Getting the stains out...

[Mynyel]

How?

 

I have red clay dirt and I can't keep anything clean for long. It all ends up getting reddish. Then if it gets on the clothing directly it is impossible to get out.

 

So all you savvy stain busting, clean laundry supermoms what is the secret to getting the stains out of your laundry?

 

I need to get these out...

 

Red Clay Dirt (numero uno there!)

Grease spots (from cooking....always forget an apron)

Grass

Spaghetti Sauce

Various other stain causing substances

 

I have tried...

 

Vinegar

Shout

Soap Soaking

Hot Water

Scrubbing

 

 

 

Please??? Any ideas?

 

Oh and I can't use bleach... it effects ds2's skin.

[fairfarmhand]

I have yet to find anything that gets out the red dirt around here. The grease....try drizzling dawn dish detergent on it and see what happens.

[Mynyel]

A grease fighting dish soap, oxyclean, bleach on whites, fels naptha soap and borax.

 

OxyClean that was another one I have tried...didn't do a thing.

 

I can't use bleach, it bothers my ds2's skin.

 

I make my own laundry detergent so Fels Naptha and Borax (as well as washing soda) are already in the mix!

 

Red Clay is evil to clothing! :)

[MaMa2005]

I make my own laundry detergent, too, so Fels Naptha rules in this house. For clay and other tough stains, I made a bottle of 1/2 bar of grated Fels-Naptha to 2.5 cups water. Heated it to melt the soap and then used little blender to really get it mixed well. (It is pretty thick.) I pour this mixture on the stains and let it soak for a while before washing. So far, it has gotten out all the stains that my DS has brought home :) . For even tougher stains, add a little Dawn to the stain, too.

[SapphireStitch]

For grease, grass, and spaghetti sauce I use Stain Stick. The kind I buy used to be made by Spray and Wash, but I think it shows the brand as "Resolve" now. I apply it liberally and make sure the clothes sit for a day or so before washing in the hottest water possible with plenty of detergent.

 

For red clay...ugh. We moved to NC 16 years ago and after the first summer I stopped buying anything pastel or white for DD unless she was only going to wear it indoors.

 

All of DS's play clothes are dark colors so they don't show the dirt stains. For a while he was going through a camo phase; that worked out particularly well! I've still had to demote a couple of pairs of light khaki dress pants to play clothes because if there's a patch of mud to be found between church and the car, he will find it and it will leap onto his pants! :)