Most early parenting is catering to the sensitivities of your babies. Their skin is fragile, and without proper care, they can get irritated or fall sick. The clothes babies wear is integral to maintaining these sensitivities, hence, getting soft fabrics that won’t damage their skin.
However, babies also stain their clothes a lot. Various stains from food, drinks, urine, etc., can cover a baby in no time. You should learn to remove these stains without damaging the clothes or affecting the baby’s sensitivities.
It may seem strenuous, but it’s not.
Steps to Remove Stains from Baby Clothes
It is vital to address stains the instant they happen to prevent setting, which will make them harder to remove.
There are basic steps to follow when removing stains from baby clothes regardless of the medium and stain removal agent you utilize. These steps should be your template, but you can choose to improvise.
Step One: Remove Excess Stains from Baby Clothes
Baby stains vary between food stains, milk stains, poo stains, sick stains, and oil stains.
When babies stain themselves, you’re too busy trying to remove the stains and dirt from their bodies to prevent infections that you might neglect the initial stain treatment.
Use a paper towel or baby wipes to remove as much of the stains as you can without spreading them to other parts of the clothes.
For oily stains, pour a sufficient amount of baking soda and baby powder on the clothes and leave it to absorb for an hour before brushing off the powder.
Step Two: Rinse the Baby Clothes
Separate the clothes according to their color and fabric type, and if necessary, according to the stain type.
Rinse the clothes under cold running water to remove more of the stains. Soak the clothes with tough stains in a bowl of cold water for 30 to 40 minutes and rinse some more.
If you’re not ready to wash the clothes at that moment, leave the clothes soaked in the cold water to prevent the stains from setting; they are much harder to remove.
Step Three: Treat the Stains on Baby Clothes
This step will determine if you will end this process with stain-free clothes. There are so many stain removal agents – some of which I will list in this article – that remove stains from clothes.
However, you should be selective when picking the stain removers, as some can negatively affect the baby’s skin. Carefully read the warning and direction label on the pack of any stain remover you choose.
The stains might require multiple treatments before they leave the clothes, but it is better than buying new ones every time.
Step Four: Wash the Baby Clothes
Like any cloth, there are procedures to follow when washing baby clothes; most of them depend on the clothes’ care label.
Always ensure your laundry detergent is baby-safe to avoid infections and irritations.
Follow proper sanitization and disinfecting methods. Disinfecting the clothes will ensure no contaminants transfer when the baby eventually wears the clean clothes.
Step Five: Dry the Baby Clothes
Remove the clothes from the washer the instant the wash cycle ends because leaving wet clothes for too long can cause problems.
Check for any remnant stains on the clothes and repeat the process if you find them. DO not dry the clothes when there are still stains; they will be harder to remove.
The first option for drying baby clothes should be air-drying. Air-drying will prevent additional tension on the fragile baby clothes. It will remove any remnant stains and help disinfect the clothes further with the help of the sun.
If you insist on tumble drying, do so with low heat or the air-fluff setting.
5 Stain Removal Items for Treating Baby Clothes
These items will remove stains from baby clothes without negatively affecting the baby.
Oxygen Bleach
Oxygen bleach will remove the stains from the clothes without changing the color or depositing harmful residue.
This method is better for dry stains or if you are not ready to wash the clothes. Before proceeding with the treatment, perform a patch test on your baby’s clothes to see how they will react to the oxygen bleach.
Procedure:
- Fil a bowl with cold water or the water temperature indicated on the care label.
- Pour the recommended amount of oxygen bleach into the water.
- Submerge the baby clothes into the water and leave them to soak for an hour or overnight – based on your preference.
- Rinse the clothes with cold water and check for any more stains.
- Proceed with the washing.
Mild Baby Detergent
Baby detergents are mild detergents suitable for washing baby clothes. The liquid form of these detergents will be effective as a stain remover.
Procedure:
- Lay the clothes flat on a surface for proper visibility.
- Wet your baby clothes with cold water.
- Pour liquid detergent on the stain and gently scrub it with a soft brush or white cloth as the soap suds form.
- Leave the treatment to soak for 20 to 25 minutes.
- When the soaking time elapses, rinse the clothes with cold water till there are no more soap suds.
- Repeat this process if there are still stains on the clothes.
- Proceed with the washing.
Baby Stain Remover
There are many available stain removers, but only a handful are suitable for baby clothes. Research thoroughly before you settle on anyone, and when you do, carry out a patch test before proceeding.
Procedure:
- Lay the clothes flat on a surface for proper visibility.
- Wet your baby clothes with cold water.
- Pour the recommended amount of stain remover on the baby clothes and gently scrub with a soft brush or white cloth.
- Leave the treatment to soak for 20 to 25 minutes.
- When the soaking time elapses, rinse the clothes with cold water till there are no more soap suds.
- Repeat this process if there are still stains on the clothes.
- Proceed with the washing.
White Vinegar
White vinegar is a powerful non-toxic stain remover, deodorizer, and degreaser. It is especially suitable for removing set stains from your baby’s clothes because it can remove tough stains from clothes.
Perform a patch test on the clothes, and don’t worry about the smell; it washes away in the washer.
Procedure:
- Lay the clothes flat on a surface for proper visibility.
- Pour one cup of vinegar and one cup of water into a bowl and mix.
- Pour the vinegar mixture on the stains and leave the treatment to soak for 30 minutes.
- When the soaking time elapses, thoroughly rinse the clothes with cold water.
- Repeat this process if there are still stains on the clothes.
- Proceed with the washing.
Lemon Oil
Lemon might be a fruit capable of causing stains, but if used correctly, it can be an effective stain remover and clothes brightener. Because lemon oil can brighten the color of clothes, this process is only suitable for white baby clothes.
Mix lemon oil with an abrasive cleaning agent like baking soda to increase the stain-removing power.
Procedure:
- Lay the clothes flat on a surface for proper visibility.
- Pour two tablespoons of lemon oil and a ¼ cup of baking soda into a bowl and mix to form a paste.
- Cover the stains with the paste and leave the treatment to sit for an hour. Leave the treatment longer, depending on your preference.
- Afterward, rinse the clothes thoroughly with cold water to remove the paste.
- Repeat the process if there are still stains on the clothes.
- Proceed with the washing.