Can you tell me how to get stains out of baby clothes? I have some I want to donate to the local women’s shelter. They don’t rewash donations so I want to make sure everything’s perfect.
Nancy Brashears, New Mexico
Sure, I can tell you how to get stains out of baby clothes. Before you begin, check their labels to see if there any special care instructions on how to wash baby clothes. You probably already know that the best detergents for baby clothes are those without artificial fragrances and dyes that can irritate their sensitive skin.
Meanwhile, your best friend in the fight against stains is an enzyme cleaner. Enzyme cleaners like Shout or Spray’n’Wash remove food and body fluid stains efficiently. These include spit-up and breast milk.
But you don’t always need commercial products to solve the problem. You can remove fruit juice spots with vinegar. Treat the material with one part white vinegar to two parts water and let it work for ten minutes before you launder it. Vinegar works well for all kinds of stains. Clean tie dye from clothes or hair dye from carpeting with a vinegar solution and maybe some salt.
If all else fails, you can always try bleach on white garments but use it sparingly and rinse very well before washing.
For poop stains, try Oxi-Clean. You may find that it works a little better than an enzyme cleaner.
But no matter what stain remover you use, be sure to wash the clothes afterward with baby detergent and rinse them well. If you don’t have a fragrance-free detergent to use, run the garments through the rinse cycle twice.
On ourpost about best baby laundry detergents, you’ll find descriptions of detergent brands that are best for baby clothing. For example, companies like Seventh Generation make laundry soap that’s safe for sensitive skin. Some of them include enzyme cleaners so that you don’t need a separate product.