If you find yellow stains on stored baby clothes, then you’ll love this easy tutorial on how to get stains out of baby clothes that have been in storage!
These tips will help you get your baby’s clothes clean of those old stubborn stains!
From baby poop stains to baby food stains, the affected area and areas are about to be totally clean. (use, I give options on this below, too!) The good news? You can do this easily without the use of harsh chemicals! Find out how I get old stained clothes, looking like new clothes fast!
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I was so excited to finally pull out all those baby boy clothes that have been in storage for seven years! I was finally having another son!
But, I wasn’t super excited to see yellow stains on stored baby clothes.
I’m not sure exactly what causes yellow stains on stored baby clothes, but according to this Romper article it’s a couple of things:
- Left-over lipids and proteins from breastmilk spit-up (or formula spit-up)
- Oxidation of the fabrics (especially of white/bleached fabrics)
- Stains from cardboard boxes they’ve been stored in (which is why you need to read my post on storing baby clothes properly)
Given the long amount of time these baby clothes were stored in cardboard boxes (oops) and that I breastfed my son, and it’s not surprising to find these yellow stains on my baby clothes!
Now I just needed to figure out how to get stains out of baby clothes that have been in storage too long!
Here’s what I did. You can watch my super quick Youtube video for removing stains on stored baby clothes below:
How to Remove Stains from Stored Baby Clothes
Here are the supplies you’ll need:
- Washing Machine
- Laundry Detergent
- Oxiclean
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Spray Bottle
- Water
- Lemon Juice
Time needed: 4 hours.
Here’s How to Get Stains out of Baby Clothes That Have Been in Storage
- Oxiclean Soak or Prewash
Oxiclean is an amazing stain remover! You can either soak your stored baby clothes in a large bucket of warm water and a scoop of Oxiclean for several hours (best method) or do a slightly lazier method of adding a big scoop of Oxiclean to your washing machine and having it to do a pre-soak cycle (which is what I did as I had a LOT of baby clothes to wash).
- Add Hydrogen Peroxide to the Bleach Dispenser
Hydrogen Peroxide is a great added color booster and stain remover, but isn’t harsh like bleach. Pour a quarter cup or so of hydrogen peroxide to the liquid bleach dispenser on your washing machine.
- Add detergent and wash
Add your regular detergent or a free & clear baby detergent to your washing machine, select the pre-wash cycle setting, and let it go!
- Check for stains before putting them in the dryer.
To further treat stains that remain, don’t put them in the dryer! Check every item before putting it in the dryer.
- Lay or hang baby clothes outside
Take all your stained baby clothes and put them down on your railing, porch, chair, drying rack, or whatever clean surface you prefer, or hang them on a clothesline if you have one, with stains facing up and toward the sun.
- Spray the stains with water and lemon juice (optional).
Take a spray bottle, fill it with clean water, and then liberally spray the yellow stains and other colored stains on the baby’s layette. If there is a particularly dark or worrisome stain, you can add a little lemon juice to the stain too.
- Let them dry in the sun, about 3-4 hours.
Depending on time of day (optimally, you’ll lay the baby clothes out early in the day so they can have time in that afternoon sun), you’ll let your clothes dry for several hours out in the sunshine.
- That’s it!
Yup! The sun’s UV rays break down stains’ molecular structure and remove stains and brighten the clothes! And UV rays can still get through clouds. Just make sure the stains will be out in the direct sunlight and this trick will likely remove all of those yellow stains on your stored baby clothes!
It did a great job on mine!
Now, I already knew this trick because I have used it numerous times for removing those all too frequent newborn poop stains! It’s my favorite way to do so.
Now, if you notice that there are rust stains around old metal fasteners and snaps, you can also try using some vinegar on them (it’s one of many types of rust stains you can remove with vinegar).
As you continue to prepare for your new bundle of joy, be sure you use my preparing for baby checklist to get your home ready, and then my list of things to do to prepare your vehicle for a baby.
What is good for scrubbing old stains?
An old tooth brush will work great for cleaning those fabric fibers. If you have pesky stains that you want to treat beforehand for the best results, scrubbing with a toothbrush can be an extra boost of help to get rid of those stains.
The key is to use a soft brush so that it gives special care to the fabric by not tearing or harming it. A small soft-bristled brush would work as well.
Do I have to use hot water for stains?
It all just depends on the stain. Some food stains react just fine to cool water, while others need hot water. I tend to wash my tough stains or stained items in cold water, and that typically works for the stained garment. The type of stain does matter, though, as to figure out a good option for the best stain remover water temperature.
What can I use stained clothing for if I can’t get the stains out?
If you can’t get the baby stains out of any piece of clothing, you can still use that baby’s clothing for things around the house. I keep stained clothing as “play clothes” because it’s still a clean piece of clothing that they can wear without having to worry about it getting stained or ruined.
It’s also a good idea to keep them and use them for cleaning needs or anything else that might come along. I don’t keep a ton of stained stuff, but I do have a few items of clothing options with different types of stains that are old and dingy, and I use them for wiping down our bikes or cleaning up things that I don’t want to use a paper towel or rag for.
I have loads of other great and helpful pregnancy and cleaning tips too that you’ll likely love too like:
- The Book Every Mom Needs Who Wants to VBAC
- Tips for Supporting Your Belly in Pregnancy
- Breastfeeding Supplies and Equipment You Do and Don’t Need
- What Second Time Moms Need on Their Baby Registries
- 10 Boxes for Pregnant Moms That’ll Pamper and Prep Her
- Free Breastfeeding Supplies and Samples
- 14 Money-Saving Tips for Having a Baby on a Budget
- Tips for Choosing the Perfect Baby Name
Sara says
Any tips for cloth rattles/teethers that have been in storage?
Angelique says
What about when it’s freezing outside and you can’t lay clothes outside in the sun?
jen says
this is really helpful and great guidance provided article. thanks for sharing these amazing articles.