White polo shirts - how to keep them white?

[confusedofengland]

Or is it mission impossible?

DS1 is the culprit, he is 6 & in year 1. 2 of his polo shirts (out of the 4 we have) seem to have become ingrained with an orange stain . I have no idea what it is. I have tried washing them in a white wash then drying outside (wintertime), applying liquid detergent to the stain before the wash, washing at hotter temperature, even soaking in a sink of diluted bleach. The stains are less but still there What have I missed? Or do I just need to give up & dye them a dark colour for recreational use?

While I'm about it - any tips for stopping a football-mad 6-year old from going through the knees of his school trousers? He has done 2 pairs already this year & a third are looking ropey. The pairs that have gone, I am going to ask my mother to turn into shorts, if it doesn't look too bad (stylewise, I mean). I've seen some in a shop with reinforced knees, but don't see how that helps as the reinforcement is on the inside, so they still look scruffy once they've gone through the top layer, iyswim.

Really hoping to pass as much as possible down to DS2 & 3, & in reception 95% of his clothes have survived to do this, but Year 1 is a completely different story

add some napisan in with the washing powder, soak with napisan before washing, wash at 60 degree white wash. Drying outside only works with blazing sunshine methinks.

To be honest if bleach hasn't worked on the stains I'd chuck and replace. Try an overnight hot soak in biotex or napisan, then hot wash with Daz and more booster, then leave on the line for 3 days. But every extra soak and wash costs money and in the end it might be cheaper to replace. How much time and effort is it worth for a £2.50 shirt anyway? Plus the 100% cotton ones make fabulous dusters!

I'm quite keen on sewing but similarly I think it's a false economy for me to spend evenings cutting down or patching trousers. School shorts are so cheap and last forever as the knees don't go and any length works. My time (and my mum's) is worth more than the tiny amount we'd otherwise spend replacing outgrown shorts. I'll do the occasional patch (taken from an old holey pair) but that's it. I find asda's or tesco adjustable waist trousers are fine and v cheap. I'm not normally one to throw away lightly, my DC had cloth nappies and I even make my own sanitary towels but even I draw the line at spending an evening of my life salvaging school trousers when new ones are about £3.

I use Dr Beckmann GloWhite plus vanish oxi direct on stains

could the orange be brick dust? Or soil in some areas is red? Or rust if he has found some old steel scaffolding to climb on? If you wash them in sink or bucket, you may see it collected at the bottom. Bleach will not touch any of them.

How long did you leave it outside drying for? DS has a tomato sauce stain on one of his polo shirts and it came out after being left outside on the line for a couple of days.

A couple of ideas to try, thanks. I think Piglet John may have hit the nail on the head with brick dust I've only been hanging outside for 8-12 hours, so will try a few days, it can't hurt at least.

My mother has offered to make shorts for me, I wouldn't ask her on my own. Unfortunately, for us, budget is a big consideration, £10+ on school trousers & polo shirts would add an extra 30%ish to our weekly shop.

Napisan is good along with drying in sunlight. Wash with biological powder on a v hot wash,I suspect 30/40 won't shift it.

I chuck a Milton tablet in a rinse hold cycle for a few hours- works a treat on ingrained socks!

try bluing agent if it gets a little yellow