How to Remove Clay Stains

Organized sports are one of the most enjoyable activities to watch and play in America today. If you don't play a sport, chances are your kids do. Baseball is one of the most popular sports for kids to play, but it comes with one major inconvenience for the parents; clay stains on white baseball pants. Stains on white pants and other clothing items are removable, however, with a few short steps.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Baking soda Water OxiClean Shout or Spray 'n' Wash Washing machine Bath tub or sink Laundry detergent

1. Presoak the item in the bath tub or sink in hot water with 1/4 cup of baking soda for ten minutes. The hot water will open the fibers of the clothing and help the baking soda sink into the stains.

2. Remove the clothing from the water and ring it out slightly. You still want it to be nice and wet, don't give the stains a chance to dry in. You'll need to be especially careful with baseball pants, as the material they are made of dries faster because it is lightweight.

3. Spray all the stained area with Shout or Spray 'n' Wash and rub the fabric together to work in the stain remover. Be sure it's thoroughly worked in before proceeding. Stain removal products will not work if they don't sink into the stains.

4. Mix the baking soda and water until it forms a thick paste. Exact amounts are hard to say, so you'll have to experiment with it a little to get the right consistency. You want more of a paste than a liquid, so go easy on the water at first.

5. Rub paste into the stained areas over the Shout and rub the fabric together as before, making sure to again work it in thoroughly. Let the paste sit on the fabric for ten minutes. Be sure not to let the item get dry during this period. Moisten the area if needed to keep this from happening.

6. Run hot water in the washing machine on a small load. Add your regular laundry detergent and the recommended amount of OxiClean for a small load. Add clothing and allow it to soak for fifteen minutes after letting the washing machine fill up, but before it starts its wash cycle.

7. Let the washing machine run through its cycles. Remove the items from the wash and inspect it to see if the stains were removed. If the stains remain, be sure not to let the items dry.

8. Repeat the wash and soak cycle if the stains did not come out, making sure not to let the item(s) dry between treatments so the stains do not set in the drying process.

Tips & Warnings

• For even more washing power, try adding more baking soda to the washing machine along with the laundry detergent and OxiClean.
• Some washing machines do not stop when the lid is open. Be careful to keep hands and fingers away if this is the case.

References

• Thrifty Fun