School dress ruined at school!

[DianaMitford]

As the title says. New dress, bought at the beginning of the summer term. 9yo DD, doing art today and black ink has soaked through her apron onto her dress. I washed it immediately she came home with Vanish and it's faded but it's ruined. I mean, she can still wear it but it's got black ink all down the front

My dilemma is that a new dress is £40 and there are no secondhand ones. Do I say anything to the school?? If so, what?!

Antibacterial gel is good for loosening ink stains.

Why don't you get a cheap dress from a supermarket?

Unless it's a private school, I don't think primary schools can make you buy specific uniform.

Aaaargh, don't get me started! My DD's school's dresses cost even more - more like £48 (yes, a private school). Definitely send her to school in the stained dress and explain why it's stained (they didn't care to ensure it stayed clean while your DD was in their care) and why you won't replace it (because £40 for a school dress is just an insane amount of money).

Send her with a plastic apron next time.
My youngest son hardly ever wears his apron for art and the teacher doesn't enforce it.
I'm so exasperated with paint stains I told him to take his shirt off for art. He said "don't be silly mum, I'd get expelled"

Op I'm surprised there isn't a second hand outlet for your school uniform. Sometimes a mum will run one on a casual basis.

Yes it's an independent school - no option but to buy the specified dress from their on-site shop. That's why she only has one!!!! It's compulsory too so no option for winter uniform.

DD is upset at the thought of wearing a stained dress. She would be wearing the same design dress for the next two years in the summer term.

Thanks for all the replies - I do like the apron idea

Do people really think that every school has a dress that can be bought at a supermarket?
Do people really think that if a £3 dress from Tescos was an option that the OP would be spending £48?

Get her a dress a size up for next year?

£40 sounds very expensive- I'd be surprised if there's not a market in second hand uniform if there's no option to buy a cheaper dress.

I'd be sending her in the stained dress too, and explain it's stained because the aprons they provided aren't fit for purpose.

There is a brand called StainDevils and they do an ink remover. Might be worth trying?

people who live in the real world yes

£40 for a school dress, absolutely obscene.

Apron is school issue, yes, so no idea what it actually looks like.

The shop does sell secondhand but there's hardly ever any stuff donated and all the dresses were taken before the beginning of term.

Someone in the school will have an outgrown one they would give/sell you maybe. At drop off/home time bring it up in chat with other parents and see what happens.
Even expensive prepreps have second hand uniform sales, run by parents maybe all schools should. Some schools also sell off lost property, a friend with boys at a prestigious school used to stock up on towels!

Thank you Lost.

Soup - LOL

If lots of parents insisted that a cheaper school dress was sourced then the school would have to do that. If they accept it then unfortunately that is what they are going to have to spend when it gets ruined.

Soak it in hairspray and blot.

OP sorry, cross post. With dresses that expensive I can see why the 2nd hand ones soon get sold!

Soak the stain in milk that usually gets rid of ink.

Could you get her a bigger size one and she just wears it massive but at least no ink stain this year, and next year it'll fit.

I would not hesitate for one second to send my dd to school in a stained dress for the last 6 weeks of term.

I don't think the school would ever contemplate sourcing cheaper uniform. More's the pity!

I suspect I'll just have to suck it up

The stain Devils are very good. I've also had success with the vanish in the squeezy bottle, although if it's indelible ink you're probably stuffed, sorry.

Staindevils do an ink remover if they are still going.

Otherwise I'd soak it in washing soda or something and run it through the washing machine several times with loads of detergent/washing soda. No need to dry between washes. Hanging in the sun might help shift the last remains, possibly.

If you have an old dress that's too small or can cut some material from the hem, you could try sewing a patch over the stain? You'd have to be quite good with a needle though..

rubbing alcohol might loosen up the stain. worth a try if it's ruined anyway.

I thought of StainDevils too. In the meantime, I'd try milk or hairspray. What kind of ink was it?