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

In my grandsons school my daughter got reported and had a home visit because grandson age 9/10 was turning up in what they claimed were "dirty clothing" you could smell that they were clean but still got a "warning chat"

Of course you can, OP! I used to send my DS in with holes in his school shoes for the 2nd half of the summer term, as I wouldn't fork out for new that late in the school year.

Do you have an old denim shirt? That will help repel paint. Oversized one is best, sometimes get them in charity shops if you don’t have one.
And don’t bin the white shirts, very eco-unfriendly and expensive.

I work in a special needs school if it's obviously just paint/ food colouring we couldn't care less. But if they are smelly or look unwashed we might be concerned.

We started getting "washable" paint. It was no better. I used it a couple of times for hand painting and me and the children basically were smurfs for the rest of the day.

My year 4 DS uses little handheld white boards with a black marker pen in class. No idea why the teacher thought it was a good idea. All of his white shirts are covered in black blobs, dots and lines where he or another kid has drawn on him. I refuse to buy new shirts as I’d literally be buying a new set every week.

If my child’s school shirts needed to be spotless then I’d have to buy new ones every week! My youngest m seems to attract dirt and he gets absolutely covered in paint, flour, food, mud etc I just try to get the stains out as much as possible, as long as they are clean then I don’t see the issue.

@Spottybutterfly the clothes are obviously clean and smell lovely (she’s had compliments from the teacher about how nice she smells!) because I use scent boosters. It’s just the marks, they get washed after every use :)

@Xpologog

Do you have an old denim shirt? That will help repel paint. Oversized one is best, sometimes get them in charity shops if you don’t have one. And don’t bin the white shirts, very eco-unfriendly and expensive.

If the OP's child isn't managing to avoid getting paint on her with the school aprons right there in the classroom, somehow I don't think she's going to remember to ask to go and get a denim shirt from her bag and put in on and take it off again without getting paint everywhere!

My DS is in reception. I was advised by friends with older kids to keep 1 jumper for school photo days/important assemblies. His other 2 jumpers are covered in whiteboard marker, front, back and sleeves. It fades but never comes out. I gave up very quickly worrying about the state of his clothes.

A bar of Olive oil soap is a must have when you have a school child in the house. It goes a long way and is marvelous at getting a lot of paint and pen marks out of light coloured tops.
I saw some bars in Lidl I think(might have been Aldi) a week or so ago but I have seen them around other shops - or ask around friends who have been to Greece. They are often brought back a souvenirs.

@incognitoforthisone but an apron only covers a little , mine never got paint on them regularly at school as they had large apron that fully covered , only time my son did his teacher came out apologised and offered to wash his top or buy him another as another child had splashed paint on him, apparently he also got the headmaster ( all accidentally) obviously I told her not to be so silly and if it never washed out I would bin as first time it had happened
Now shoes being kicked out thats another story

@Titterofwit ooh thanks, I think the Body Shop sells olive soap?

You need to soak paint stains in cold water then wash.

@PaintedDress

Thanks everyone! She’s in reception and she’s my oldest so I wasn’t sure if I’d make her look awful sending her in, but that seems to be the consensus! She says they do wear aprons, but she seems to just be talented in covering herself! It’s also mud from outside, but that’s slightly easier to get out!

Suggest they use old shirts.

Far more use (and cheaper) than aprons

You can't keep buying new tops. You know they are clean and that's what matters. As you say, the stains fade eventually. Try carpet stain remover - eg Dr Beckman's with the brush applicator on the bottle. Anything is worth a try. Also Barkeepers Friend - white powder. Sprinkle on the stain, add water and rub it in between finger and thumb and leave for a while before rinsing.

this gets everything whitewww.wilko.com/ace-for-whites-1-litre/p/0480339?gclid=Cj0KCQjwz7uRBhDRARIsAFqjullxt0H9xX7eono2WAUlPIR8OkxzO6YI3-hIgu48AnEBeydlNkyou6MaAsybEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Have you tried soaking them overnight in napisan? That's my go to.

The only thing I've not been able to get out with it is bubble mix stains.

Does she not wear a jacket? when Dd was in primary she’s just moved up they wore white T-shirt’s but with navy joggers and zip up jackets, with a jacket shouldn’t get too stained .
My DD never got a stained T-shirt even once in all her primary school life however I had two boys who were magnets for paint mud and white board markers even in y11 my eldest still had stained shirts
Send her in them she’s clean school won’t even think twice

Our school changed their uniform policy to navy blue polo shirts for exactly this reason!

I have no idea what the gravy they served at DSs Primary school was made of but nothing shifted it.
There was no way I was replacing perfectly good logoed, clean but with a few marks on tops on a weekly basis
Nobody ever commented- or if they did I never heard it so didn’t care

Mine had white PE T-shirts until this year when they brought in a red logo one instead so I feel your pain. I always got them one pack each in September, if they ruined all of them then so be it because I refused to buy more. Always done the same with gloves too, they get one pack each in the Autumn and if they lose them all they have to deal with cold hands.

I used to rub all stains with washing up liquid and soak overnight in cold water and Milton if particularly bad. I found that removed most stains to an acceptable level. Warm water can set a lot of stains .

@Beastieboys

In my grandsons school my daughter got reported and had a home visit because grandson age 9/10 was turning up in what they claimed were "dirty clothing" you could smell that they were clean but still got a "warning chat"

This is appalling!

Some at our (private prep!) school have holes in their knees, ripped school coats etc and no one ever says anything. The children still look pretty smart. I must admit, I’ve darned the odd hole before. It would take something really bad as in - huge rips or a whole pot of paint down the front - to make me throw out an item of school uniform.
At the second hand sale a few weeks a go I saw a Dad I know laughing at the state of some of the jumpers, some of which really looked 10th hand, but low and behold their child wearing the “new” completely faded jumper then next day.

Paint/whiteboard pen stains gained in school are fine. Bloodstains and general grubbiness not so much.

Also, have a word with the school. There is no reason why they can't use paint that doesn't stain!