By Tatiana
Let’s face it, kids are very-very messy. And as much as we love dressing them up in cute girl outfits, we worry that beautiful – and often pricey – boutique girls clothing can get ruined in the matter of minutes. There’s not much we can do about our kids just being kids. But there are a few tricks that can help you remove unwanted stains off your baby’s clothes. Just be sure to check laundering instructions before treating the stain. If the item is dry-cleaning only, take it to the nearest dry-cleaning service as soon as possible and let them deal with the stain.

Grass.  Grass stains are very difficult to remove because they are caused by the mixture of organic matter which binds very closely with the natural fibers of a garment. To remove a grass stain, first pre-treat the stain with a mixture of warm water and rubbing alcohol or water and vinegar (just not fruit vinegar). You can also pre-treat with a stain remover or a detergent that contains enzymes. Thoroughly scrub the stain, let it sit for 10-15 minutes and then wash in hot water (use the hottest temperature that is safe for the fabric) with enzyme-containing detergent and bleach, if possible.

Ketchup or Mustard.  This one is also a toughy and a very common one. To get rid of a ketchup or mustard stain, first, scrub off excess ketchup/mustard with a spoon or dull knife. Then, rinse the stain thoroughly with cold water and sponge with mild detergent. You can also use a stain remover. Repeat the process of sponging and rinsing with cold water until the stain is no longer visible. For especially tough stains, try sponging with bleach, if it’s safe for the fabric.

Blood. It’s bad enough when your munchkin gets a boo-boo, especially when blood is involved. It’s even worse when, on top of that, a cute toddler or baby outfit gets ruined. First run cold water through the garment or let it soak in cold water if the stain is dry. Put a pinch of salt on the stained area, fold the fabric so that salt stays inside and rub, rub, rub. Rinse again with cold water and sponge the stain with detergent containing enzymes. If the stain still doesn’t come off easily, try pouring ammonia straight on the stain. It won’t damage most fabrics like detergent does and won’t fade the colors (unless the dye in the fabric is not permanent). Check first if ammonia is safe for your fabric.

Stay tuned! In my next post I will be talking about removing stains from Face Paint, Baby Food and Poop :).

Share your own tricks and suggestions in the Comments section!