Ok people, we are going there. Gross, nasty stains. We’ve all created them, been appalled by them and then vehemently denied them.

Well, you don’t have to blame embarrassing stains on the kids or dog anymore. Read on to learn how to get those pesky stains out…and I won’t even ask how they got there. 

PEE

Talk to any parent who has potty-trained a child and you’ll know that a formal rite of passage in parenthood is the “3:00am pee-soaked bedsheets clean-up.” Or talk to pregnant mommies who know the consequences of laughing a little too hard in the 3^rd trimester (yes, I just went there, ladies). Here’s a suggestion to handle:

Select a hot water cycle and wash that offending item! If the item is white and a cotton or poly-cotton blend, you can disinfect it by adding ¾ Cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach for whites to the wash.   

PUKE

Ok, not gonna sugar-coat it…these stains aren’t pretty. Maybe the stain was made after your kids ate yogurt-gone-bad and projectile vomited on himself (been there) or maybe after you had one too many cocktails on “girls night out” (also been there). Here’s how you can wrestle with that nasty stain:

Pre-soak the item first to remove excess (yes, told you this wasn’t going to be pleasant!) and thoroughly rinse the affected area with cold water, all while trying not to gag in the process.

Now, launder that item on the hottest recommended water setting along with your favorite detergent and ¾ cup Clorox ® Regular-Bleach for whites or with a stain remover for colors. If the stain remains after you pull it out of the washer, make sure you repeat the steps above before drying. You don’t want the stain to set...because who wants to wear a shirt and have to answer, “Yikes, where’s that stain from?”

POOP

Maybe your baby just had a diaper explosion the size of Texas (you know, a poop so big that you are almost “impressed” with your little darling?) or maybe you live with a boy—perhaps age 5, perhaps age 45—and skid marks make an appearance now and then (yes, I actually used the word, “skid marks” in a public forum). Here’s something to try:

Pre-soak the item first to remove any, shall we say, “excess solids” and rinse in cool water. If the offending item is white, launder with your regular detergent and ¾ Cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach. If it is colored, then you’ll have to test to see if you can safely bleach them by doing this:

1. Add 2 tsp Clorox® Regular- Bleach to 1/4 cup water.


2. Apply a drop on a hidden section area like inside seam, hemline or cuff. If on a towel, you could test near the care label.


3. Wait 1 minute and then blot dry; no color change means the item can be safely bleached. 

If the item passes the bleach test, then cheer gratefully and then fully submerge the poop-covered item and soak in a solution of ¼ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach to 1 gallon of water for 5 minutes. Drain the soaking solution and then wash in hot water with detergent + ¾ cup bleach.

For colored items that don’t pass this test, no problem. Try pretreating the stains with your favorite stain remover. 

So there you have it. You can try to remove embarrassing stains…even if you have to do it surreptitiously under the cover of darkness or with a ski mask on. It’s just your ego that may be a little bruised.

Q: Have you had an embarrassing stain? Go ahead, share. (Don’t worry, when you post a comment to this blog, only your first name and first initial of your last name will be seen).