Can’t get rid of a single stain?!

[Shleepymummy]

I have 2 pre school children and mess ends up on clothes- mud, food.
Every single item of clothes recently appears to be permanently stained and I can’t work out what I’m doing wrong.
For obvious stains I wash the clothes instantly or as quick as I can (as soon as I get home if out). I’m using stain remover spray, Persil brand ‘tough on stains’ detergent and 40 degree wash. And yet stains aren’t coming out- little faded yes but not out out.
Today for example, my daughter got some chocolate flake/sauce on her pink tshirt. Was just two small drops. Son got vanilla ice cream on white tshirt- left yellow circles. As soon as I got home I pre-treated stain, and washed clothes in machine. Just taken them out and the marks are still there. Surely it can’t be that the second something is on clothing- it’s ruined. I use bibs at home but I can’t believe I have to put a bib on my child whilst at an ice cream van?!
Am I missing something- doing something wrong?
Thanks

I agree with washing out the stains asap. I often find that putting a clean cloth under the stain, wetting a cloth and rubbing it in basic bar soap ( not dove or other cleansing products that happen to be in a bar but proper soap) then rubbing that on stain will work well. Then rinse with cool water and repeat until stain seems removed, then put in normal wash.

Otherwise you can get the individual Dr Beckman's stain removers ( different types for different stains) can be helpful.

Always dry clothes outside in sunshine when you can as sunlight will fade lots of stains also.

40 degree wash

THIS is what you are doing wrong.

Always, always, wash a stain out with cold water to start with. Lots of common things (mud, tomato, blood, milk, etc.) will set as a stain into the fabric if you wash them with warm/hot water.

Are you using washing liquid/caps or bio washing powder?

How long are the washing cycles on your machine?

I feel your pain. I don’t know what do they do in a nursery, but I feel the clothes are just getting ruined with the different type of stains. I tried Napisan, Vanish spray, Ace for white, Ace for colours, Scrub Daddy stain remover, Vanish soap bar. Honestly some stains are so stubborn that you can see the fabric colour starting to fade away, however the stains are still there! I quite like Vanish soap bar. Usually I just hope the stains will just wash off in a normal washing cycle (I use Ariel Pods) and sometimes they do but not always. I recently started using Vanish soap bar on washed clothes with stubborn stains and it works most of the time, but some fabrics are terrible for stains. I started thinking maybe there is an issue with the fabric itself rather than the stains. I don’t know…

If they are stains from organic things - food, blood etc, then hydrogen peroxide works like a dream.

I have definitely found this to be true.

This.
And dry wet garments in full sunlight
The sun is great for lifting stains.

I use fairy liquid, blob it on, few drop of water, rub fabric together, bung it in the washer on a cool wash. Works 99% of the time.

i recall the vanish bar soap they sell at poundland quite good wet scrub with bar before washing

I find hanging clothes outside in sunlight removes a lot of stains.

I just changed my washing machine as it wasn’t economical to repair , and the new energy efficient replacement doesn’t wash out stains nearly so well .

Washing liquid, in a ball in the drum. And cycle depends, an hour or 30/45 min if small load that isn’t hugely soiled.

Absolutely COLD water and vanish soap bar, rinse thoroughly then wash with stain remover.

Agree with others, pre treat with cold water and bar soap or washing up liquid, then cook wash (I do 20° for most things) Even better if you can leave it to soak overnight before washing

My adult son (living with us at the moment) works in a pub kitchen, wearing chef's whites. They get covered in food stains.
I tried Vanish Oxi, but it wasn't doing the job.
He said that one of his colleagues had recommended Napisan, so I tried it.

I use it only on the white jackets, soaking them for a morning in a bucket of hot water, then wash on the cotton programme for decent agitation.
That gets the food stains out (drying in the sun.)

I find the same OP, but with my clothes. I wash in cold water, dry everything outside, use spray on stain removers or washing soap, powder detergent and yet there is often still a very faint stain left on the garment. It drives me mad! I do sometimes resort to soaking overnight in Napisan or similar, but it shouldn't be necessary.

I find Shout to be a very good stain remover - always works even if stains haven’t been treated straight away.

I have this too. Fuck knows what DD gets on her clothes to cause these permanent stains....her rainbows t-shirt has 4 brown marks on it that will not budge. Her school dress, strange pale yellow splodge....can't shift it... And now a random black mark on her pale blue leggings that will never go

Maximum washing is 30°

Rub washing up liquid into the stain
Wash with bio powder
Liquids and pods don't contain bleaches and don't clean as well as powders.

Do you rub the stain remover in or just spray it on? I find rubbing it in (I use the spray nozzle) makes a big difference as it loosens the stain before washing. I also like Shout

I've done this for my difficult stains...they remain

.

When mine were little they wore a lot of dark colours.

If they had pastel stuff, I bought it from supermarkets so it didn't really matter.

I don't find that warm washes are a problem for stains, I think they get stains out better than cold water.

I would assume quick washes would not be as good as they aren't designed for a full load. And if you are doing small loads, the clothes won't agitate against each other very much.

What's curious though is that OP says "recently" - so something has changed.

Have you got a new washing machine or changed washing behaviour?

Is it possible the washing machine is getting all gunked up e.g. with limescale and/or soap scum? A cleaning cycle might refresh it and then it might work better again.

SMOL stain remover is brilliant.