As we found out recently when we were putting some of our son's newborn things away, breastmilk really is the gift that keeps on giving. In his first few months our son spit up a LOT - on himself, on us, on bibs, burp clothes, blankets, you get the picture. The stains seemed to wash out but now, nine months later, we were distressed to find prominent yellow stains on everything. After some panicked Googling, we found a solution...
Apparently "protein stains" often don't appear right away so you can store things away clean and discover the stains much, much later. In our case the yellowish stains were most noticeable on whites. We tried laundering them normally which did nothing and then tried bleaching the whites which also had no effect. Finally we found some good information in Mamapedia on Mamasource (which, incidentally, we're finding lots of helpful advice on) via this thread. The majority of commenters had success using Oxiclean - see the post for more details and a few other strategies.
It's hard to tell from our photos, but after a long soak (overnight) in Oxiclean and sun exposure for an afternoon on the laundry line, most of the stains are gone (yee haw!). There are a few places on a few items that are still a bit yellowish, but it's a relief that almost all of our newborn things are restored to their former glory.
Anyone else care to weigh in with other solutions for this problem? Does formula cause the same kind of staining - if so, what's your best cleaning strategy?
© 2010 Apartment Therapy
I swear by Oxyclean. It gets out pretty much anything.
view lisamfb's profile
Ok, I've just learned about mixing a little dish soap with hydrogen peroxide. I keep some in a spray bottle and it does take several applications, but it's UNBELIEVABLE what old old stains I've gotten out of clothes! After a few applications of the mixture, you can also just try hydrogen peroxide on its own. You can keep spraying it while it's still wet OR you can let it dry and then re-wet it with the solution. I haven't tried it on dark colors, but my sister swears by it.
Everyone asks for the ratio of soap to peroxide, but honestly, I just dump some into the other. Keep it peroxide-heavy though!
view franker42's profile
yup, we've been a fan of it for years. it's the best for blood, grass, coffee, vomit and poop stains... any stains made from 'natural' materials works with oxyclean.
view JG Minetree's profile
Are these suggestions safe for colored clothes as well? I am constantly discovering these stains, but more so with MY clothes than the baby's. I've heard from some that breastmilk doesn't stain, but I've got a basket of unwearable tops that tell a different story. Thanks for the post!
view Mendy McIntire's profile
I use Dreft stain spray. Some of the tougher stains I spray and then use a brush under running water before I throw it in the washer. It has worked every time.
view lucy17dog's profile
I really love Totally Toddler stain remover for getting stains out of my daughter's baby clothes. I didn't breastfeed though, so I can't tell you if it works on spilled breastmilk.
view Pencils's profile
Mendy - I've used it on a bunch of my own colored clothes without any problem. If you can dry them outdoors, the sun really does seem to help.
Good luck! - Carrie
view CMcB's profile
The same technique works for baby poop stains. Just sayin.
view robinm's profile
What I want to know is where can I find that Peanut shirt. So cute.
view Gumdrop's profile
I was handed down tons of baby clothes from my stepmom. Sadly most were covered in yellow formula stains. I am guessing that the spit up contributed too. I tried soaking overnight in stain remover solutions, but no luck. I wound up just tie dying over them. So to answer your question, yes, formula does stain something awful.
I have yet to unpack my son's newborn clothes. (He was breastfed.) So we will see what "appeared" in storage.
view mama k's profile
grab green has been pretty good at getting stains out. i use their all-in-one detergent packs (like a Cascade pack) and stop the machine for 20-30 min, then run as usual. they have a bleach alternative pack too that i want to try. check it out at www.grabgreenhome.com
view kristin114's profile