm water with one scoop of the oxy. I have found that the clorox version of the oxy works much better and costs a little less.

Have you tried putting a little Clorox 2 directly on the stain? Otherwise, I've used Simple Green for years - it even got nail polish out of a dress once. I used to spray it directly on baby clothes stains; you can also add some to the wash load in general. I use the hot/cold setting for items I think might be stained and if the stain didn't come out in the first wash, I re-treat it and stick it back in with the next load. Hope that helps. I haven't read any other responses so hope I wasn't redundant! Good luck - I know the feeling of wanting to keep the clothes looking nice but not really wanting to spend your life in the laundry room.

I am going to give you one more suggestion that I haven't seen on here. LESTOIL. It is excellent at getting out grease (butter etc....)stains/spots. You may want to rinse the item after using it, as it does have a strong smell. Just put some on, and let it soak (oxi-clean has to soak a long, long, time before it works) for at least an hour, then wash as normal. You will find Lestoil in the household cleaners, usually near Pine-Sol. It is also good at removing color bleeds, koolaid, ink, any kind of grease whether food or not.
If spots or stains happen on all whites, use bleech!!!! You can always rinse it out a second time.

have you tried baking soda? You moisten the area and add baking soda, take an old tooth brush and scrub gently in the spot. Let sit for a few minutes than add your stain removal(I use spray & wash). And immediately send into the wash and let it go from there. In whites, you can use some lemon juice. Lemons has an acid or something in it that can brighten almost anything. But I have never used it in colors or darks. Also you can go to about.com and type in the search menu: HOW TO REMOVE FOOD STAINS FROM BABY CLOTHES. That's how I found some of the helpful hints. Good Luck!

The best thing I know of is to remove the clothes as soon as she is done eating and soak them in cold water. I know, it sounds backwards because we are trained to believe cold water is to set and preserve colors but it works. Oxyclean works on a lot of things but you have to mix it up, apply it and let it sit for at least 1/2 before you wash the clothing. I like Zout but you have to apply it and leave it set for about 5 minutes before washing. I keep a stain stick in the bathrooms (where we have the hampers) and apply it heavily before I throw anything in the hamper, it has helped a lot too.

Hi K.,

I pour some of my Tide liquid detergent into a squeeze bottle, which I keep in our bathroom near the laundry bins. When something is stained, I treat it immediately with the Tide and make sure that it gets washed in warm or hot water within a couple of days. I also use a scoop of oxi-clean in with each load. This is almost always good enough to get out food stains, including tomato sauce & blueberries!

If there is still a stain after all of that, you can try filling a dish basin with an inch or two of water and about 1/4 cup of bleach. Then carefully dip the stained area into the bleach water for 10-15 seconds. Pull it out, check the stain, and repeat for more short dips until the stain has faded. Obviously you can't do this for dark clothes, but it works well for whites & very light pastels.

Hope this helps!

-E.

I have had great luck with Dreft spray stain remover...my kids are 8 and 4 and I discovered it when the younger one was smaller. As a matter of fact, I still use it.

K.,

I wanted to add that I also used Dreft and Totally Toddler for my son before solids. Once he moved to solids I use Shout gel stain remover. If a stain does not come out I use Shout Advanced and it gets every stain out including grease and dirt that got on my husband's dress shirt after changing a tire while he was at work.

K.

i found the best for the baby food stains is Dreft Stain Remover. All the other stuff I tried didn't work but this did.

I use nonchlorine bleach like clorox 2 to pre-treat the stains, then hand wash a little prior to putting in laundry & that helps tremendously w/ the stains. Also a few days ago I found an all natural baby detergent made by babygonics which does tremendous work on removing the stains, so I don't need the clorox 2 anymore. Either 1 works really well. I don't use Gerber, I prepare her foods but it stains just the same. Good luck, I know the feeling b/c I refuse to let my baby wear clothes w/ stains on them.

Go to WalMart and look in the detergent isle for a product called 20 Mule Team Borax. It is a powder detergent in a box. You can soak the clothes in it before you wash and it gets almost anything out. I used it to get #2 out of onsies when my son had diarehha. I am pretty sure you can also make a paste out of it with water to let it sit directly on the stain. Good Luck!

We have always used the plastic bibs with the little pockets that are easy to rinse clean and for the spots that do get on clothes we add Borox to the load of laundry, I like Family Dollar's brand of Oxy Stain Remover Spray better than Oxyclean and it is much cheaper! Usually if you spray that you can leave it sit until you are ready to do the next load of clothes and it comes out nicely.

K.;
Try dish washer detergent on the stubborn stains.

Mothers with sons playing football swears this detergent even removes grass stains from their sons white uniforms

Hope it works for you.
D. Y.

K.,

First let me tell you that you must get the book - "Super Baby Food." The author breaks down how to make your own baby food. Not only is it healthier, it is more economical and she breaks it down so that you can batch cook and freeze baby food for a month or so at a time. The book is very easy to follow as well, she is a mom of three (2 are twins), so she know how much time we do not have.

About the stains. Try Shaklee's Nature Bright. You can soak the clothes in the Nature Bright and you should get rid of all the stains. Also get some Basic H2 and spot treat the stains on the spot if you can. All of these products are organic and non-toxic. Best of all you can wash your laundry with the baby's and not worry about exposing your child to toxic chemicals. Go to www.shaklee.net/gemsoffire for more info. Let me know if you have any questions on the baby food or the stains. I have introduced several of my friends to making homemade baby food.

Hope this helps.

Hi. I see you have received a lot of responses already & I don't have time to read through all of them, but just wanted to mention that I have had really good luck with the new Tide with Dawn Stain Scrubbers. If you go on their website you can sign up for a free sample to try. https://tidewithdawn.offerprocessingcenter.com/
Also, another thing I use on stains is Spray N Wash Max with Resolve Power. That seems to work well also.

Hi K..

I use Shout gel stain stick for all my son's clothes and it works great! He's 16 months so I don't have to use it as much now, but when he had really runny diapers that leaked onto his clothes a lot, that stuff got out everything! Another nice thing is that you can use it on your clothes and you don't have to wash them right then. And it's not expensive either!

R.

try soaking them in a 5 gal bucket with a scoop of oxy clean for one hour before washing them...we have alot of iron in our water(well water), so i use that & "yellow out" and it gets our clothes looking almost new. good luck.

I get many stains out with Shout. I also have Oxy Clean, which works as well. You really have to scrub with you nails a while in the same spot.

Hi K.!
I know you have received many responses already (and I enjoyed getting some tips!) but I wanted to add that I use a Tide pen on my daughters clothes. There are many times when the carrots just don't come out with oxy spray and the Tide pen works...just a thought! I also carry it with me and use it when we are out to eat, etc. Even though she wears a bib, she finds a way to get it on her! :) Good luck!
A.

Have you tried Shout stain removal? I've found it works better than most. I used to try the oxyclean too but it didn't seem to get all the food and diaper stains my little ones would create. Overall Shout seemed to work better. Hope you figure it out.

Hi K.,

I'm a big fan of Totally Toddler laundry spray. It gets all kinds of stains out. You can get it in the baby section of the stores at both Meijer and Walmart. Good luck!

I had a friend tell me to use 4 denture cleaning tablets per 1 qt. water. It does work. I've used it on stuff I bought at yard sales.

Hi K.,

I didn't read through the responses, but I had the same problem w/food and with poopy blow-outs getting on my son's clothes. Dawn dish soap (blue) worked for me. Right after the stain was made, I would removed the item, get the piece of clothing wet, put the dish soap all over it and let it sit a few hours. I would then wash it by hand, put more soap on it and throw it in the wash. I had great luck with it. Hope it works for you too!

Shout spray stain remover always works for me. I spray it on the stains before I throw them in the laundry. I also add baby oxyclean powder to the load, which seems to help.

Try Grandma secret spot remover, it's the best! It will get out anything. I got married 2 yrs. ago and we had an outdoor rennassaince wedding. My dress was a soft shiny satin and it did not bustle. It dragged the ground all night people stepped on it, tripped over it, and spilled champagne on it! Got to love family! We then went on our honeymoon for a week. When we got back my mother(who made all our outfits had already cleaned the bridal parties dresses and they looked great then we pulled out my dress. What A Mess! I didn't want to send it to the cleaner because of the beadwork I spent weeks sewing on to it. We Got Grandmas Secret Spot Remover and it took every stain out like magic my dress looks gorgeous again! You can buy it at Joann Fabrics or Hancock Fabrics. good luck

if you go to dollar general, there's stuff there called M-30. its kinda like the stuff mechanics use to clean their hands off but its made for clothes. I put a scoop of the gel in each load & they come out great. I just use an old coffee scoop but a kitchen spoon would be about the same

here's an idea...
Everything in our house gets Scotchgarded before it is washed. A can of Scotchgard runs about $5.00 - they sell it at WalMart, Target, etc. Follow the directions on the can - it can be used on new or "old" clothes - scotchgard then launder as usual - it's not perfect, but it has helped! As a mother of five - I can attest to the wonders of this product! Hope this helps!

Hi K.,
I had a lot of luck with Totally Toddler with my first child. I have to admit I was pretty diligent about spraying it both when the clothes came off at bedtime the day the stain occurred, then again when I was ready to wash it. I'm not doing quite as well now that I have a second child, but still trying :-) Good Luck!
J.

Sunshine. This seems to always do the trick for me. Pull the clothes out of the washer and dry them in the sun. If they don't come out, run them through the wash again and set them out in the sun again. Sometimes I'll use spray and wash but the sun works wonders!

Hey K.! I'm a fan of the Oxyclean myself, and with an 8-1/2 month old little girl who prefers to feed herself, I have my fair share of stains! I actually use the "Sun" brand oxyclean stuff which seems to work a bit better and is considerably cheaper. I find it at Wal-Mart. Ayway, I have found that if I spray the shirt with Shout or one of those pre-treaters, then sprinkle the dry oxyclean on the stain and let it sit for a while (even a day or two if it's white), then wash it in the machine -- the stain is usually gone! If it isn't, I do it again and it usually comes clean the second time. Of course, once you put it in the dryer, it could very well set the stain for good. Check it out prior to putting it in the dryer. If the stain is still there, spray and sprinkle the oxyclean again and let it sit. My girlfriend was so excited when I told her what I did with my kids' clothes. Hopefully, it will work for you too! Good luck!

i've learned that it's best to spray on the oxy clean right away so i keep a bottle in the bathroom where we take off their clothes for bath time at night. i spray it right away, before tossing it in the hamper, so the oxy clean does it's magic for a few days until laundry day. it's worked for us!

Hi K., here's what I use and have used for years that helps me keep the boys clothing looing nice - I bought a spray bottle, filled it with 1 cup Amonia, 1 cup Tide - liquid and the rest with water. I spray directly on the stain, use a toothbrush to lightly scrub and toss it in the wash. I've had really good success with method, which was shared with me some 12 years ago from another mom! Good luck! H.

K.,
Why are you not using a bib when you feed her? That is what they are made for. Also if you expect a stain to come out you need to soak and scrub it when it happens or before it drys. Once the garmet hits a dryer the stain will be set probably until you toss out the cloths.