From
spit up to spinach, there’s nothing less attractive than when your baby
sports a sweater with a yellow stain running down her side. While
stains from food and bodily fluids can be stubborn, they are not
impossible to remove.
Here are 5 tips for removing stubborn stains from your baby’s clothes:
1. Use an enzyme detergent to remove protein based stains.
By breaking down the proteins found in food, formula, and bodily fluids
such as vomit and diarrhea, enzyme based detergents are powerful stain
busters. Detergents like Wisk or Era Plus are formulated to eat away at
protein based stains and can restore fabrics to their prior stain-free
conditions.
2. Use cornstarch to remove oil and grease stains.
By absorbing the oils left from diaper cream, petroleum jelly, or baby
oil, cornstarch or talcum powder may lift off the stain. Apply
cornstarch to the affected area and let it sit on the stain for about 20
minutes. Scrape off the cornstarch before laundering.
3. Use a paste made of club soda and baking powder.
For stubborn, set-in stains, make a paste of club soda and baking
powder. Put it on the stain and let it sit for a half hour before
scraping it off and laundering as usual. You may need to use a gentle
bristled brush to work out the stain.
4. Make a Biz bin. Combine ¼ cup
Biz Stain fighter, ¼ cup clear liquid dish soap, and 1 ½ gallons of
boiling water. Soak your item until the stain is removed and launder as
usual. If the water gets dirty, drain and repeat before laundering.
5. Pre-treat fruit, veggie, and berry stains with a solution of rubbing alcohol and water. After
washing your baby’s clothing item in cold water, apply an equal
solution of rubbing alcohol and water to the stain. If the stain does
not come out, treat with a product such as Shout or Spray ‘n’ Wash.
As a general rule, always rinse off any solids and soak fresh stains
in cold water prior to treating. This alone is often enough to lift a
fresh stain or prevent it from setting. Before treating the stained spot
it is a good idea to test treat the item of clothing. Pick a hidden
spot, perhaps on the inside of a seam, to test your stain solution to
ensure the material can handle the stain treatment you plan on using.
You’ll also always want to be sure to check to see if the stain was
removed prior to putting your child’s clothing item into the dryer.
Putting your baby’s clothes into the dryer before the stain is fully
removed can cause it to set and make it more difficult to remove.
Since baby skin can be super sensitive, you’ll want to be sure to
thoroughly rinse any baby clothing that has been treated for stains and
launder all of those items in the detergent you typically launder it in
prior to her wearing.
While trying all different combinations of products can be tempting
to remove tough stains, don’t combine chlorine bleach with ammonia or
vinegar. Doing so can be a toxic combination.
P.S. This post was proposed to me for publication by Roxanne Porter. I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and
under her permission. See also the link below fore more information:
http://www.nannyjobs.org/blog/5-tips-for-getting-stains-out-of-baby-clothes/
