Do you want to know how to get poop stains out of baby clothes? Parents love their children, but something they do not love is the stains of poop on every surface.
Your baby just experienced an uncontrollable diaper leak, which is a big one. You stare at that small adorable outfit and that tiny baby and wonder, “How on earth can something so small make such a big mess?”
Then you glance at the trash bin, and your heart breaks. Are you done with another gorgeous outfit?
Baby accidents happen; however, that does not mean throwing away the best clothes (yours or your baby’s), blankets, toys, or other things.
While poopy stains from babies are messy, quick action can help clean your baby’s clothes. When they occur, be prepared and seek our advice.
We have the top strategies and tips to help you manage spills and staining to ensure that your baby’s clothes and the shirt you love remain fresh and new. Let’s examine the “crappy” situation and turn it into a successful story.
How To Get Poop Stains Out Of Baby Clothes Or Steps for Removing Tough Stains?
At some point, all mothers will encounter diaper poop-related stains. Following these steps, you can effectively wash clothes after a diaper blowout.
Act Immediately
Poop stains that are bright yellow set quickly, so the first step to being able to hope for stain removal is to act immediately. After poop has dried and set in, washing off the oily set-in color is difficult.
After you have cleaned your baby, rinse poop off in cold water. The heat can cause the stain to set, so treat the area using cold water. It can be tossed into the sink while bathing your baby so you can clean it up later.
If you are on the go, wash the poop clothes with cold water before putting them into your wet bag. The clothes or materials will remain moist until you return home and treat them.
First, Treat Stains
The next step in helping eliminate the stain is to treat it first. You can switch to warm water to let the stain fighters get into the fabric fibers and lift the stains.
Following are some common ways to soak diapers stained by poop:
Mix a fourth cup of lemon juice and 1 cup of water inside a bottle. Spray it or pour it into the soaking container. Lemon juice can wash stains from white clothes.
Utilize a stain remover such as OxiClean to remove otherwise tricky staining.
Use one tablespoon of dishwashing liquid and one spoonful of white vinegar. Pour it on the stain, then blot (do not apply pressure) to lift it.
Hydrogen peroxide can be used to remove the stain based on protein, provided you have a dye-resistant fabric. Try a small test area to determine if you can use it. Apply by spraying or dabbing a tiny amount on the stain, let it bubble up and blot, and then wipe it off but do not rub.
In all of these pretreatment methods, wash your garment from the reverse direction of your stain to avoid getting the stain to pass through to the opposite side of your fabric. Then move on to the washing stage.
Warm Water And Wash In It
The hot water can be tough on your clothes or other items, so you should use this as the last option. Warm water in a consistent cycle will help wash and stir the stain so it gets taken off.
- Utilize OxiClean to remove the stain based on protein.
- If your laundry detergent is not OxiClean, add one tablespoon of white vinegar and wash your clothes or other items to eliminate odor and stain.
A laundry detergent with an enzyme component is the best solution to remove poop staining. These detergents eliminate protein-based stains such as poop more effectively than traditional detergents. They also reduce lingering smells.
Naturally, Dry The Clothes
The dryer is a great place to dry clothes. However, the heat generated by the dryer fixes stains and makes removing them from the fabric difficult. Remove the stained material from the washing machine and then do one of the two things:
- Air-dry the garment and then inspect it. If there is no lingering odor or staining, wash just like you usually do the next time you need to wash the clothing or fabric.
- Spread it out in the sun to dry. Sun will help remove any remaining stains and eliminate odors from exposure to UV light. It is among the best methods to remove the stain before using expensive removers. It may also kill the lingering bacteria.
Cleaning The Stains From Carpets And Floors
If your child poops on your hardwood, tile, or linoleum floor, take a quick swipe of disinfectant, and you are set to go. But what if there is an odorous poop stain on your carpet? It is a bit more challenging. Here is what you must need to do.
- Mix 1 tablespoon of white vinegar with one teaspoon of dish liquid into two cups of water. (Will vinegar remove poop stains? Yes, it will.)
- Use a white, clean cloth, then rub the stain to remove it.
- Repeat the process until the stain, as well as the odor, go away.
- If you have residual staining but nothing else is getting onto your fabric, use a dropper and put on hydrogen peroxide.
- Clean the stain using cold water, then allow the stain to air dry.
Once you have cleaned it off, your carpet might still be matted, even after the liquid has dried. Vacuum well to allow the carpet’s fibers to puff back into shape, or utilize a carpet rake, to gently agitate the fibers back to their original location.
Examine the stained area after the next few days to ensure no smell is left behind. Cleanse with a bit of baking soda. Then, clean the place to bring the fibers back to their original location and to protect the carpet’s matting from cleaning.
Related: Why Does My Baby Get Startled While Sleeping?
How To Get Poop Stains Out Of Baby Clothes, Things To Remember?
Get Rid Of The Poop
It is the first thing to do to clean as much of the poop off your clothes as possible. Not only will this help keep your machine clean (and your house smells fresher), but it can also help make your laundry detergent last longer.
If it has little soil to break down, it will work better on the challenging staining parts.
It is possible to do this by using baby wipes, throwing them in the trash, or using toilet paper and flushing them down in the toilet.
A toilet hose that can be detachable is also a good investment. If you decide to take the soil off, be cautious to remove it gently to avoid grinding the mess in the fabric.
Rinse From The Clean Side
After most of the soil has been removed and the clothing is clean, give it an extended, thorough rinse with cool water. Pour it over the neat side of the fabric to get the poop out of crevices and crack.
Pre-Treat The Stain
Give the stain treatment before washing with a soak or spray. It will begin to break down the protein and greasy molecules.
If the stain is difficult to remove, you can soak the fabric in Charlie’s Soap Oxygen Bleach. Be sure you check for fading every 15-30 mins.
Other pretreatments only last a few minutes and don’t dry on fabric before washing, but this oxygen bleach will not cause the colors to fade or leave a residue on the baby’s clothing.
Use Products That Break Down Proteins
The chemical process of removing stains (especially poop staining) can be a bit complicated. Several different kinds of stains require appropriate treatment.
For stains from poop, choosing an item that can break down proteins, such as an enzyme cleaner or hydrogen peroxide-based (oxygen) bleach, is best.
Chlorine bleach is not your best friend when cleaning stains from poop. It is excellent for dissolving colors such as red wine, ink, and even the dyes in your clothes but is not suitable for spots based on proteins like blood, spit-up, or poop.
Avoid Heat
It is appealing to try to heat the poop off your clothes, but for proteins-based messes such as poop, you should try to keep it cool.
Hot water will permanently cause staining, similar to irons and dryers. So following the washing of your stained clothing, do a second glance.
If there are still remnants from the stain, give it a second wash to ensure it is clean before putting it in the hot dryer.
Extra Rinse
The final thing to be aware of about “how to get poop stains out of baby clothes?” is that some stain treatments and detergents may leave traces.
To ensure that the baby’s skin is protected, set an additional wash cycle following the use of these products.
Safe Cleaning Products For Cloth Diapers
If you are trying to remove stains on cloth diapers, use detergent or stain-removing products designed for cloth diapers.
1. OxiClean Baby Stain Fighter – The Best For Soaking
This formula is oxygen-based and only activated after it is added to water.
Once the powder is added to your soaking laundry, the powder will bubble up while it helps to remove staining and odors from the baby’s clothes. In addition, it is chlorine- and fragrance-free, meaning the product is safe for infants.
2. Dapple Stain Remover Spray – The Best Liquid Treatment
If you are searching for an effective treatment that you can apply for a specific stain you want to remove, this spray stain remover from Dapple is essential. It is made with a water-based formulation with plant-based components.
Spray the stain and let it be set, then put the clothing in with the normal laundry cycle. The remover eliminates all kinds of stains, from leaky diapers to mishaps with baby food, with just one treatment.
3. Puracy Natural Baby Laundry Stain Remover – The All-Natural Option
The plant-powered stain remover from Puracy is entirely natural, and it is also extremely efficient. If you are dealing with sauce, berries, formula, or dirt, this remover utilizes six plant enzymes to tackle any issue.
Spray, allow to sit, and toss your baby’s clothes in the washer to make fresh and new bibs and onesie clothes.
4. Dreft Baby Laundry Stain Remover Pen – The Best For On-The-Go Messes
If you must deal with any mess on the go, this stain-removing pen from Dreft is the perfect solution.
It is packed with Dreft’s liquid laundry stain remover, which can take care of spit-up and spills regardless of where you go.
Simply put it in your diaper bag or purse when you leave, remove the cap, and apply the treatment whenever you require it.
Although this treatment has a mild odor, it is safe for infants and can be used in any color and fabric.
How To Prevent Poop Stains?
Cloth diapers are excellent at stopping blowouts due to their shape and elastic gussets that wrap around both legs and waist.
Even if you are a fan of disposable diapers, it is well worth investing in a few cloth diaper covers to guard the disposables.
You do not need to change your baby’s diaper using cloth diapers each time they poop. If you use cloth diapers, tear off fleece liners and put them inside to catch the poop and avoid stains.
Poop can quickly be rinsed away from the fleece liners, particularly after your baby has started solid food.
Many stores offer fleece blankets for almost nothing, and you can cut up to 30 liners from a throw blanket. Many moms utilize Viva cloth diapers as diaper liners, but they are less environmentally friendly.
Fleece diaper liners are an efficient option in terms of cost since they can be cleaned and reused when needed.
The Final Words
How to get poop stains out of baby clothes? Being quick as soon as possible is essential to success in removing poop. The stains that remain for long periods tend to stay and linger.
However, your favorite shirt or the adorable onesie might stand an opportunity if you act immediately.
No matter what you do, do not use the dryer. Also, be patient when you do your treatments.
Give them time to do their work to ensure they are most effective when you wash. Don did not let the stains drag you down. Keep the hope up.
Related: Newborn Not Pooping But Passing Gas
