little chickadee Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 What did I do before this forum? Who did I ask for suggestions/ hints? No idea! Anyway I bought my daughter 5 really nice quality shaped polo shirts as she has to tuck them in in her new school and was upset about how bulky the normal ones looked when they were tucked into her skirt. I thought that as she is 9 and looked good in the adult small size, they would last her at least a couple of years, only being worn once a week each. However, she seems to keep getting mysterious stains all over them. All different. Never any idea how she's got them. I've tried Vanish powder (soaking the T-shirts) to no avail and don't know what else to try. I've never tried bleaching clothes. If this is what I need to do, how do I go about it without ruining the clothes. Any hints/ tips greatly appreciated. Obviously I cant' buy products designed for specific stains, as we have no idea what they are! Cheers in Advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 What colour are the shirts & what colour the stains? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angels4 Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Can you get this in the UK http://www.oximagic.com it is made by clorox, but it is color safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackrocksrock Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 I always find t shirts and polo shirts do this as I am messy when I eat!! I use just washing up liquid on it - ecover or similar and it seems to help If you have washing soda you can soak them in this with the ecover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 I've tried about every stain removing product on the market and find a blob of Fairy rubbed in is as good as anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovemychooks Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 I've tried about every stain removing product on the market and find a blob of Fairy rubbed in is as good as anything. I too find that Fairy liquid is best at removing all stains ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little chickadee Posted March 21, 2009 Author Share Posted March 21, 2009 What colour are the shirts & what colour the stains? White T-shirts. Stains are normally somewhere between brown and orange! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 I like to use stain devil, but of course its easier if you know what the stain is......... That's & a hang in the sun should do the trick Must say that white Polo's are ridiculous for school though My girls school changed from white cotton shirts to navy Polo's & its so much easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 White Polo shirts? I'd give them a wash will Napisan added to the usual powder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 White T-shirts. Stains are normally somewhere between brown and orange! That sounds like food stains to me, tomato based and curry type sauces Whatever you use, try really working the product into the fabric, it needs to get to all the fibres to work effectively. Sometimes sunlight works well on white items with stains on too. I had a lovely crocheted tablecloth given to me, covered in blackcurrant and those browny stains. I washed it and hung it out on the line on a nice sunny day, and the stains really faded If it was ball point pen I was going to suggest sour milk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoid Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Why dont you just bleach them? Or failing that, boil them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 I sometimes find pinkish splodges on dark clothes (esp. navy polo shirts or t-shirts). Never have worked out what causes them . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 I sometimes find pinkish splodges on dark clothes (esp. navy polo shirts or t-shirts). Never have worked out what causes them . I've been finding these with ES's navy work clothes. I think with him they use a lot of caustic substances and that these have sort of bleached his clothes. Thats what I'm putting it down to. The white polo shirts sound like my YS's when he was having school dinners - he has packed lunch now so its only when he eats his dinner I have to watch out I used to try and get them out with vanish but it never really did the trick and if they got to grubby I chucked them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janepie33 Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Does your daughter eat lots of bananas? They can stain white fabric brown. I think I'd try the Napisan / Milton route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirstine Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 How big are the stains? A dab of eucalyptus oil (from chemists - you don't need the expensive aromatherapy stuff) on an oily spot just before it goes in the wash does the trick and leaves the wash smelling lovely. Good for spag bol stains! This was a trick my Mum picked up in Australia and passed on. Kirstine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little chickadee Posted March 21, 2009 Author Share Posted March 21, 2009 How big are the stains? A dab of eucalyptus oil (from chemists - you don't need the expensive aromatherapy stuff) on an oily spot just before it goes in the wash does the trick and leaves the wash smelling lovely. Good for spag bol stains! This was a trick my Mum picked up in Australia and passed on. Kirstine I'll definately have to try this idea for oily stains Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 That's a good tip . My ES doesn't seem capable of eating anything containing tomato without spilling some on his (usually white) t-shirt . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirstine Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Thanks! I have 2 stepchildren who are now 21 and 22, but when DH and I started going out were 6 and 8, he was 39 and I was 23. Somehow in the reshuffle that followed I managed to get assigned to Stains and Tricky Homework. Thankfully Mum did Day to Day and the biological parents shared Puberty! Kirstine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little chickadee Posted March 22, 2009 Author Share Posted March 22, 2009 Tried the washing up liquid last night. Didn't make any difference whatsoever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
