Laundry - general mucky stains

My 3 kids all had white cotton blouses/shirts for high school with thin navy pin stripes so I couldn’t use bleach. They came home with all manner of stains - Vanish worked well for some, citric acid for others, isopropyl alcohol for some or amazingly oven cleaner for others.

Blood is another thing which can stain. Recently I have suffered lots of mozzie type bites - mostly on my arms and legs and I obviously must scratch them in my sleep and have had spots on the sheets. I find running them through a cold wash and then a normal hot one with soda added to the washing liquid gives a good result.

Rub ordinary household washing-up liquid onto the stains as soon as the child takes the clothes off

Fold the clothes up and leave them until the washing-up liquid is completely dry.

Then wash on the wash cycle you usually use with the same amount of laundry soap as usual.

If the stains have not been completely removed, repeat the process.

I have removed even the most obstinate of fruit stains in this manner.

Grass stains on DS's synthetic cricket whites and cotton top always used to have liberal puddles of Ariel rubbed into them and cool machine washed.

My daughter buys white polo shirts from Asda as they are guaranteed to stay white. I think drying clothes in a dryer as opposed to outside line drying can make some white clothes look quite pug.
I follow a tip given by an aunt to my mother on how to keep white socks or tights really white. Put socks in a bowl, put some blue washing powder such as Daz on top and then a kettle full of boiling water. Leave to soak for a few hours before washing in the normal way. No more grey socks.

By the time you've tried all these tips, you'll have worn holes in the clothes!

But at least the stains will have gone.

OK, a few good ideas on here. I feel as if I'm fighting a war against stains (and then I feel like an advert for saying it!).

Vanish plus bicarbonate of soda, spray on the vanish then rub in bicarb and leave for 5 /10 minutes,works for me.

i often treat it with products from behind too if it is food
that way the stain goes out the way it came from

Liquid glycerine may be the answer. Rub it into the stain, leave for 10 minutes and then wash as normal with liquid detergent. This works for grass stains and is recommended for all types of stains.

I sometimes find that using washing up liquid and treating front and reverse of stain at the same time works.

I’ve found it depends on the fabric. Pure cotton can be soaked in bleach, diluted and generally gets rid of stains on white clothes.

Mixes of polyester and cotton. Stains are more difficult and tea doesn’t seem to shift very easily.

Polyester only. I rarely buy this as it is so uncomfortable to wear.

All stains should be treated immediately they are made. DD has taken to re-dying coloured clothes because of fading after treatments.

My lovely DIL says they can’t get the children’s school polo shirts white but says “so what ?” Does it really matter ?!

I soak items, if necessary for a few hours in the powder Vanish then the washing machine with more Vanish and I also try to hang clothes outside because sunlight removes many stains. Curry is my nightmare.

" Transfer" should of course read "Gransnet"

Since reading about it on Transfer and discovering that you can get them in Germany, I have tried soda crystals. I only knew of them for de-staining a teapot before,which is what my mother used to do. I think she also used to boil hankies with them. But soda crystals really do get rid of even baked in tea stains on a teapot.

I followed the instructions on the packet which was to dissolve the crystals in very hot water and leave for 30 mins then soak the clothes overnight then wash. My first attempt was with very badly stained seat covers, and it worked wonders.

From what people have reported here on GN, soda crystals are brilliant for loads of things and even good for the washing machine. And cheaper than Vanish, and probably less detrimental to the environment, to boot.

What do their mums use to get rid of any stains?

Is it left to the grans to get the clothes clean?

I found when washing my GC clothes, the stains came out on GS white polos but not on GD white blouses. I tried vanish, washing up liquid and finally after a very hot wash, bleach to no avail. They are dusters now.

I find Tesco OxyPower stain remover spray very effective.
I also find it helps to wash particularly dirty clothes on a higher temperature than the care label says. I used to put my sons' white sports socks on a 90c wash as nothing else really worked.

Yes, Grandmafrench, and he looks adorable in it. Innocent. A terror underneath.

ElaineI

GagaJo what is a Kurta?

One of those lovely loose collarless tunics that men (and little boys too?) wear and which are just above knee length.

I have every type of Vanish. The powder, the gel, and the bar. I find the bar especially good for taking on holiday. If you wait until you get home the stain will have set. To be honest I should have bought shares in the company when I met my OH. My problem is a careless 75 year old not a child.
On whites I sometimes use bleach and sunshine is great for removing stains.
As for grass stains, alcohol works beautifully, the kind you buy at the pharmacy. Don’t do as my mother did with my tennis dress. My father caught her using his single malt whisky to get the green stain out as she had used up the surgical spirits on my tennis shorts. It was my first memory of my dad swearing.

GagaJo what is a Kurta?

DGS1 white school polo shirts are manky after a few weeks with mud, grass, paint, whatever else boys do to them in school. I don't remember actual blouses/shirts my DC had to wear being as bad. Probably be better for schools to have dark colours for polos! When I was at school the playground was hard tarmac or concrete. Didn't lend itself to rolling around or throwing yourself on it!

Lemon juice and leaving out in the sun sometimes works
My DC did that to their hair once when they were quite young.
It went a very peculiar colour, but yes, it was bleached.