[jo-v]

I've just been given a load of lovely second-hand clothes for DD (2). Included were a couple of beautifully white t-shirts and a couple of dresses, so white they look brand new. DD wore one dress yesterday and it is already STAINED BEYOND BELIEF.

I have washed it with regular powder with that vanish/napisan stuff added to the wash AND sprayed it with the vanish spray. Dried it outside in direct sunlight and you can still see all the stains.

How do other people keep kids clothes white? Are my kids just particularly feral??? I must admit I'm not particularly precious about clothes and yesterday involved chocolate icecream and playing in a very dirty woodchip covered park.... (in my defence we were meeting friends for lunch which was why she was wearing a nice dress, knew within 10 minutes it was a bad move).

What's the secret???? Do you keep kids locked in a clean room when they wear white clothes and not feed them all day?

[Leggy]

Mum used to boil our school socks (white socks, polished black shoes...you get the picture.)

You can also soak things in bleach, though this will yellow them over time. To combat that, look for blueing liquid/powder near the laundry detergents.

[niggles]

Wrong thread.


This post has been edited by niggles: 08/02/2013, 04:08 PM

[Bluenomi]

I leave them in the shop for other people to buy White clothes and kids are a complete disaster.

[LifesGood]

Watching this thread with interest...

I did have some success with white vinegar and a couple of badly yellowed swimsuits recently.

[~Supernova~]

Both my kids are beyond feral...

Every white load I throw in some oxyaction. For really filthy clothes I soak for up to a week, after spraying and scrubbing. DS had a white dress shirt he wore to a Christmas party that could no longer be identified as white...it came up absolutely spotless after I sprayed, rubbed in some oxyaction powder, scrubbed with my hands, then soaked for a week.

ETA after a long soak, I rub in some more powder, give another scrub, then wash. I've never had an issue.

My MIL uses some little yellow block that is supposedly great. Not sure what it is called, but I see it in Coles all the time in the laundry section.

This post has been edited by Mareek: 08/02/2013, 04:13 PM

[Belinda18]

Anything with stains on it gets soaked overnight in a bucket of Napisan (actually I use the Aldi brand one). Then I pour the whole bucket in the washing machine, including the water, and wash as normal. Most things get clean that way, occasionally a baby poo disaster will need to be done twice. I've even got set in stains out of second hand clothes this way.

[Beancat]

sometimes it can take a couple of washes. My routine, which seems to work for white and light clothes is

spray the affected area with stain remover and allow to sit for 5 mins

soak the garment for 12-24 hours in a bucket with nappy san

Wash on cotton wash, for my machine this takes 2 hours (front loader). Add some extra nappy san to the normal detergent, ie about half a cap

Only wash whites with whites

Line dry in the sun

I have found I get a much better result since having a front loader

[Flaxen]

My MIL uses some little yellow block that is supposedly great. Not sure what it is called, but I see it in Coles all the time in the laundry section.

I believe thats the sard wonder soap. I used to use that to get the stains out of my horses white tail.

I soak my DD's white clothes with napisan, in hot hot water, and sometimes repeat it, and usually that works fine, then i just throw it in the wash.

[B-B-M]

The only way i can keep white clothes white is to never EVER let the kids wear them! EVER! LOL

Once they (DD2 inparticular) dirties something white, it can not be saved. I don't buy white clothes anymore.

This post has been edited by B-B-M: 08/02/2013, 04:21 PM