Mystery Stains on White Polo Shirts

[NotQuiteCockney]

Ok, DS1's polo shirts have stains on them. They're white cotton shirts, the stains are probably food. (Not blood, and they don't look like paint.)

How do I get them off? I've already washed them at 40, with normal detergent etc.

bleach?

oxyclean?

I think if it something from food, you might be able to bleach it with sunlight.

They say not to bleach ... but I could try.

Um ... so how do you bleach things? I normally just use bleach to not make the plughole smell so bad ... (where's that "raised by wolves" emoticon?)

Look on the bottle, it will tell you what amount you put into what amount of water. Only add the clothes when you have diluted the bleach.

If they are grease marks, make a bubbly mixture of washing up liquid and water (just a drop of w/up liquid) and pour over the marks before you wash. Up it to a 60 degree wash and should work.

I have similar probs with DS and DD's but at least they are blue. White is a nightmare to keep white isn't it.

I would try sun before regular bleach.

could be glue, that goes into a funny looking stain on white shirts
never managed to get it out

Or if it's a small area you could dab a cotton bud in some normal household bleach and dab it over the stain. I do this all the time with stains on white clothes and it works. Just depends if it's a really valuable/delicate/expensive garment as to how rough you want to treat it.

Thanks guys, lots of ideas to try here.

I had same issue with white polo shirts - and in a thread where i was questioning the purpose of "pre-wash", someone suggested a 90 deg wash for them.

My dial has 95 not 90 but is for white cotton. So this weekend the white 100% cotton polo shirts went in a 95 deg wash (but mini-load and quick-wash to hopefully minimise the environmental impact) - and they came out sparkly! (and didn't shrink).

These say they should only be washed at 40. I guess I will try higher temperatures if they don't clear up soon. Gah.

Why why why do schools insist on white polo shirts for uniform? Drives me mad.

DS's school has a sand pit and a pirate ship in a large sandy area and the sand stains like you wouldn't believe. And I can't get paint and felt pen marks out.

I have tried:

Bleaching - both soaking and washing in machine with bleach.
Soaking overnight with Vanish oxyaction
Washing with glowhite stuff.

DH reckons that it would be cheaper to just keep buying new ones every so often with the amount I spend on cleaning stuff and electricity etc!

But - will try washing at a higher temp and see if that works.

The really annoying thing is that DS's school have polo shirts with a school crest on and those shirst seem to absorb stains. I refuse to buy them! Thankfully I am friendly with the head and have pointed out that we will talk again in a few months when her little one starts school!

Have upu beem using suncream? That can leave yellow stains (as I discovered on hols in Australia where I ruined half my sons white T-shirts) Really hard to get out, but vanish oxy action white stuff worked best, and change brand of suncream (kids coloured spray stuff seems the worst)

Oh yes - I forgot the suncream stains. Have those as well.

No sunscreen ([bad mum emoticon]). Hmmm, I will keep trying. He's generally pretty scruffy, but big spots seem a bit much ...

Try washing at 60 with a biological detergent. My son has sensitive skin but he does not seem to be affected by this.