How to remove stains from children’s clothes

Every mother knows that a child, whether small or older, is always subject to situations that make clothes dirty and stained. But the smudges on the countless clothes caused by accidents or pranks at the time of eating need not be a reason for a fight, as many are possible to be removed.

Stains on children’s clothes only become a true laundry nightmare if inappropriate cleaning products are used or items are mixed together that cause a reaction and prevent the stain from detaching from the fabric weave.

To find out which cleaning products and other ingredients can help to remove stains, our grandmothers used imagination, logical reasoning and even a little knowledge of basic chemistry, but they also took risks and made a lot of mistakes to create the established methods. . Get to know the formulas and procedures for washing clothes that worked through some very common examples of stains:

Stains from play

Gram

Clothes stained with the chlorophyll blue whiting from park grass or plants in general can be removed with a little rubbing alcohol. If the stain still persists, the solution is to wash it off with an oxygen-based bleach.

Mud

Playing in the dirt has always been healthy and the usual mud can be easily removed from children’s clothes, especially if they are dry. So, no drama, to remove the stain, let the mud dry and brush the fabric to remove the residue. It is then important to apply a powdered soap paste or, in case of persistent stains, to soak the garment in an oxygen-based bleach. The last step is to wash normally by hand or in the washing machine.

A tip: if the color of the fabric is light and the clothes are delicate, a good alternative is to wash the clothes with cold water and then water mixed with vinegar.

Grease

Children who play in the garage at home or enjoy repairing bicycles often give their mothers “gifts” of stains such as grease. To solve the challenge, the fabric must be wetted and given a solvent such as acetone over the stain. After that it is only necessary to wash with white soap and plenty of water.

water based inks

If your child likes to play painter, immediately rinse his paint-stained clothes with warm water and wash thoroughly. However, if the paint has already dried on the clothes, consider the piece as a work of art, as the stain will not come out.

Pen ink

To remove pen scratches from the clothes of little writers, the trick is to soak the clothes in soapy water and then repeatedly apply a mixture of milk and vinegar, rubbing it over the stain.

Dirt accumulated in socks

Sock stains are not the privilege of naughty children, after all, the sock getting dirty with time is natural, but many mothers claim that children’s socks are the worst in this aspect. To remove the accumulated dirt, the recipe is simple: boil the socks together with a slice of lemon.

Sweat

T-shirt collars and the under-sleeve area, also subject to deodorant stains, are the places most affected by playful children’s sweat stains. To remove these yellowish smudges, washing the fabric only with water, rubbing soap with a stone on the yellowish stain and leaving it in the sun for a few hours before rinsing usually solves the case.

food stains

ice cream or chocolate

Clothes stained with ice cream or chocolate should not go directly into the washing machine, but rather have the stain removed by hand with warm water and a stain remover.

If the stain does not disappear completely, the garment must be washed again, this time in the washing machine, with a suitable bleach for the type and color of the fabric.

In the case of white clothes, it is possible to successfully remove the stain by passing 10 volumes of hydrogen peroxide over it.

Ketchup

Clothes with ketchup stains should be soaked for 30 minutes in the following mixture: cold water, 1/2 teaspoon of neutral liquid dishwashing detergent and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar.

After 30 minutes, the clothes should be rinsed, and if the stain does not come off, apply a pre-wash stain remover or a powdered soap and water paste, then wash with warm water and let it dry in the shade.

For persistent ketchup stains, soaking the garment in an enzyme product for at least an hour and then washing it in warm water is another good alternative. Some common mistakes when trying to remove this type of stain are using hot water, drying in hot air or ironing clothes that are stained or have residues.

Fruit juices

Certain fruit juices leave stains present on fabrics. If the juice stain is recent, putting salt directly on it and then stretching the piece and pouring a mixture of a glass of boiling water with a tablespoon of alcohol or ammonia may be the solution. In the case of dry or older stains, moisten the stained area with white vinegar, let it act for a few minutes, and then wash the piece with plenty of water.

Tomato Sauce

Staining a garment with tomato sauce may seem like a disaster, but the recipe for removing this stain is quite simple: Soak the garment immediately and apply cornstarch to the spot. Wait for it to dry, remove the corn starch with the help of a brush and wash the piece normally by hand or in the washing machine.

Powdered milk

To remove powdered milk stains, the secret is to leave oxygen-based products on it for 30 minutes before washing. If the stain is old, soak the garment in this product for a few hours before washing.

Gum

The big problem with gum stains is caused by the fact that some of these goodies are pretty sticky. To solve the case, the ideal is to wrap an ice cube in plastic and pass it on the place where the gum is stuck, as this will harden it, making it less adherent to the fabric weft and easier to remove.

Fat

Greasy stains such as oil from fried snacks can be removed with white soap or colorless detergent with cold water. However, the formula only works on recent stains.

Whatever stain your child has left on clothes, there is always a solution. Regarding food stains, nutritionist Isabella Peixoto says: “Smearing oneself is a way of demonstrating that eating is a pleasure for children. Ensuring the happiness and health of the child when eating is more important than being annoyed with stains on clothes.”

In addition, the children’s learning process involves making some “mistakes” in relation to the maintenance of clothes, so the psychopedagogue Lúcíola Agostini advises not to stress about children’s dirt. “Before questioning the puppy’s filthy uniform on leaving school, find out about the day’s play or activity. Praise the artistic production before and guide the care with the clothing after.”, gives the tip to the pedagogue who works at the Apprendere Espaço Psicopedagógico.