How to get stains out of kids clothes?!

[lolapierce]

Hello all, i have a 3yo and as you know clothes get grubby. I've noticed some marks or stains just don't come out even if you wash them twice is there anything else i can do to get them out?!

I haven't found anything that really does the trick, including all the Vanish products. There was an Arial product which was close but it has now been discontinued which is a shame.

If the stains are greasy, rub in some neat washing up liquid before washing. That usually gets them out.

Vanish is fairly good, but you need to use the stick version & rub it in well before washing.

If you can, hang laundry out in the sunshine - sunlight is brilliant on stains.

I've not found anything that works in wash. I sort stained clothes into a separate bag in the washing basket and tackle them all together, pre wash, with the vanish bar (like a bar of soap). So I wet/soak the stain with cold water, rub well with the vanish "bar of soap" and leave for a few mins before slinging in the wash. If it's a proper stain (blood, raspberries, paint etc) I will give it a few repeats of the above to ensure its pretty much gone pre washing

I usually just chuck a bit of each type of Stain Devil that I have in my arsenal on the stains (irrespective of what the stain actually is) put some pink vanish in the soap dispenser, do a prewash and press the "stains" option on the washing machine (no idea what this does, if anything). Seems to do the trick, though I don't know if it's one thing getting the stains out or the combination effect.

For example the 4 year old had a nice white and navy striped top on the other day while eating a plate of pasta and tomato sauce. It got put in the normal wash and when it came out I noticed it was covered in small orange blotches and spots. I did a stain special wash as above tonight, with other kids grass stained cricket kit and clothes they'd trashed in the garden having a water fight, covered in mud. All has come out pristine, several hours and units of electricity later of course, but you have to suffer for clean children's clothes I find.

I use old fashioned laundry soap and a bit of elbow grease! Also, wash as hot as the clothes can stand, as low temperatures and some laundry detergents / powders just don't cut it at low temperatures and need the heat!

Im sick fed up of wasting money on vanish etc. The only thing that works in my opinion is good old sun. Make sure the stain is soaking wet and peg on the line facing the sun.

Have you tried spraying the clothes with Mr Muscle stain remover. A couple of sprays on the clothes before putting them in the wash should give it that extra push it needs to get rid of the stains.

I'm with the others on laundry soap. 2 bars for £1 in Wilko's. Run the stain under a warm tab, run the soap on and then give it a scrub - either rub together or use a very soft nail brush. Make sure you use a good powder detergent and use full cycles, not quick wash.

I think it's so easy to fall into the trap of throwing your clothes into the washing machine on a quick wash and expecting everything to be clean. My Mum had a twin tub washer when I was little and it was hard work pretreating, soaking, scrubbing etc but she never once found a stain that she couldn't get rid of

I like the vanish bar and a good soak. Biological stains do better with lukewarm water, not hot.

Also don't buy white clothes!

Sodium percarbonate. It's the active ingredient in vanish - and acts as an eco oxygen bleach. Can buy it in huge bags via eBay or there's a range called violets that has it. Can also use to descale kettles, washing machine etc.

Tomato based stains will come out after a day on the washing line. Even if it's a bit cloudy, the UV will do its magic!

Suncream stains - rub with lemon juice, it's amazing. Then dry in the sun and wash as normal. Repeat a few times and job done.

Oil stains rub talc in before washing. It works a dream!

Anything else I rub with vanish pre-wash stick, the bright pink one with knobbly end to rub hard in the stain (sorry there was no good way to word that). If it doesn't remove the stain I then soak in napisan overnight. I've been using napisan for years even though I never used reusable nappies! Figured it would be gentle enough on the skin if it was used on nappy cloth for delicate babies bottoms. It really is amazing.