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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not want to send DD to nursery in stained clothes

92 replies

PartyFops · 05/09/2013 20:11

I am so fed up with DDs (2.3) clothes getting ruined at nursery, she only goes 3 times a week and I would say at least 50% of the time she comes home with stains on her clothes that don't wash out.

Its either paint or food, today I threw away 2 dresses as one had orange down the front and the other one had blue paint all over the front.

I'm not annoyed with the nursery, as I know its DDs fault rather than theirs, but I really really dont want to take her to nursery in stained clothes.

I don't send her in expensive stuff but still its costing me a fortune!!

Just to add, I dont mind a little stain, but the ones this week completely ruined 2 lovely dresses.

rant over! Grin

OP posts:
RedHelenB · 05/09/2013 20:12

Send her in stained clothes!

hettienne · 05/09/2013 20:13

Don't they have aprons for painting?

PrincessFlirtyPants · 05/09/2013 20:13

YANBU - nursery is expensive enough!

How about buying her one of those aprons that cover her arms for when she's painting?

MortifiedAdams · 05/09/2013 20:13

Get yourself to primark and buy four tshirts and four pairs of leggings - use these for nursery and just keep rotating, stains or otherwise.

Anything you want to keep nice, keep home.

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 05/09/2013 20:13

I had preschool clothes for DS. He went in those staines and all.

How is it her fault, she is two!

forevergreek · 05/09/2013 20:13

Do you spray with vanish, scrub in cold water then wash in machine on cold wash with vanish?

I have never thrown away an item of clothing from stains as always out using above method

As a side, surely nursery should be putting smock/ aprons on when they paint? Ours have school smocks they wear over clothes the whole time they are there

PrincessFlirtyPants · 05/09/2013 20:14

X-posts, hettienne

cathpip · 05/09/2013 20:14

And this is why I have nursery t shirts and jumpers, I could not care if they are stained as it saves the other clothes....

bigwellylittlewelly · 05/09/2013 20:15

Its bloody frustrating.

But just do not send her in anything at all which you actually care about. DD's wardrobe is leggings and t-shirts bought in bulk from sainsburys. They wash well and amazingly only chilli and green paint have got the better of me.

As for getting stains out. Cold water and fairy liquid, scrub and rinse and scrub and rinse.

christinarossetti · 05/09/2013 20:15

If the clothes are washed, than they're clean so perfectly wearable.

At least you don't have to look at them all day if she's at nursery, was my philosophy.

BrokenSunglasses · 05/09/2013 20:15

I'd want to know what it is they are putting in their food and paint that won't come out with a bit of stain remover!

Fakebook · 05/09/2013 20:16

You threw away two dresses for being stained? Don't you know what vanish is? Or ACE?

Just send her in stained clothes, it's not a fashion show.

scarlettsmummy2 · 05/09/2013 20:16

My daughter is at private school, when she was at the nursery attached, absolutely all the children wore old, stained clothes, even those whose parents (not me sadly) could afford designer without a second thought. Cheap and cheerful!

Maryann1975 · 05/09/2013 20:17

YABU to throw out clothes because they have a stain on them. What a waste. I also hate putting the dc in stained clothes but know that nursery is a place where I can't control what they are doing so put them in suitable play clothes rather than best dresses.
The clothes are washed and clean, so send her back in them. I bet half the staff won't notice and the other half will have children of their own and know exactly what your up against with regards stain removal.

You could ask about why dc isn't wearing an apron for painting though.

dietcokeandwine · 05/09/2013 20:18

Can completely understand your frustration (surely they have painting aprons etc although it doesn't sound like it!) but at the same time - why are you sending her to nursery in 'lovely dresses'? Confused

Agree with Mortified. Go to Primark (or H&M, Sainsburys etc) and get her some cheap tops and leggings. Work on the assumption that anything worn to nursery will get trashed, and keep her lovely stuff for non nursery days.

thisisyesterday · 05/09/2013 20:19

  1. work on your stain removal techniques ;-) (seriously, i just keep washing some stuff and hanging it in the sun, it will eventually shift)

  2. i was exactly the same! with my first. by the time I got to the third I was just looking for him to be dressed quite frankly lol.

  3. nurseries are stupid with the painting aprons! at the ds's nursery they asked them if they wanted an apron and apparently couldn't make them wear one if they said no!!?? wtaf?

exexpat · 05/09/2013 20:23

I thought everyone sent their children to nursery in their oldest, cheapest, third-hand clothes, precisely because they do get stained, ripped, lost and so on?

When mine were that age I think they only had a couple of outfits each that weren't scruffy, because two and three-year-olds are basically mess-magnets, in my experience.

I still send DD (10) to school in stained summer dresses, because they still do art projects with stuff that won't wash out, and I'm not going to buy new uniform every month.

LIZS · 05/09/2013 20:23

Orange like tomato sauce comes out in the sunshine.

PoppyWearer · 05/09/2013 20:25

My DCs have always gone to nursery in stained clothes. I buy bundles of second-hand clothes from eBay as nursery clothes. The clothes might not be my exact taste, and some are stained, but I don't have to look at them all day, do I?

I then have other clothes for non-nursery days.

Original poster
PartyFops · 05/09/2013 20:25

The 2 dresses I threw away had huge stains on the front, both the size of the palm of my hand. They had been washed twice with ariel strain remover and stain devils in a 50degree wash (maybe thats the problem!!!). They are still only in the the bedroom bin upstairs so maybe I will try again with some washing up liquid and a cool wash.

I only meant that its her fault as she can be a little minx and get the paints out when its not painting time and shes a very messy eater. I was really only saying that I dont really blame the staff.

I have got loads of cheap leggins and t shirts, but its been so warm this week she has been wearing her summer dresses, (may as well as it will be cold/wet next week) .

OP posts:
littlemisswise · 05/09/2013 20:27

Most paint we used to use in Nursery came out with non-bio. Purple was the colour that was a PITA.

I think you need to look at how you are treating the stains before you wash the clothes.

MortifiedAdams · 05/09/2013 20:27

H&Ms summer dresses are 2.99. Binnable if needed at tjat price

breatheslowly · 05/09/2013 20:28

I've learnt not to send DD in clothes I care about to her current nursery. Her old nursery took great care of her clothes, but so much so that I doubt she really did much painting - more a carefully controlled splodge of paint and then off to do something less mucky. I am a bit sad about a few of her clothes that got ruined - but they did warn me. We have just stocked up on H&M basics for nursery. I am a bit sad that I can't indulge in my shopping habit for nice clothes for DD now as she doesn't need cute little outfits as much.

And I really don't think that you should consider it a 2.3 year old's fault for getting their clothes stained - I think she is way too young to look after her clothes.

forevergreek · 05/09/2013 20:28

Hot wash fixes stains. Need to do cold to start with

Happiestinwellybobs · 05/09/2013 20:34

If DD comes home covered in paint, I see it as she has had fun! Orange food stains always come out in the sunshine. I have nursery clothes, and non-nursery clothes. I fully expect DD to come home filthy, covered in paint, felt tip, dust, or whatever.

If your DD is 2.3, it's a bit odd to blame her. Honestly, you sound a bit precious.