3 Different Ways to Get Baby Food Stains Out of Clothes

Babies are a bundle of joy; all parents know how babies can bring light to the family. But sometimes, they can be a little naughty, splashing their food and occasionally spitting it on you. This action causes baby food stains on clothes that can be hard to get out of.

What are the types of baby food?

Everyone knows what baby food is. They can be bought in the store, ready to be fed to the baby, or sometimes cooked. Some parents prefer making their own baby food. When you make homemade food, you are assured of the quality and the nutrients the baby will get.

All baby foods are different, but the ingredients from store-bought and homemade are almost the same. Fruits and vegetables such as Apples, Blueberries, Tomatoes, and Carrots are common types of baby foods for they bring the proper nutrients that babies need.

Their bases are also different, which causes various stain problems. However, these ingredients leave baby food stains on clothes despite the differences.

What are the different baby food stains?

There are natural dyes from the bright fruits and vegetables in the baby food, especially the tomato and blueberry. However, you must also take note of other bases that the baby food is made from.

First is the fruit and vegetable that can leave stains on the fabric of clothes very quickly but are hard to remove. Next are protein-based foods, which is not much of a problem with going a color.

Oil-based foods might not show stains but can damage the fabric of clothes if left unattended. Here is an example of oil-based homemade baby food.

What to do when clothes are stained with baby food?

Before going over the different ways to remove stubborn baby food stains, here are some pre-treatments you must try before doing anything to the clothes.

Scrape excess baby food

When the baby food splashed or got into your or your baby’s clothes, try to scrape off all the excess food that has not yet seeped through the fabric. This way, there will be few to remove and take care of.

Know what the baby food stain is

It was made clear that baby foods are made of different ingredients and different bases. Before doing the laundry, know what kind of base your baby food is to successfully choose which way you would like to use.

Remove stain immediately

Do not wait longer to remove the baby food stain or any stain. It will be more challenging to remove when the color gets dried out as it hardens and clings more to the fabric. Quickly act when you have already noticed a stain.

Presoak the stained clothes in cold water

Once you notice the stain in the clothes, presoak it to cold water with detergent immediately. With hard water, the colors of the paint will be lifted up rather than spread. It is also great for protein-based stains. Washing in hot water will only cook the proteins more.

Now that you have done these things, your clothes are ready for the treatment you will use. There are different ways you can treat the clothes but start with the basics first.

Can baby food stains be removed by laundry detergent?

Before trying any other treatments, you will probably wash out the stain first. It is not a bad idea since some colors can be removed by washing the clothes properly.

1. Use liquid detergent and apply it to the stained area.
2. Soak the clothes in cold water for 15 to 30 minutes without scrubbing the stain.
3. Rinse clothes with cold water.
4. Wash the fabric to the washing machine at the hottest temperature. You may also use bleach if the material is not damaged.

You may also pretreat the stained part of the clothes before the last step with any stain remover. There are various stain removers available to the market.

What are the 3 ways to get baby food stain out of clothes?

If the stain is not gone through liquid detergent, there are still different ways that you may try to remove it.

1. Removing Baby Stain Using a Vinegar

You might have some condiments in your kitchen, mainly if you feed a family. Vinegar is a common ingredient in many delicious foods but is also an essential item in cleaning. Removing baby stains also benefits from this.

1. Dilute white vinegar to make a solution with water and two parts vinegar.
2. Apply the solution directly to the stain.
3. Allow the solution to sit on the clothes for 10 minutes.
4. Wash the clothes generally as you would.

The acid from the vinegar will help remove the stains. The acetic acid component of vinegar can dissolve minerals, grease, and other residues and kill bacteria.

2. Removing Baby Stain Using Lemon Juice

When you have laundered your clothes and still have stains on them, you may try dousing the stained area with fresh lemon juice.

1. Lay your clothes on a flat working surface.
2. Squeeze a healthy amount of lemon juice on the stained area.
3. Let it sit on the clothes while drying it under the sun.

Although the lemon is also an acid-like vinegar, this is not the process. Lemon is also a natural bleaching agent, making the stains go lighter.

3. Removing Baby Stain Using Hydrogen Peroxide

If you clean your house yourself, cleaning products will be available in your home. One standard cleaning product that may help remove baby food stains is hydrogen peroxide with dish soap, mainly blue Dawn dish soap.

1. Mix two parts hydrogen peroxide to one-part blue Dawn dish soap into a sprayer.
2. Spray the solution to the stain and leave it for 15 minutes.
3. Wash your clothes as usual.

Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical solution to clean wounds until it becomes a must-have household cleaning item. The difference between this and water has an extra oxygen molecule, making it an excellent oxidizer.

These methods are best for fruit and vegetable and protein-based baby foods. However, a different approach can be used if the stain comes from oil-based baby food.

How to remove oil-based baby food stain out of clothes?

Because the components of each baby food base are different, there is also another treatment for an oil-based baby food stain. You may use either baking soda or talcum powder for this process.

1. Spread the clothes evenly on a flat working surface.
2. Sprinkle either baking soda or talcum powder generously on the stained area.
3. Let it sit for 15 minutes before scraping the powder off.
4. Apply any liquid laundry detergent to the stained area.
5. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes without touching or scrubbing it.
6. Normally wash the clothes.

The baking soda and talcum powder absorb the oil from the fabric. When the oil is gone, you will have to worry about removing the residual baby food stain. This will also prevent the material from being damaged furthermore.

Are there some tips when removing stains?

One should not be too worried about removing stains, especially baby food. Once you choose a method that works well for the type of food you have, it will not be a problem anymore.

Suppose you have trouble doing any of these steps. In that case, there are available stain remover products that will surely be in handy. Keep this mainly if you always deal with the stain. It will not only treat baby food stains but other kinds as well.

However, you must note that before drying your clothes after washing them, make sure that the stains are all gone. If you dry your clothes without removing all the colors, it might be set and will be harder to remove.

Drying your clothes under the sun will also help. Direct sunlight can lighten the stains and have a natural bleaching effect on the clothes.

These methods will help your life as a mother easier. Raising babies might be challenging. But at the end of the day, they also bring joy to the family with their contagious laughs and adorable smiles that are harder to remove than the baby food stains.

 

Frequently Asked Questions:

Are all baby food stains removable?

Whether the baby food is fruit and vegetable, protein, or oil-based, they are all removable with the proper technique.

What is the best way to remove the baby food stain from clothes?

Because there are different bases for baby foods, you must first find out what yours is made of. Vinegar solution is easy to make if you deal with fruits and vegetables. It is easier to remove protein as long as you use cold water.

Are these methods applicable to table mats?

Yes, the methods here are not just for wearable clothes but are also applicable to other items with the same fabrics.

Summary

It is easy to get baby food stains on your or your baby’s clothes, incredibly when naughty with their food.

But you will no longer have to worry about that problem as long as you follow the tips and the methods listed.