A new school year means new school uniforms which will probably not avoid stains for too long! We all know how clumsy kids can be and their school uniforms will definitely be susceptible to many different types of spills and stains over the year.
If you want to stay on top of back to school stains, we’ve got some handy tips to keep your kids’ uniform clean. Don’t let the washing pile up, ACE has got you covered!
No matter if an apron or a jumper is worn, kids are bound to get paint absolutely everywhere – and worst of all, on their white school shirts! Although it’s common for schools to use water-based, washable paints, these can unfortunately still stain.
It’s better to treat the stain straight away and remove as much of it as possible while it’s still wet, however, we understand you may not be able to treat the stain until the end of the day when it’s dried. Have no fear though, there’s a solution! For white clothing, rinse with cold water and apply ACE for Whites Spray directly to the mark before laundering as usual with detergent.
Top tip: For extra stain removal power and to keep the whites looking bright all year round, also add ACE Ultra for Whites.
From leaky pens to accidental felt tip marks or biro artwork on sleeves, your child is likely to come home with at least one of these marks on a regular basis. The majority of ink stains respond best to the same treatment, even though biro is probably the hardest to remove.
Using alcohol-based products to blot before washing is one way in which ink stains can be removed. Another solution is to pretreat the stain with ACE Stain Remover Spray, leave it to work for 5 minutes, then add to your wash with detergent and 2 capfuls of ACE Ultra for Colours for a deep clean. The ink marks should then be banished!
Crayon stains may be a little less common but they’re still a risk for those kids that love to get arty and crafty. You may worry more that crayon is harder to remove due to its waxy texture, but there are a couple of home remedies that actually work wonders on these marks!
One option is baking powder; dip a wet cloth in warm water and then baking powder before scrubbing the stain. Once removed, wash as normal and your garment will look as good as new.
Another option is washing up liquid; after scraping off as much of the crayon as possible using a blunt utensil, work the liquid into the stain, leave for 5 minutes and rinse with warm water. Wash as normal using your ACE products and their school uniforms will be free of stains.
Pavement artwork using colourful chalks is nostalgic and a great activity for your kids during the drier, sunnier months of the school year. Don’t be fooled by its dusty nature though as chalk does actually have the ability to stain their school uniform. Both whites and darks can succumb to chalk residue and just wiping it off will not remove it completely.
When the garment is removed, make sure to shake or lightly brush off as much of the loose chalk. Then, apply ACE Stain Remover Spray or ACE for Whites Stain Remover Spray before putting it in the wash with your usual detergent on the hottest wash the fabric will allow.
Kids coming home sticky after school is a regular occurrence and, when it comes to glue, it can be extra sticky! There’s no need to panic when you find glue stains on their school clothes as well as their skin. Luckily, schools tend to use white PVC glues in art classes which are easier to remove than you may first think.
Before you tackle the stain, try and scrape off as much dried glue residue from the uniform as you possibly can. One trick to help this is by rubbing ice cubes in a plastic bag over the stain as this will help lift it from the fabric or soak the garment in cold water.
Next, apply ACE Stain Remover Spray before washing with laundry detergent in the washing machine and 2 capfuls for ACE Ultra for Colours.
Our worst nightmares is probably getting chewing gum in our hair, but what happens when we get it on our clothes? With plenty of opportunities for this to happen at school, we’ve got you covered with how to get rid of stains from school uniforms.
First thing’s first, don’t try to remove it while it’s still malleable as this could make it worse and even harder to remove. Either place an ice pack or bag of frozen peas over the gum or put the garment in a freezer bag and place it in the freezer for a couple of hours until the gum has hardened. This enables it to be easily removed using a blunt knife and, if any traces remain, rinse in the washing machine with a normal wash. Voila!
Another sticky stain that is likely to happen during playtime is tree sap. If your child’s school has a forest area that is used for breaks, when they come into contact with the trees, there is a chance tree sap may get onto their school clothes. As tacky as this may be, it isn’t a permanent stain, so you don’t need to worry!
Similar to the chewing gum above, put the garment into the freezer or applying an ice pack for a period of time will harden the tree sap making it easier to remove. Once completely frozen, use a dull utensil to scrape the stain away and add to your washing load with your ACE products for a deep clean.
If your kids love riding their bike to school – and on the weekends! – you probably already know about the risk of chain grease stains. Don’t let these regular stains take their toll, we’ve got the solution you need to remove them every time.
Washing up liquid is a solution for this type of stain too; as it’s meant to cut through grease on dishes, it cuts through grease on clothes too. Rub a little bit of the liquid directly onto the stain, rinse with cold water and wash the garment as usual. Or, another solution would be to pre-treat the stain with ACE Stain Remover Spray, leave it for a few minutes, then wash with your usual detergent and 2 capfuls of ACE Ultra for Colours.
For all your school stains, make sure you have ACE products to hand so you know you have the tools to tackle them all! Instructions on how to remove grass stains and mud stains can be found here and we have written a dedicated blog article on how to remove blood stains here.
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