what is you most efficiant stain remover for clothing. I have 2 boys 4 and 7 and a lot of dirt, grass and grease stains????

Ha Ha- here is my "secret": I discovered, quite by accident, that left to soak long enough, Oxyclean will remove any stain. I use the generic type from Walmart... I left an item soaking accidently for two weeks. It came out perfect, and I had tried several other stain removers with no success. I have to laugh remembering dh peering into the bucket and asking, "Do you think whatever is in there is still good?"

It seems like soaking for at least a week is crucial for tough stains, so you can't use this method on any item you need fixed right away. And I found out the hard way not to soak anything with sparkles, shiny metal, beads, etc. It will come out dull or tarnished looking.

BUt I have had good luck with this simple method- I keep a couple of "soaking" buckets going in the laundry room (out of the way of kids, of course).

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I don't believe in miracles; I depend on them

I use shout but leave it on top the washer for a week treating for thoose really bad stains also goup mechanice hand cleaner will get most everythign out.

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dawn dish det. should get rid or grease stains my mother swears by that.
i haven't really had to deal to much with the other stains.

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Ashley

I believe CrazyKelly made a post on the old board about BIZ... I wasn't really sure if it would work, and let me tell you it does!

I use the girls baby bathtub, the washer and the bathtub in the second bathroom, run HOT water, pour a cup of BIZ in, let it dissolve, put the clothes in and let them set overnight!

I do this with everybodies clothes and it works GREAT!

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I use blue Dawn dish soap for greasy stains, blood, food stains...it works great. Even works after items have gone thru the dryer. I use it full strength and scrub with a toothbrush or as a soak too in a bucket.

I also found out, quite by accident, that if I scrubbed a yellowed underarm area (cottons only) with the Clorox Bleach Pen and then scrubbed in some Blue Dawn, that it took out the yellow.

For grass, try rubbing alcohol...soak the area and let it sit for a while (hour or so) and then wash as usual.

For light or white clothes, I soak in tepid water with dissolved Biz. Might soak even overnight and then wash as usual.

I personally wouldn't use hot water to soak anything with a stain, I would think it would set the stain, but that's me. I've read about folks that swear by the 'Biz Boil' but I'm afraid to try that...just afraid it would set a stain. I guess I have my Mom's mantra about hot water and stains set in my head. LOL I also don't use oxyclean, it didn't work at all forme. Probably depends on your water, the type of stains you're dealing with etc

I was afraid to use hot water too, but it works for me! Take a old shirt with a stain and see if it works, no harm if it doesn't! That's how I tried it!

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Thank you so much for all of your great ideas . I tried the generic oxyclean so far and it has been great.......

I like Zout for spot treating. For whites I fill the washer with hot water and add 1/2 cup original cascade powder for the dishwasher, 2 T. bleach and normal amount of detergent. I let them soak for 1 hour then start the wash cycle. I'm happy with the results. I also like biz.

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Nadene

I have question about the grass stain removing it with alcohol-----do you diluate is or just use it straight applied directly to the stain???

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Lisa

Even when freshly washed and relieved of all obvious confections, children tend to be sticky. ~Fran Lebowitz