When both my girls started daycare last year I couldn’t believe how filthy they came home each day. Don’t get me wrong, these kids are having a great time, but I was dealing with a lot of extra work getting their clothes clean.
After some internet research (i.e. a few “minutes” on Pinterest) I came across a bunch of similar solutions that could be used. Before I started using this homemade solution I was using a commercial spray stain remover, but with the amount of clothing I had to treat the chemicals were just too much to handle.
The basic recipe contains hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and dish soap. Most recipes call for Dawn but I use plain old Kirkland brand and it works just fine! I’ve had to play with the proportions of ingredients but this is what I’m currently using and find works best:
1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide
1 tbsp baking soda
1 tbsp liquid dish soap
In a small bowl mix all of the ingredients together until you get a gooey paste. I use a spoon to generously apply the mixture to the stain. With the back of the spoon I work the mixture into the clothing.
Treat all pieces of clothing and let sit for about 45 minutes. Any longer and the mixture will dry out. Anything less than 30 minutes doesn’t seem to do the trick. Launder your clothing as you normally would. If you’re concerned about a particular stain check to make sure it came out in the wash before drying.
Some of the critiques I read claimed that this stain remover got rid of set in stains. I haven’t found that to be true, but it’s always worth a shot.
The recipe I provided treats a full load of my girls’ clothes. If you have leftover, you can easily store this in a plastic container. Word to the wise, don’t store this in a glass jar! And the next time your little monkeys dirty up all their clothes, try out this solution. I hope it works as well for you as it does for me!
