How To Treat The Worst Of Stains That Babies Can Leave Behind

Babies are adorable, but they are also extremely messy. Poop stains, milk stains, and spit up can all leave a messy impact on their clothing, and, as you've probably discovered, a simple wash cycle isn't enough to get the stains out. Fortunately, you don't have to throw out that cute bodysuit just yet, as the following stain removal methods will get rid of some of the most common messes babies make. With relatively everyday household ingredients like Oxiclean and lemon juice, your baby's clothes will be back to new in no time.

Of course, some items are completely beyond help (a poop explosion will do that). However, many messes that look bad can be salvaged with just a bit of grit and determination (as well as cleaning products), meaning you don't have to waste the clothing items you've bought and may even be able to sell them when your baby outgrows them. Here's exactly how to wave goodbye to those pesky stubborn stains that are par for the course with young ones.

The first cleaning method is for one of the most common messes babies make — poop stains. It's no secret that babies go to the toilet a lot, but the next time you're faced with an overflow diaper situation, reach for staple cleaning product Oxiclean. By treating the mark with Oxiclean before you put the vest or bodysuit in the wash, you'll be getting out the worst of it so the item can be cleaned properly on a wash cycle. Before you pre-treat it, though, you'll need to get rid of any overflow with baby wipes so the stain remover can work properly. If the stain is especially bad, add a scoop of bleach or hydrogen peroxide to the wash in addition to the above method.

Spit up ruined a brand new top? Don't worry, as it's probably salvageable. Simply squeeze some lemon juice over the stain and hang the item out to dry on a sunny day. However, we don't recommend using this method on darker items, as lemon juice is acidic and could cause color to fade. If the mark is on a darker piece, add some baking soda to a clean damp cloth instead and dab at the stain before putting it in the wash as usual.

Whether they're from breastfeeding or your baby coughing some up, milk stains can also be a major annoyance. Though milk is a white/off-white shade, the marks often come up yellowish due to the proteins in breast milk. If the stain is fresh, put the item in cold (never hot) water and leave for approximately 20 minutes. Then, grab a stain remover and let it sit for as long as the instructions say before putting the item on a cold wash. Once washed, put outside to dry in the sunshine, as this will fade any remaining mark even more.

If you're dealing with a stain that has been there a while, you should follow the above steps with one exception — scraping off the crust before beginning to soak and pre-treat. Just like with other messes, removing the worst of the stain manually will give you much better results. Now you know how to remove these everyday marks, you'll be able to wash and reuse items more efficiently.