What do you do with stained clothes?

[StoneTheFlamingCrows]

Dd loves, pasta and won't wear a bib (3yo).

Consequently just about every lighter item of her clothing has orange stains down the front and nothing gets them out. It is such a shame to throw away otherwise perfect clothes.

Advice anyone? I use non-bio as we both have sensitive skin and eczema.

The latest one is she has got pizza sauce down the front of her very expensive summer dress for her pre-school, despite them making the children wear aprons to eat lunch!

Wear them around the house. Pop a stained top on her before eating to minimise how many clothes get the tomato pasta sauce carnage look.

I have used Ecover stain remover and the one in the pink bottle.

Dry them in the window. Sun bleaches tomato out brilliantly.

X post. Send her in with the stained dress if need be. She's 3. It doesn't matter.

Sunshine is the best stain remover for tomatoey stains. Not sure if it would help previously washed and dried stains though.

But in the future - wash as normal then hang out in the sun.

Yup, get 'em hung on the line on a sunny day, or in a sunny window. The stains will be bleached out in a couple of hours.

Soak it in Napisan overnight, then wash it with non bio. Then you get all the stain fighting of bio and any possible irritation will wash out

Hang stained washing outside to dry. The UV light will bleach it out. Wet the stain again with plain tap water if item dries without bleaching. In winter dry items in window area as even through glass it will bleach though more slowly.

I use Lakeland's white wonder cleaning cream - dampen fabric and rub some on the stain until the worst is gone, then throw straight in the washing machine (or soak in napisan until the next wash load goes on).
If that doesn't shift it, hang in the sun as RoganJosh said.

Finola - I did said her in with it on today! I'll be buggered if I'm buying another one!

Thanks for the sun tip. Not much of it about today unfortunately, but I will try it!

I take 3yo DTs clothes off before they eat if it has staining capability, bibs are pointless as they drag their sleeves through everything too.

Mine mostly ate naked in the summer, saves much hassle.

use old muslins and say they're a grown-ups' napkin for eating posh meals -- we did this esp with tomato soup which stains like a devil.

wash them in bio with a scoop of vanish in and then add an extra rinse to the programme

Doesn't have to be sunny. Just daylight. Works indoors through glass too.

spray the stained area with a little white vinegar, leave for a few mins then soak in cold water. Then wash as usual - and yes sunshine is the finishing agent for me too.

Don't use any fabric conditioner on the item until the stain is out as this seems to set it in for good.

If the item is just white it's a whole lot easier - then you can just soak in a bit of milton/water before washing.

Agree doesn't need to be actual sun, just chuck them outside. Still works in winter, though can take a couple of days

There's a Stain Devil specially for tomatoey sauces, which seems to work really well.

Two days in the window does it every time here.

my mil is great with washing clothes. The other day my kids had been to camp and their clothes were stained and smelly! I asked her what was best to get the stains out. Her reply was to get some Aldi liquid wash detergent and put it on neat give it a rub and get it straight in the wash. I have done this now with multiple stained items and they come up really well and that was also washed at 30. Grass stains came out after being in for a few days. Can I add that both my mil twins and hubby suffer with eczema and they haven't had a reaction yet. could be worth a try.

why on earth has a pre-school got an expensive summer dress?? cant they just wear a t shirt?

You can use some lemon juice to reduce the stain. I used this before and it works for me. Just soak the stained part of the dress/clothes in warm water with some lemon juice. Lemon is natural bleach so I think it will work as bleach on dresses.

Will these tips work on blood too?

I wish I could get away with a bin for my messy 15yo whose school shirts have got pasta sauce stains on ??