Can I send my child into school in stained clothes?

[PaintedDress]

So daughter has come home from school in paint stained clothes. Again. They have to wear white tops for PE. And have to wear PE kit all day on PE day (twice a week). The problem is, I’m spending a stupid amount of money on white tops, and they get stained the first time she wears them, every time! I don’t know what paint they use, but I’ve tried everything from vanish to bleach. I’ve even asked mam and MIL and they can’t get them clean either. The marks fade, but it’s white so it’s still obvious! So a really quick check, what does everyone else do?

YANBU- as long as it’s clean, send her in with the clothes stained with paint or mud
YABU- bin the tops and buy new ones every time they get unfixable

Yes to all the above advice, also a top tip for getting school paint out of clothes - cold water. Orange is the worst colour to remove but soaking in cold water tends to remove it. I speak an ex nursery nurse and mum and child minder.
Good luck

OP, I have this problem (not with children but with DH white work shirts) and I just bleach them which gets rid of the most stubborn of stains on whites

Every now and again our head teacher reminds parents that school uniform is exactly that - a uniform that is designed to allow the children to do the things they need to do in a way that is comfortable and practical. And as such, it is far better for their school uniform to be stained with paint or grass stains (or toothpaste eyes DD sideways) or whatever than for their regular clothes.

Every single item of my child's school uniform is stained. Every one. Don't worry about it, all the kids will be the same.

I regularly do this, have one particular white shirt which has some lovely blue boobs

what is that bloody paint?? the nursery my DD goes to uses it and most of her clothes are ruined with it but she has set nursery clothes and a cheap coat to go in as I cannot for the life of me, get that paint out!!

DS1 has dyspraxia. Y6 and still covered in whiteboard pen. Plus he likes to doodle on himself...

He puts secret smiley faces on his legs so he can peep at them under his shorts

My child stained her PE top last year within the first few weeks of being at school. It was yellow and full of mud stains. She wore it for the whole year. Had the logo on and was expensive!

I hang the white school polo shirts in the sun and it fades most stains to what I consider an acceptable level. I haven’t had to throw out anything.

Even with aprons, 4 year olds get paint on their hands and wipe them under the apron, they drip it down their sleeves, they put the brush under their apron, they put the apron on inside out. It's no guarantee they don't get paint on their clothes.

I was fed up with my daughter coming home covered in black felt tip (board marker) on her white polo shirts.

I started putting her in black polo shirts!

The whole point of primary uniform is that it is comfy and practical and children are able to play and learn freely without pressure to keep fancy home clothes clean.

My son after school club ruined his uniform that he only worn for 3 weeks, I mentioned it and apparently fairy liquid directly onto the paint don't wash it first and don't dilute it either leave it soaking then a good scrub and normal wash and black paint came out of his white polo top. Hope it helps.

I'm the same but it's food stains... Nightmare

I don't know what paint they use in schools, but it definitely isn't a washable one!
My daughters jumper has a stain on it that won't come out. She still wears it and her brother will wear it when he starts in September. We'll see how long her new one lasts then...

I send mine in in stained white PE shirts twice a week. They always have tomato based pasta on PE day for lunch and seem to have Art and activities with a board pen on the other. They all have sauce stains, pen, paint on them. I can't afford to replace them constantly. I usually buy a new 2 pack half way through the year but they only stay nice for a week or two.

She also manages to rip a hole in the knee of every pair of joggers she has for PE. I fix them every week or two, but by the time she is home she's pulled the hole in them again. I've given up now and her teacher agrees with me, it's a pointless task fixing it all the time and every pair has a hole!

Why don't schools cover them up anymore , i remember having to take one of my dads old tops in fir painting days

@worriedatthistime

Why don't schools cover them up anymore , i remember having to take one of my dads old tops in fir painting days

OP says that they do cover up with aprons. But let's face it, a reception-age child is going to manage to get paint anywhere, apron or not. We wore our dads' old shirts for painting too when I was a kid but I strongly suspect I still managed to get paint on me. It soaks through!

DD has to wear a specific top with the school logo and her house colours for PE. They cost a fortune. Hers has black/grey stains from goodness knows what but who can afford another one?!

@glasslightly it has what? 😂

@BogRollBOGOF mine does that! She doodles all over her arms 🤦🏼‍♀️

I remember my DDs crisp white shirts were battleship grey and covered with ink stains by the end of the first time. As long as they are washed regularly, it’s fine. It’s expensive and environmentally unfriendly to replace because of a few stains.

I think it depends. If it's a small paint mark I'll put them on them again. Bigger stains I would throw out if I can't get the stain out. I hate them looking scruffy for school but I get that you can't just throw stuff out after one use. I buy the cheaper packs of polo tops from the supermarket rather than the school branded for this reason.

I've found washing them on a 90 degree cycle is the only way to keep them white and does get out the majority of stains.

YANBU
DD's school only sent PE bag home every half term. At least your DC's gets washed every time