Looking for a great baby poop stain remover DIY style? Here are four of the best stain removers for baby poop stains. Between them, you should be able to get poop stains out of almost anything! Say goodbye to those poo stains and get these great tips on removing stubborn stains.

You would think by baby number four I would be a diapering pro and know exactly how to prevent diaper blowouts and remove set-in baby poop stains.
But, my fourth baby wanted to make sure I (finally) figured out the best stain remover for baby poop, so she frequently does things like this:

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I know that the best way to treat any stain is to treat them right away, run them under water, scrub them, pre-treat them with the proper baby stain remover solution, start them soaking, yadda yadda. But, despite my desire to keep my kids’ clothes free from stains, sometimes life happens.
Sometimes the baby oozes poop all over herself when we are at church and I can’t exactly leave them in the church sink to soak.
Sometimes the diaper explosions happen right before we head out the door and I don’t have five minutes to rinse and scrub and treat the stain right that minute. Then I forget about it once we get back home.
Sometimes I am at home and change her diaper and clothes in the middle of about fifteen other things and I kinda forget about it. Especially if her messy diaper also left me with the task of removing poop stains from carpeting (which I also now know how to remove thanks to her).
Sometimes I put them in our laundry room basket to be “pre-treated later” only to have my awesome husband throw in a load of laundry for me and not treat the stain beforehand. I forget it was in the load, and move them over to the dryer, and well, the poop stain is set in the clothes!
Even when I do have time to treat the baby stain right away, it doesn’t always like to come out with my go-to DIY method.
For years I have treated poop stains by running them under cold or warm water in the sink, adding some hand soap (especially if in a public restroom – that’s all they have, but even our upstairs bathrooms only have hand soap), and then scrub the soap into the stain by rubbing the fabric on itself, then rinse, and repeat as necessary until most of the stain is gone. For good measure, I spray a pre-treater like Shout or Resolve onto it and put it in with the next load of laundry.
A lot of times, this will do the trick. Or mostly. Sometimes I miss a little spot or a slight yellowing color remains. Despite its less than stellar results, this is the method I used for my last three babies. It’s not the best method if it really doesn’t work all the time, works less than perfectly, and doesn’t usually do much of anything on poop stains set into the fabric.
Top Tips for Removing Stains
Thanks to the internet and some friends, I decided to test out some popularly recommended laundry stain removal tips, document them for you all, and share what worked and what didn’t work so well. You are very welcome.
Poop Stain Removal Method #1 – Dish Soap
Very similar to the method I have been using for years, friends recommended using Dawn Blue Dish Soap. I, however, do not have any on hand. I have pink Ajax dish soap, so that is what I used. It’s a step up from just hand soap for sure.
I took a video of my go-to scrubbing and rinsing process for you. In all disclosure, though, I have found that fleece is the easiest fabric to remove poop stains from. It almost never sets in it. Don’t ask me why.

However, I did try it on a few more pieces, like a crib bed sheet (which has Wite-Out permanently stained on – that is something I have no clue how to remove from fabric! It’s been stuck on it for years now).
Bonus Method: It was recommended to me to use Dawn Dish Soap with Hydrogen Peroxide (50/50 mix). Mix them together in a dark hydrogen peroxide bottle. Pout it on the stain and let it sit on the stain overnight then wash. Make sure that you get the affected area well. These are simple steps to follow but are important to do.
Poop Stain Removal Method #2 – Fels Naptha

I have heard about this miracle laundry bar for a very long time and was excited to finally buy myself my own bar of Fels Naptha from Walmart for all of about $1 (it’s on Amazon too). Simply get the stain wet, scrub the bar into the stain, scrub it on both sides, let it sit for a few minutes, and then wash it normally. It worked fairly well for me and it did for the Inspired Housewife too.
It did a good job on the stained area and is something that was easy to do for a first step. This was a good cleaning solution that I can see being a good solution for baby-related messes.
Poop Stain Removal Method #3 – Sunshine
I had several people tell me that sunshine was the answer. That it didn’t really matter how you treated or washed your poopy clothes as long as you dried them in the sun (well, so said this blogger). In fact, I was told that even set-in stains could be removed with a little natural, free sunshine. If the stain was really bad you could add some lemon juice and then let it dry outside.
I was definitely a skeptic. The sun? Really?


So, I decided to really go for it. My husband had washed and dried a poop stain into our daughter’s Onesie and it was huge and ugly. So, I got it wet with water from the sink and added a little lemon juice from the fridge, because this stain seemed to call for a stain removing little boost. I didn’t scrub it all.

I set up my portable drying rack (I live in an apartment which is why I don’t usually think about using the sun to dry my clothes) outside and let it sit out there in the bright (January) Texas sunshine. Just a few hours later it was dry and this is how the Onesie looked:
Impressive right?! It was a little stiff from using the lemon juice so I ran it through the wash just to soften it up and remove the juice. There was still some slight yellowing, but I added a little water only this time, and stuck it back outside and it looked perfect. I tried it out on several other poop stains it continued to impress me with how well it really worked!
The hotter temperatures must have done the trick. I really didn’t think it was a good idea at first, I was a skeptic! But this really is a good option to use. Just make sure that you put the clothes in the right place so that the fibers of the fabric can get that sunlight. Direct sunlight works!
I did this same thing when removing yellow stains on stored baby clothes and it worked like a charm. You can see that video on Youtube below:

Poop Stain Removal Method #4 – OxiClean/Pre-Treaters
My friend Chelsea over at Life With My Littles recently posted her go-to baby stain remover formula which involves OxiClean and Clorox 2 Stain remover and color booster. Many others recommended soaking the stains in OxiClean for various amounts of time, with various ratios of OxiClean and water.
While I think these methods can be highly effective, I don’t have a laundry room, which means I have to use a spare bowl and soak items in them, and leave the bowl either on my kitchen counter or on top of my washer or dryer. And then not forget about them. As dumb as it sounds, it’s almost too much work for me.

I have added OxiClean powder to regular loads and still had some stubborn poop stains afterward, but it often helps. I wanted to harness the power of OxiClean, but easier, so to remove poop stains, I tried an OxiClean Pre-Treater Gel stick. You push down on the stick when it is on your stain, and it releases the OxiClean gel, and then you rub it into your baby stain with the little nubs on top.
It’s pretty smart. And easy. I don’t think it works as well as other methods, especially to remove set in stains, but I like using it, especially in conjunction with other methods.
When it comes to getting the stains out of a baby’s clothes, there are so many great options. Make sure that you always test out an inconspicuous area and read the care label so that you know if there is something that you shouldn’t or shouldn’t use. The next step is to them get rid of the remaining stains and using any easy trick above is a good thing and should work! For additional tips, do your research if a stain remains! Different types of stains need different types of help!
Any of these methods are sure to help you know how to remove poop stains from clothes, even set in baby stains!
What baby poop stain removal method is your favorite?
Be sure to check out these other stain removal and laundry tutorials!
How to Remove Poop Stains and Odors from Carpet
How to Remove Lip Gloss Stains from Fabric
How to Remove Gum from Clothes
Best Way to Remove Yellow Pit Stains from Shirts
DIY Solution to remove odors from clothes that smell after washing
Chelsea @ Life With My Littles says
Thanks for sharing my post! I hope you get a laundry room one day haha. I’ve used that little Oxy stick on food stains and it works well, but I haven’t tried it poop stains.
Jenny @ Unremarkable Files says
The sunlight one is crazy! I’m definitely pinning this for my own reference. We’ve had plenty of baby clothes ruined over the years.
Katelyn Fagan says
I know! And it’s so sad to see them get ruined. A lot of our ruined ones were from food stains, or those darn iron drops they want all my kids to take (which I am terrible at giving them). I may have to test out some methods on their food stained shirts. I have several I’m pulling out of boxes from my twins for my baby.
Julia says
The best way to avoid runny poo stains in the first place is to cloth diaper. The diaper covers have tighter elastics, and don’t let the poo escape as easily.
Now you may not WANT to cloth diaper, and that’s fine. Just get yourself a £10 diaper cover (wipeable, e.g. Kangacare), and slap it on over the disposable. Throw into your 40C wash once a week.
Sorted.
Julie S. says
I use shout or something similar before washing and it does ok most of the time, but OMG the sun? That’s seriously magic!!
Sandra A says
I have a big bowl that I use only for messes like this. My great grandma taught me the trick as a young girl. I have three children of my own. Anyhow the bowl is for the messes and I made sure I marked it so I don’t have to worry about it getting put with my mixing bowls. I fill a large bowl with ice and add cold water I allow the item to sit for 2-3 hours. When I pull it out I let it air dry indoors by a vent.
RK says
Do you use any soap?
RK says
Like many others, I’m really intrigued by the sun idea! I have to try that – though I’d have trouble being in an apartment, too.
Katelyn Fagan says
Yeah. The apartment makes it harder. As well as getting the sunny days to cooperate with your laundry schedule. Ha. Or is that just me? Anyway, it’s doable. You may, if you can, want to keep the stained ones together and then wait for a good sunny day and put them out back on a rack or something to remove the stains that way then. Best of luck!
RK says
Good idea! But definitely gonna try! Assuming I have similar results, I’ll really regret having gotten rid of some loved but stained outfits…
Katelyn Fagan says
Let me know if it works!!
RK says
So… I did get around to trying, and I have to say, I’ve been very impressed. Many outfits (colored and white) have come back with barely a hint (if even) of the stain. I haven’t been as successful, though, with my older child’s clothes that have gotten stained by all sorts of food. Based on what I’ve been reading elsewhere, it seems that the chemical makeup of the stain is what’s at play. I guess diaper stains are made of protein (and somehow the sunlight can work with that), but other inorganic (or at least non-protein based) stains need other methods for stain removal.
Thanks again!
Katelyn Fagan says
Yeah!! And, I so wish it also worked on ALL stains, but I’ve tried with other stains, like chocolate (I think) and it didn’t work. And based on what I’ve read it’s also because of the makeup of the stain itself – protein, oil, etc. But, I’m glad this works for at least some of those ugly stains!
Leah says
Awesome! Thanks!
Bethany says
I tried the lemon juice and sunshine- AMAZING! It got poop/food/unknown stain out of 4 baby outfits I thought I was going to have to trash! Thank you!!
Katelyn Fagan says
Yeah!! That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing!!
Natasha says
Really it such an informative post. I’ve read so many amazing things about your article! This is the best site I’ve seen! Seriously thank you for all this awesomeness! I really like the suggestion you gave to get a good stain. I’ll be taking your advice for sure. Thanks so much for sharing.
Jami says
Simple Green sprayed on stains will take them out, too! Super easy and effective.
Harriet says
OxiClean is her favorite go-to of mine. Also Dollar Tree carries a powdered product called awesome cleaner. It’s in a little white tub sometimes with an orange or red lid. That stuff gets that husband smell out of the sheets… That musty smell even after washing cuz guys just seem to sweat more than girls. It gets out a lot in the washer. I do have a dog that occasionally will have diarrhea on the floor when a food disagrees with her. So the product I got for this is expensive but it might help for those really special outfits. It’s called Furry Freshness and I found it from a Facebook sponsored ad. It literally lifts out the dark brown poo from the carpet after you have cleaned up any of the chunks or scooped up any of the softer material. I am blown away by it. If I still had small children I would certainly try it on poopy clothing!
Nikeata says
Omg! If I had known about the sunshine way when I lived in Arizona I would have saved sooooo many baby cloths for baby girl 3! Dang! We will see if this Tennessee sunshine is as powerful ?
Katelyn Fagan says
I know!! It’s such a shame more people don’t know this because it is AMAZING and can save so many clothes!! I wish the sun worked on EVERY stain (some other CAN be helped by it!). Good luck in TN!
Daisy says
I’m all about removing stains but I’m so against some of these methods. I would not use such harsh chemicals on something my child would wear again. I would definitely try the lemon juice & sun method. For those who love to spray things I’d recommend the shop club solumel!!!
Cath says
A. It’s not a good idea to wash poop in the kitchen sink. Dangerous.
B. Use waterproof pants such as Dappis over disposeable diapers, day or overnight.
C. What are you feeding the baby? She may be allergic to her formula, or to something you eat if you’re breastfeeding. See a doctor. Frequent blow-outs (under pressure) are not normal in an infant.
Good luck and best wishes –
Elisabth says
Yes! I’m on Baby #4 and had this happen this morning. I was laughing while reading the line about the 4th baby. I no longer felt alone for having these problems after all of these years of “experience.” I am going to try these right now!