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Since having a baby, there is never a shortage of clothing stains in our hamper. However, with the increased laundry workload, we’ve also come up with a few tips and tricks to make removing those stains easier. Following are some ideas for how to effectively remove stains from your baby’s clothing.

For formula stains: We keep a plastic bucket of water with a little detergent in it (we use Tide Free, but any gentle laundry detergent should do the trick) near the diaper changing station. All messy clothes go directly into this pre-wash tub as soon as possible, and can sit for several days before being laundered. Then when we do a load of laundry, we just toss in the pre-wash items and wash on cold water.

If you wish to treat formula stains on clothing, use unseasoned meat tenderizer (a white powder – do not use the seasoned variety). First, spread a small amount of detergent on the stain, then sprinkle meat tenderizer on top and rub gently with an old toothbrush, making a paste. For an extra-tough stain, let it sit for a few minutes to soak in. Then toss into the wash immediately.

For food and formula stains: Baking soda and vinegar work well together to remove most non-greasy food stains. First, wet the stain, then rub in baking soda and pour vinegar on top. The concoction will fizz up; when it settles down, scrub the area with an old toothbrush and throw it into the wash.

For poo stains: For white clothing and cloth diapers, let nature’s stain removal power do the work for you. Simply take the stained item, wash as usual in the washing machine with cold water (pre-treat the stain with a little detergent first) and hang whites outside in the sun to dry. The sun will bleach out the stain (or any other stains that might have set in the fabric), leaving clothes and diapers sparkly white. Bleaching white fabrics in the sunshine is also an effective way to remove tomato-based stains as well, such as spaghetti sauce and salsa.

When nothing else works, commercial stain removers can be beneficial as well – try spraying or squirting some Shout or Spray and Wash on the stain, allow to sit for a few minutes, and throw in the washing machine.

It is important to note that any stain should always be treated prior to washing. Wash stained articles in cold water (warm water will set the stain), then check the fabric after washing to see if the stain has disappeared. If it hasn’t, treat it again – don’t dry clothing or it will set the stain and it will be difficult or impossible to remove.

What tips or tricks have you learned for removing baby stains?

Tags: home remedy stain removal, laundry tips, pre-treat, removing stains