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Stains are a huge pain for any parent! You find the cutest little tops, and then your children [seemingly on purpose] cover them in the messiest things they can find!
So, as a mother, I decided to make a list! I concentrated on the 5 types of stains or the places where stains affected me the most.
1. Grass Stains
2. Cuts and Grazes
3. Ink Stains
4. Out of the house
5. At the Restaurant
My name is Beatrice and I live in Chelsea, London with my husband, Charles, and two kids Ethan and Oliver. I wake in the morning, dress the boys in their adorable little twill shirts, then hurry them out the door to their various activities.
I can honestly say I have finally accepted that boys will be boys, but as a mother, I just wish their charming little outfits would last longer than an afternoon in the park!
If they weren't dirting their shirts by playing games, they would be spilling the jam from their scones or the juice from their cups. I just couldn't win!
To save the fortune I was spending each month [to replace their wardrobes], I turned to family and friends to create a list of super-hacks!
I have highlighted numbers 4 and 5 as these were the ones I found the most useful, but have a quick read-through and let me know in the comments if you have any more ideas, I would love to read them and test them all out!
Photo Credit: Insider
Having two young sons, I seem to find grass stains everywhere! I also quickly realised that a standard cycle just didn't have the muscle to take on these dastardly, chino-hating foes... However, my quest did turn up a rather unlikely hero, toothpaste!
This little hack is courtesy of my mother. Simply apply a pea-sized amount of plain white toothpaste to a patch and start scrubbing! Just to note, on more than one occasion, she did reiterate to use the paste variety and not a gel. Else, there is a chance of discolouration - I feel she may have made that mistake before!
And there you have it, stain-free! Also, on a quick side note, I found this method really effective for pens, markers, and ink spots too!
Photo Credit: Insider
Having two young sons, I seem to find grass stains everywhere! I also quickly realised that a standard cycle just didn't have the muscle to take on these dastardly, chino-hating foes... However, my quest did turn up a rather unlikely hero, toothpaste!
This little hack is courtesy of my mother. Simply apply a pea-sized amount of plain white toothpaste to a patch and start scrubbing! Just to note, on more than one occasion, she did reiterate to use the paste variety and not a gel. Else, there is a chance of discolouration - I feel she may have made that mistake before!
And there you have it, stain-free! Also, on a quick side note, I found this method really effective for pens, markers, and ink spots too!
Nothing quite compares to the heart-stopping, immobilising panic that rushes through you the moment you hear your baby cry out in pain. No matter how much we try (and believe me, I've tried) to wrap them in cotton wool; bumps, scrapes, and learning they aren't invincible are all unfortunate by-products of growing up.
Of course, cleaning stains out of clothes isn't the first thing on your mind when you hear your baby cry! However, once you have finally calmed down, remembered a grazed knee isn't life-threatening, and realise that your once unconsolable munchkin is now happily watching cartoons, you can try a few of these little hacks below!
If you don't have any antiseptic solution, a clear fizzy pop like lemonade (7-up for my American friends) works well too! If the stain persists, try soaking overnight. In all instances, tend the injured child first!
Photo Credit: Family Education
Nothing quite compares to the heart-stopping, immobilising panic that rushes through you the moment you hear your baby cry out in pain. No matter how much we try (and believe me, I've tried) to wrap them in cotton wool; bumps, scrapes, and learning they aren't invincible are all unfortunate by-products of growing up.
Of course, cleaning stains out of clothes isn't the first thing on your mind when you hear your baby cry! However, once you have finally calmed down, remembered a grazed knee isn't life-threatening, and realise that your once unconsolable munchkin is now happily watching cartoons, you can try a few of these little hacks below!
If you don't have any antiseptic solution, a clear fizzy pop like lemonade (7-up for my American friends) works well too! If the stain persists, try soaking overnight. In all instances, tend the injured child first!
No matter the colouring books, my little Picasso's most inspiring canvas was always themselves... I LOVE to encourage creativity, but leaving them alone with felt pens was where the [metaphorical] line was firmly drawn!
Thankfully, my boys are a little older now and have grown out of this phase! But still, I hope passing on these little nuggets of wisdom help save other adorable little outfits :)
Now, I had answers from nearly everyone I spoke to, all of which were completely different and worked to varying degrees. I'd suggest buying water-soluble felt tip markers that are chemical-free (Crayola being my preferred choice). BUT, if you are faced with the daunting task of a pen covered polo, here are the best solutions I found:
These were the two most effective ways I found. However, I received a lot of feedback on this, I'm sure there are more out there!
Photo Credit: Mom
No matter the colouring books, my little Picasso's most inspiring canvas was always themselves... I LOVE to encourage creativity, but leaving them alone with felt pens was where the [metaphorical] line was firmly drawn!
Thankfully, my boys are a little older now and have grown out of this phase! But still, I hope passing on these little nuggets of wisdom help save other adorable little outfits :)
Now, I had answers from nearly everyone I spoke to, all of which were completely different and worked to varying degrees. I'd suggest buying water-soluble felt tip markers that are chemical-free (Crayola being my preferred choice). BUT, if you are faced with the daunting task of a pen covered polo, here are the best solutions I found:
These were the two most effective ways I found. However, I received a lot of feedback on this, I'm sure there are more out there!
OK, so this the BIG ONE (and I assume the reason why you started reading my list in the first place!). At home it's easy, I have wardrobes full of clothes and cleaning materials everywhere, but on-the-go stains are the hardest and [ultimately] the answer I REALLY wanted to know.
The problem was simple; I can't walk around with suitcases of spare clothes, stained t-shirts during dinner look positively awful, and wet patches where I've managed to half-clean them just don't look presentable. I was really hoping there was a quick fix-all solution...
If you are out in public, but NOT in a restaurant:
Photo Credit: Good Housekeeping
OK, so this the BIG ONE (and I assume the reason why you started reading my list in the first place!). At home it's easy, I have wardrobes full of clothes and cleaning materials everywhere, but on-the-go stains are the hardest and [ultimately] the answer I REALLY wanted to know.
The problem was simple; I can't walk around with suitcases of spare clothes, stained t-shirts during dinner look positively awful, and wet patches where I've managed to half-clean them just don't look presentable. I was really hoping there was a quick fix-all solution...
If you are out in public, but NOT in a restaurant:
If you are out in public and in a restaurant:
Photo Credit: Parents
If you are out in public and in a restaurant:
Granted, none of the above really solves the issue of trying to keep two boys clean! Primarily; if it spills, don't scrub, just keep dabbing or blotting a well-soaked area, and where possible, apply room-temperature sparkling or soda water. The use of acidic citrus fruits (like lemon) is also a great stand-in cleaner when there are none at hand!
The alternative route is to change the actual clothes themselves. Essentially, wearing them for both style and function. A quick Google returns a big list of stain-proof clothing for adults and kids. From what I can find, it seems to be mainly used as a spray-on option for outdoor or extreme sporting equipment (similar to Gore-Tex) like walking boots, raincoats, or even spacesuits!
However, clothing brands do look like they are starting to take an interest. In the US, a company called, The Good Day Lab is making stain-proof clothing just for kids. Their stain-repellent is actually part of their shirt, if anything spills, it just bounces off. Once you've worn it, it just goes straight in the wash like a normal tee! It's great to see technology finally catching up with function. Instead of fixing it after, just prevent it!
If you have any other ideas of how to remove any pesky stains OR if you've tried any stain-proof clothing, I'd love to hear from you and get some feedback!
Stay safe, thank you for reading, and I look forward to reading all your cleaning tips in the comments!
"This shirt is magic."
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