Laundry - general mucky stains

You just don’t put a little boy in white or embroidered whatever they are’s little boys and some little girls just attract dirt

Mostly we don't. But he has some smart clothes. He'll have a white shirt for school soon. Got to be able to get them clean!

I find damping well and rubbing with a bar of white soap better than any sprays or other vanish-type products. They may still sell laundry soap bars, eg Sunlight.
Then wash in the machine as usual.

Or soak in diluted white vinegar, apparently (I never tried that)

At least it won't cost much if it doesn't work.

I remember the grass stains on school shirts the knees of school trousers - and the holes. Apparently caused by playing goalie.

Vanish works wonders

Another vote for Vanish. I soak things for a few hours then wash, it’s done the trick so far, including a white table cloth decorated with every foodstuff imaginable and a generous amount of escaped wine.

Vanish doesn't seem to get rid of tea stains though.

I find washing up liquid gets rid of most stains - I put some on wet white shirt collars, use an old toothbrush to gently rub in and leave for ten minutes then wash as normal. Do the same on most greasy stains.

Soaking in soda crystals may also work. I've found that works better than Vanish sometimes. I've used Vanish to soak whites that need whitening when they've gone a bit grey but it doesn't always seem to get the stains out.

Washing up liquid is good for getting stains out of carpets too.

I don't find Vanish that good either.

If it’s cotton then the old fashioned boil on the hob in the stock pot does the trick .

Another vote for washing up liquid.

I find that the Vanish bars clear most stains. I put the offending item somewhere flat and pour a little water on the stain to soak it before rubbing the stain hard, this way and that, with the bar. Into the machine using a bio wash tab and no further problem.

I've tried the vanish liquid with the scrubber thing on it. That didn't work. Washing up liquid worked last week, so I tried it again yesterday, but it didn't then.

Hmmmm. I SAW him slide down a grassy bank on his bottom in his stripey shorts and as he was doing it, I was thinking 'Nooooo.'

Some types of fruit juice stains are very hard to shift- they seem to react with the fabric, particularly cotton, and leave a permanent greyish mark. Spray bleach can be useful for some stains, though.

Washing up liquid and cold water.

He is a boy, they get messy as do their clothes, life’s to short to short to worry about the odd stain.

If the item is pure white then half and half bleach and water, keep and eye on it and rinse off the minute the stain goes. Lemon juice and leaving out in the sun sometimes works.

Stain Devils good for specific stains.

Vanish bar is great. Gave mine to DD1 and never got it back. Anyone know where to get replacement?
Use oxyclean for lots of body stains overnight then wash 40 (meaning two kinds beginning with p
Grass stains I find are worst kind

Lemon juice and leaving out in the sun sometimes works
My DC did that to their hair once when they were quite young.
It went a very peculiar colour, but yes, it was bleached.

DGS1 white school polo shirts are manky after a few weeks with mud, grass, paint, whatever else boys do to them in school. I don't remember actual blouses/shirts my DC had to wear being as bad. Probably be better for schools to have dark colours for polos! When I was at school the playground was hard tarmac or concrete. Didn't lend itself to rolling around or throwing yourself on it!

GagaJo what is a Kurta?

I have every type of Vanish. The powder, the gel, and the bar. I find the bar especially good for taking on holiday. If you wait until you get home the stain will have set. To be honest I should have bought shares in the company when I met my OH. My problem is a careless 75 year old not a child.
On whites I sometimes use bleach and sunshine is great for removing stains.
As for grass stains, alcohol works beautifully, the kind you buy at the pharmacy. Don’t do as my mother did with my tennis dress. My father caught her using his single malt whisky to get the green stain out as she had used up the surgical spirits on my tennis shorts. It was my first memory of my dad swearing.

ElaineI

GagaJo what is a Kurta?

One of those lovely loose collarless tunics that men (and little boys too?) wear and which are just above knee length.

Yes, Grandmafrench, and he looks adorable in it. Innocent. A terror underneath.

I find Tesco OxyPower stain remover spray very effective.
I also find it helps to wash particularly dirty clothes on a higher temperature than the care label says. I used to put my sons' white sports socks on a 90c wash as nothing else really worked.

I found when washing my GC clothes, the stains came out on GS white polos but not on GD white blouses. I tried vanish, washing up liquid and finally after a very hot wash, bleach to no avail. They are dusters now.