How to Get Stains Out of Baby Clothes

With ten children, we have had boatloads of stained baby clothes over the years. I had to just throw them out until I discovered the following method for getting the stains out of our laundry. It's perfect for formula and baby food stains as well as classic yellow and brown stains of a more ominous nature.

Things You'll Need

• Pail or bucket large enough for stained items
• Hot tap water
• Clorox 2
• Cascade Automatic Dishwasher Detergent

Instructions

1. Pour 1 cup of powdered Clorox 2 (I've never tried liquid) and 1 cup of Cascade dishwashing detergent into a pail, bucket or other container large enough for the stained item. Add the hottest tap water you can get. (I usually boil water in a teapot, pour that in, then finish filling with HOT tap water.) Stir until Clorox 2 and Cascade seem to be dissolved. (I never seem to get it all dissolved.)

2. 

   Add the item and soak anywhere from a couple of hours to overnight.

3. 

   Wring out the item and launder as usual.

   Although this method seems unorthodox, I've used this method many, many times on a variety of different fabrics and have never been disappointed. The stains have been removed more than 75% of the time. If you receive free items or are able to purchase baby clothes for ten cents a piece but they are stained, this could be your way to rescue them! I learned of this method from class book by the queen of frugal, Amy Dacyczyn's Tightwad Gazette.

4. 

   If the stain remains, try covering the stain. You could make coordinating iron-on patches for the stains. Add them other places as well so that it looks like a design element. Or you could apply appliqués. Another alternative is to tie-dye it. Cloth diapers are especially funky tie-dyed.

Tips & Warnings

• This method should be used as a last resort because there is a very slight risk of ruining the clothes due to the dishwashing detergent.