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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To rant about my children's now ruined brand new clothes?

275 replies

D0oinMeCleanin · 02/08/2013 15:31

I know I am BU but I am so pissed off I don't care.

My parents took my children camping at their expense for two weeks. This is awesome and I am incredibly lucky to have such a close and supportive family.

As the weather was hot and they've grown since last summer, I had gave them their holiday clothes for our holiday this year.

My parents have allowed them to go a play park in their brand, spanking new white shorts. They have not soaked the resulting stains as soon as they occurred, they've been through the wash twice with surf, vanish in wash and vanish spray on stain remover, nothing has touched it, they're now soaking in the sink with half water, half vanish. They're obviously going top need replacing Angry

I know I am lucky that my kids got a free holiday and in the grand scheme of things they're only shorts, but I am so fucking annoyed that no-one thought to ask them to change into more suitable clothing for going to the park in the mud. They'd only worn the shorts once.

OP posts:
YourHandInMyHand · 02/08/2013 15:40

Can you get a pack of dye and change the colour of them to something darker that will cover the stains?

You know yabu but its okay to have a moan.

White shorts on kids. Grin Please at least tell me they were cheapy ones from Primark?!

LazyMonkeyButler · 02/08/2013 15:40

A "mudless beach holiday" Grin. Pah, your underestimate a child's ability to find mud anywhere Grin.

PeppermintPasty · 02/08/2013 15:40

Get thee hence to Primark or H & M for a nice pair of off white shorts from their bargain rails. £2 when I last looked.

Original poster
D0oinMeCleanin · 02/08/2013 15:41

Dd1 was determined not have fun, dd2, whose shorts are the most ruined had a whale of a time.

We already had the vanish. Dd1 insists on wearing long, flowing dressed to walk the dogs in. We use lots of Vanish. I normally soak things while the stains are still wet.

Soda crystals? I think we have some of those somewhere.

OP posts:
HoikyPoiky · 02/08/2013 15:42

Oh dear, I think you will have to chalk this one down to experience. YWBU (very).

honeytea · 02/08/2013 15:43

White shorts would get ruined no matter where they wore them, if they were at the pub there would be tomato sauce to drop on them and grass stains and drinks to be spilled. There is nothing wrong with children wearing dark shorts to the pub.

I hope you bought your parents a big bunch of flowers for being so kind and taking your dc away.

HellonHeels · 02/08/2013 15:43

I wouldn't worry about it - just let them wear them as is, stains and all.

Isn't it a normal state of childhood to be wearing stained or dirt-infused clothes? Like on the persil ads?

HellonHeels · 02/08/2013 15:46

Ah yes, your follow up post

Dd1 insists on wearing...

kind of gives a clue about why the 'wrong' shorts came to be worn and get dirty. I imagine your parents couldn't be arsed with any potential arguments about what your DDs should be wearing.

NotYoMomma · 02/08/2013 15:46

yab ridiculous

Original poster
D0oinMeCleanin · 02/08/2013 15:46

honeytea, I looked after their zoo full of exotic birds for them and was on call to take in their aggressive whippet if the kennels kicked her out, as I always do when they go away camping.

The shorts are now sold out. They had lovely matching tops too Sad They were from Tesco, I think. Or BHS. We bought all their stuff from either Tesco or BHS.

OP posts:
imnotmymum · 02/08/2013 15:46

mucky kids equal happy kids and white shorts what were you thinking. They had nothing else to pack for camping ?? They were for pub lunch out. Red sauce, bolognese, curry ...its a minefield out there. Bleach?

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 02/08/2013 15:46

I washed my guinea-pigs white towel with Ecover in a hot wash and hung it out in the sun.
All their little poohey marks came out.

Viviennemary · 02/08/2013 15:46

I think YABU. It is annoying about the shorts. But kids can spill something on clothes even if they are in a 5* hotel. So white shorts aren't suitable if you expect them to stay pristine.

PatriciaHolm · 02/08/2013 15:47

Can they not just wear them anyway?

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 02/08/2013 15:47

Yabu. White shorts would get filthy on a mudless beach holiday too. I hope you didn't show your Angry to your parents, because that would have been beyond yabu.

MummytoMog · 02/08/2013 15:49

My DD would have insisted on wearing them if they were pink. But YABU to buy them in the first place ;)

LingDiLong · 02/08/2013 15:51

I'd just let my kids wear them anyway. Are they both white and pink? If they're just white you could soak them in bleachy water.

White clothes for kids though - madness I'm afraid!

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 02/08/2013 15:51

The ability of dc to spill things on clothes is in direct proportion to the paleness of the clothes times the expense of the clothes divided by the amount of angst it will cause the parent and added to the distance away from the washing machine - Einstein said that, I think.

ImNotBloody14 · 02/08/2013 15:52

I'm sorry- i really am but this is Grin

I cant believe you thought white shorts would come back from a 2 week camp unscathed! And even moreso that you are blaming anyone other than yourself for being so silly.

There was no chance at all they were coming back clean. You know that really dont you? Grin

Original poster
D0oinMeCleanin · 02/08/2013 15:52

I've only just noticed. I haven't had time to do their washing until today due to covering holidays at work.

I haven't seen my parents so haven't mentioned the shorts and they've offered to help me out with the impending puppy doom I about to face, so even if I wanted to be annoyed with them I can't because they are just so bloody nice and helpful, damn them Angry Wink

I really liked those shorts.

OP posts:
TheYoniWayisGerard · 02/08/2013 15:52

Bleach them. I bleach anything white and stained of DDs. Oh and YABU, but you know that.

MissSingerbrains · 02/08/2013 15:55

Hang them out in the sunshine, hopefully that will bleach them! Works for lots of things.

Apart from that, YABU, sorry :)

jacksgrannie · 02/08/2013 15:56

You can get stains out if the article is all white and is a normal fabric (cotton/linen/polyester or similar).

I have just done this with my own white broderie anglais top (seafood sauce all over sleeve - Vanish didn't touch it).

I got some household bleach and diluted it with cold water in an old china bowl (so not neat - fairly well diluted). I put about a tablespoon of bleach in a cereal bowl size receptacle. Then I dropped the stained part of the top into the diluted bleach. 5 minutes later - hey presto, stain gone, top perfect.

Alternatively, put the whole garment in a large bowl.

Obv would not work with colours or patterns.

As a grannie, can I just say I think you are being unreasonable. Two weeks camping holiday for two children - would have cost ££££s if you'd had to pay for it and the children must have had a wonderful time. I hope your mum is not a mumsnetter and reads this or she may not offer again!

Weegiemum · 02/08/2013 15:57

Wondering now at the idea of putting my rather stinky guinea pigs through a 60 wash? Or should I be kind and go for 40?

OutragedFromLeeds · 02/08/2013 15:57

Slightly off topic, but why do your DC's require a 'pub outfit'?!

What sort of pubs are you frequenting where they turn away kids wearing denim/dark coloured shorts?