As a parent, you’re bound to encounter baby food stains on your child’s clothes. Baby food stains are the bane of any parent’s existence. They’re not just unsightly; over time, they can affect the quality of your child’s clothing, and that’s the last thing you need when you’re already dealing with a mess.
If you’ve ever tried to get baby food stains out of clothes, you know how frustrating it can be when your efforts don’t seem to make much of a difference. Don’t give up—here are some tips for getting baby food stains out of clothes.
The most common types of baby food stains on clothes are caused by the following ingredients:
- Baby Formula
- Cottage cheese
- Sweet potato
- Tomato
- Yogurt
- Apples
- Orange
- Peaches
- Pear
- Banana
- Blueberry
- Carrots
- Squash
Does Baby Food Stain Clothes
Yes, baby food does stain clothes. Baby food stains are protein-based stains that can be difficult to remove from your baby’s clothes. These stains can leave behind a yellow or brown tint that is difficult to remove from white clothing.
They can be removed using the same methods you’d use to remove any other type of protein-based stains like a bloodstain or a chocolate stain.
Does Baby Food Wash Out of Clothes?
Yes, baby food will wash out of clothes—but it will take some extra effort. Baby food is typically made of pureed fruits and vegetables, and it’s not uncommon for these foods to stain clothing.
Fruits like blueberries, raspberries, pears, and bananas are notorious for leaving dark purple or reddish stains on fabrics. Vegetables like beets, squash, spinach, and carrots can leave behind a yellow or orange residue.
These stains are especially stubborn because they’re often not caught until the piece of clothing has been run through the dryer. But if you’re quick about it, you can get those stains out of your clothes.
How to Get Baby Food Stains Out of Clothes
Baby food stains are notoriously difficult to remove from clothing, especially if they’re already set in.
The good news is that these stains can be easily treated as long as you know what to do, and they don’t have to mean you need to buy an entirely new wardrobe for your munchkin.
Baby Oxiclean Soaker to Remove Baby Food Stains
Baby Oxiclean— it’s a stain pre-treater that works wonders on baby food stains. It comes in powder form and looks just like regular Oxiclean, but it’s designed especially for baby clothes (it works great on non-baby clothes, too)
- The first step is to get rid of that stain as soon as possible before it sets.
- If the stain is still wet, gently dab the area with a damp cloth or sponge to absorb as much of the excess food as possible.
- Once the stain has been blotted dry, saturate the area with Oxiclean Soaker and let it sit for up to 6 hours (or overnight) in warm water.
- The Soaker formula can be used directly on clothing or for soaking items in a bucket.
For especially stubborn stains or large loads of laundry, add 1/2 cup of Oxiclean powder to every gallon (3.8 liters) of warm water in addition to using the Soaker liquid.
For extra heavy-duty laundering, pretreat stains with Oxiclean Versatile Stain Remover before washing.
To do this, dampen the stain with water and pour a small amount of Versatile Stain Remover directly onto it. Wait 5 minutes before throwing those clothes into your washing machine.
Remove Baby Foods from Clothes with Rubbing Alcohol
- First, mix together a solution of water and rubbing alcohol.
- Using a clean white cloth or sponge, apply the solution to the stain and let it sit for five to ten minutes. This should loosen up the stain and make it easier to remove.
- Next, rinse the area with cold water, then use laundry detergent and a scrub brush to loosen and lift the remaining stain.
- Apply detergent directly to the area and let it sit for at least 15 minutes (but no more than 30 minutes).
- Then scrub it gently with a soft-bristled brush until you see some of the stain coming off on the bristles.
- Then rinse again using cold water until all of the detergents are removed.
- Finally, mix up a solution of one part distilled white vinegar to two parts cold water. Using another sponge or clean cloth, dab this mixture onto the baby food-stained area repeatedly until you’ve soaked up as much of the stain as possible.
- Then blot away any excess liquid with a dry cloth or paper towel.
Use Baking Soda + Dawn Soap + Hydrogen Peroxide
The key ingredients for getting rid of baby food stains include baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and Dawn dish soap. Here’s a simple formula:
- Mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of Dawn dish soap with 4 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide.
- Start by adding 1 tablespoon of water and stir until you have a smooth paste.
- Next, apply a couple of spoonfuls of this mixture onto the stain (make sure you’ve got a good layer covering the stain)
- Then scrub it with an old toothbrush.
- After that’s done, let it sit overnight.
- The next day, wash as usual with detergent, either by hand or in the washing machine (depending on the care instructions on the garment’s label). If any stain remains after washing, repeat the steps.
How to Remove Old Baby Food Stains from Clothes
Nobody likes to clean. But if you happen to be the proud parent of a new little one, all those baby food stains could make your clothes look like you’re either a messy eater or the victim of some sort of food fight.
Fortunately, there are ways to get rid of them without having to take your laundry to the dry cleaner every week.
Use Hydrogen Peroxide and Natural Dish Soap
- The first thing to do is try and get as much of the stain out as possible by scraping off any excess food with a spoon and then dabbing it with cold water.
- Next, apply a small amount of natural dish soap directly to the stain and let it sit for about five minutes.
- Then add three parts hydrogen peroxide and one part dish soap in a spray bottle, shaking it up so that they combine.
- Spray this mixture gently onto the stain and let it soak for about 15 minutes or until it bubbles up.
- Then rinse it out under cold water again and throw it into the washing machine as usual. The stain should be gone by the time it comes out.
How to Get Stains Out of Baby Clothes That Have Already Been Washed
When you’ve already washed and dried your baby’s clothes, the last thing you want to do is run them through the wash again. Luckily, there are ways to remove stains after the fact. To get rid of those stains that survived a trip through the washing machine, follow these steps:
- First, grab some liquid dishwashing detergent. If the stain is really bad, you might want to use one with enzymes in it. (If it says anything about being for tough grease stains or those hard-to-remove stains like red wine, then you’ve got the right one.)
- Then, retreat the entire stain with liquid dishwashing detergent by gently massaging it in.
- Wait 5 minutes, then rinse the stain with warm water. This will break up any baby food oil if that’s part of the stain.
- Now we’re ready to wash. Run the stained piece of clothing through your regular wash cycle like normal.
Check to see whether or not the stain is gone when your load is finished.
How to Get Baby Food Stains Out of Clothes After Drying
Dried baby food stains can be difficult to remove from clothing. These types of stains can be caused by a variety of foods, such as applesauce, mashed carrots, and pears.
If you do not remove the stain when it occurs, it can become difficult to remove when it dries. The longer the stain sits, the more likely it is that the enzymes in the food will set the stain permanently.
Fortunately, dried baby food stains can be removed with a few household items.
- To remove dried baby food stains from clothes, mix two cups of warm water with a tablespoon of liquid hand dishwashing detergent.
- Next, sponge the dried stain using a clean white cloth with the detergent solution.
- Blot until the liquid is absorbed.
- Repeat Steps 2 and 3 until all the baby food stain disappears.
- Finally, rinse in cold water and wash as usual.
How to Remove Stains from Baby Clothes Left in the Attic
If you have some baby clothing that has been left in an attic, basement, or other damp locations, you may find them covered with stains. In this article, we will help you remove the stains from the fabric so that you can use the baby clothes again.
- Pour 1/2 cup of hydrogen peroxide and 1 tsp of baking soda into a large bowl.
- Stir the mixed ingredients with a spoon until peroxide and baking soda are thoroughly mixed together.
- Add 3 drops of water to the mixture.
- Stir to combine all of the ingredients until they form a paste-like substance.
- Scoop out some of the paste and rub it on the stained area using your fingers.
- Repeat until all of the stains have been covered with paste.
- Allow it to sit for about five minutes before rinsing it off under running water.
How Do You Get Yellow Baby Food Stains Out of Clothes?
It’s a pretty common problem: your child is enjoying some delicious mashed peas, and somehow some of that deliciousness has made its way onto the pants you just put on. While it may seem like a hopeless situation, there is a simple solution that will help get the stain out:
- Scrape off any excess baby food from the garment before you begin treating the stain.
- Flush the entire fabric, inside out, with cold water to remove as much of the stain as possible.
- Apply liquid laundry detergent to the stained area and let it soak in for 15-30 minutes.
- After soaking, launder as usual, either by hand or in the washing machine.
- If there are any traces left of the stain after you’re done laundering, repeat this process until you’re satisfied with how clean it is.
