Keeping School Shirts Clean

malky800

Mon, Oct 25 2010, 11:29 am

We are only 2 months into the school year, and my first kid in uniform.
As a kindergardener, there are paint stains (why are the paints used in school not washable??).
And now there are mustard and ketchup marks, fading out slowly , but still nice yellow marks on pretty blue shirts.
What am I supposed to do to keep those blue shirts clean? I tried oxi clean first, shprtiz and powder. I even tried bleaching them?
Any hope? I don't want my daughter walking around school with marks on her shirt.

chocolate moose

Mon, Oct 25 2010, 11:41 am

In my experience, even the washable paint didn't come out all the time.

If she has several shirts, she can wear this one as a last resort. If you can get hand me downs, even better.

ra_mom

Mon, Oct 25 2010, 12:58 pm

About the yellowed ketchup and mustard stains: Fill a clean basin with boiling water and add 1-2 scoops of Oxyclean powder. You will see the water bubble as it oxygenates. Place the garment in there, and allow it to soak overnight. The next day, check to see if the stains were removed. If not, repeat. This really works.
(Tip: the sooner you work on the stains, the easier it will be to remove them. When you see a fresh stain: Make the garment wet with cold water. Spray stain with Zout. Scrub out stain with cleaning toothbrush. Wash clothes as usual.
Use the soaking method for stains that don't come out with Zout.)

About the pain stains: Does your daughter's teachers require all the girls to have full smocks for arts and crafts. A proper smock that is long sleeved and crew necked, fits properly, and closes in the back, is a very worthwhile investment. For $15, you can avoid lots of laundry trouble.
But if your daughter's teachers do not enforce a smock rule, and allow the children to start their arts and crafts even if they do not have a smock, then this won't work of course.
I have the same experience as chocolate moose. Even the washable paints are hard to take out.

DrMom

Mon, Oct 25 2010, 12:58 pm

Can you get her shirts in a darker blue hue that doesn't show stains as much? In ds's school, any shade of blue is okay, so we steer clear of the baby blue range and go for turquoise or royal blue instead.