Babies are adorable, but they produce an amazing amount of dirty laundry from the very first day they arrive. Here's a how-to guide to get the baby stains out.
If there is any remnants of what has stained your baby's clothes, you'll want to scrape it off before you begin treating it for the laundry.
Then, soak the newly stained item in cool water as this can help to loosen the stain.
Next, depending on the type of stain, you'll want to treat it in different ways.
For protein stains, including formula, breast milk, most food stains, leaky diapers and spit up, you'll need a small amount of an enzyme cleaner, such as Wisk or Era Plus, and a soft-bristled brush.
The enzyme cleaner will digest the protein of the stain. If there is any remaining stain on your baby's clothes, treat with an all-purpose stain remover, such as Shout or Spray N Wash, and then launder in the regular cycle.
Oily or greasy stains, including baby oils, creams, and petroleum jellies, require cornstarch or talcum powder to absorb the oil.
After 15-20 minutes, scrap off the powder and apply a combination pre-treater and toss it in with your families laundry.
Fruits, veggies, jams, juices and berries are a little more challenging, but they too can be conquered.
To pre-treat, create a vinegar solution which is one part vinegar and two parts water and apply it to the stain with an eyedropper. Let it sit for 10 minutes and then apply a combination solvent and wash in your regular cycle.
Now, if your baby really loves berries, I have a reader that strongly recommends Shaklee's Laundry Detergent. She says that it does wonders for her baby girl's stained laundry and when she uses it, she doesn't need an additional pre-treatment. Sounds like a win-win to me!
Remember, before throwing those freshly washed baby clothes in the dryer, check them over carefully for remnants of the stain. Once they've gone through the dry cycle, the stain is that much harder to get out.
If the pesky stain persists, do another round of pre-treatment and was again.
Got a favorite baby stain removal tip? Share it in the baby clothes forum!
