I CANNOT get his shirts clean. Already!

[Soonish]

I've just washed some of ds1's school shirts twice using persil and using a prewash the second time.

Zilch effect, the collars and cuffs are filthy and there are random grass stains too.

These are brand new, super ultra non iron ones from M&S that he has probably worn about 3 days each.

He's just started secondary and I am almost in tears of despair. I can't afford to keep replacing them every few weeks.

What do I DO?

I don't replace until worn out or grown out of. I wash them frequently, but the stains just stay.

Let him wear them.

I do find that shaking anything stained in vanish in cold water gets most things out but it has to be done straight away before it is washed.

Say that you will buy him five new shirts but that from then on he has to buy the new ones from his pocket money. There is no reason for him to be covered in grass unless he's messing around. Buy cheaper shirts (ASDA) even if they are a little harder to iron. Also, teach him to iron. He's big enough, I promise. :)

maybe try rubbing the vanish soap bar over the collar, cuffs and any stains before washing with bio powder with some vanish oxi action powder for whites added too.

I got dd and ds short sleeved shirts so they dont get dirty cuffs.

2 scoops Tesco Biological POWDER, 1 scoop Biotex POWDER and boil wash them bustuds.

Leave them grubby, nothing of DD1's hasn't got acrylic paint on it, no one cares.

www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=267519813 - this is the soap bar. It is much better than the sprays.

Washing up liquid rubbed into stains is also effective

My son gets dirty playing football/basketball/whatever at break. I think that is a good thing. Not messing around.

I think a bar of green soap is more effective than any of the stain removers on the market. And I wash a LOT of cricket whites. I wet the grass stains and rub with the bar of green soap, leave for a few minutes and then wash with biological stuff.

My major problem is how to get the sweat smell out of DS2's rugby skins. Last time I green-soaped the armpits and washed 3 times - still smell like a tom cat's weed on them.

And - your ds really doesn't have to go to school in pristine white shirts. Take a close look at some of the other boys - bet they're wearing shirts in the same state!

Vanish and a boil wash with biological powder. That was the only thing I found that worked on DH's grubby work shirts!

a capful of zoflora disinfectant in the fabric softener bit of the washing machine helps with sweat smells.

Can you still get swarfega these days? That shifted everything.

I wash mine on a 60 cotton wash with a scoop of vanish. No grass stains and he's not that grubby around the collars and cuffs yet. I would pre treat the stains and grime with one of those spray stain removers or a bar of vanish

And dry outside if possible.

And only wear a shirt for one day!

That pink super gold gel stuff on collars and cuffs. Bio washing powder (harsh if his skin can take it) oxi action stuff and a bag of glow white in each wash. New shirt every day, wearing twice grinds the dirt in. Wash only 1/2 a load at once. This works for me but it's labour intensive and I'm not sure it's any cheaper than buying from asda and replacing every few weeks!

Gosh thank you so much everyone. I didn't expect so many answers.

He has eczema and so does the baby so I am reluctant to use bio if I can manage without it. I have got spray vanish, which I tried on some make up that got on his shirt when he was in a school play and that didn't work sadly so I am a bit off vanish.

Saying that it may be excellent on actual dirt so I will try it. What are these other things - green soap and pink/gold stuff?

I am relieved that other children also wear stained clothes - thank you for that - it makes me feel slightly less like I'm going to be judged harshly.

I enjoy laundry but I have very little time with three children and a house to fully renovate, and it all gets bunged in together usually. Couldn't believe the state of the shirts today though, it was like they had not actually been washed!

I did them on 40. Not sure how hot you can go with the non iron sort. I have an iron somewhere but zero time and ds with an iron might as well put us on a hotline to A&E.

is it liquid or powder? Powders have bleaches which could help with restoring whiteness.

Always do whites separately on their own wash too so they dont pick up colours from other clothes.

I think the pink/gold stuff is another vanish product

green soap is a household soap used for clothes, much like the vanish bar soap

www.vanish.co.uk/products/vanish-gold-oxi-action/vanish-gold-oxi-action-gel - gold gel stuff (have never used it - probably get as good results with washing up liquid!)

Soak over night in cold water and bio powder. Rub soap into particular stains (eg collars, cuffs ). Wash with normal powder plus a dollop of Ace bleach and a stain catcher sheet in the drum.

Ideally , dry outside in the sun ( less of an option now...)

Don't worry. My DC's shirts are always covered in random grass stains, indelible paint and grime round the collars too. I take the view that if they've been washed, that's good enough.

If he's at secondary school, presumably most of the shirt is covered by a blazer anyway? Or by a jumper when the weather turns colder?

If they are white then bleach them.

Best Buy from Which .....Ariel Actilift.

I soak grubby school shirts in water, fairy powder and napisan. Then wash with normal detergent and another scoop of napisan, It works a treat.
Napisan also takes sweat smells out of sports kits when used in the main wash.

You need bio, for eczema sufferers you can simply rinse cycle them again (it is what I do)

If shirts are white (my DSs are)i even occassionally soak them in water with some neat bleach before washing them !