Formula Stains

Updated on May 01, 2008
A.H. asks from Hampstead, MD
46 answers

What have you all found gets out formula stains?

I've tried putting Shout on the stain before I throw it in the basket which works sometimes. I've used bleach for plain white onesies, but it doesn't get all the stains out and you can't use it on colors.

What can I do next?

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S.H.

answers from Lynchburg on

I put a scoop of oxy clean in with my 6mo old stuff works on formula and even stains from his green vegtables he has sensitive skin and it doesn't bother him give it a try

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L.L.

answers from Dover on

I use Spray & Wash Dual Power (it has 2 different chambers of liquid that come out together when you apply). It works like magic on stains! Some really tough stains need a couple treatments and runs through the washer. Just be careful with it because it does take the color along with the stain out of certain fabrics, so test a hidden corner on really nice clothes first!
This stuff got stains out of baby clothes that had been in my attic for 17 years!!

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H.M.

answers from Washington DC on

Hi A.,
I have a friend who told me to use the Stain Stick and Oxyclean, you can leave the stain stick on until you are ready to wash. I didn't try it for a long time and now I wish I had. What I do is have one stain stick on the laundry room and one up stairs by one of the dirty baskets. I rub the stain stick on and wash it when I am ready. When I do wash it I put a scoop of Oxyclean in the wash with my regular detergent, I also use color safe bleach (I put the Oxyclean and color bleach in with each load anyway). I have been shocked at some of the things this combo has gotten out, sometimes it takes multiple cycles. I am about to give it the ultimate test of getting melted red crayon off of an entire load of light colors that got covered with the crayon in the dryer. Good luck with the stains. I will let you know how it does on the crayon.

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J.P.

answers from Washington DC on

I've never had luck with Shout on any stains. My remover of choice is Zout and most of my daughter's stuff stayed stain-free despite being a messy eater. However, I am intriqued by the ideas for peroxide and will give it a try. Thanks.

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A.Q.

answers from Washington DC on

Hello! I have not had much trouble with this, my guy tends to keep his stuff down pretty well. BUT, I have heard that oxi-clean works wonders. They make a fragrance/dye free one for babies (I think you can get it at Babies R Us). Anyways, I've used the original formula for washing clothes and it works well. You just add a scoop to your laundry with your regular detergent. Good luck!

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T.S.

answers from Washington DC on

A., I use the spray and wash stain stick.. you just put it on the stains (like a big chapstick) before you wash and it usually works! Good Luck! T.

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N.L.

answers from Washington DC on

Oxy Magic works ver well!

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K.I.

answers from Washington DC on

OXY CLEAN FOR BABIES!!!! Life saver......add it to every load

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D.H.

answers from Washington DC on

hi A.. my son is 21 and my daughter is now 12. i did this for both. what worked well for me was to soak the formula stained piece of clothing in cold water for a couple of days (3-4, a week if its really stained) with dreft or whatever detergent you choose directly onto the stain. after a day or so check it maybe having to add a little more detergent to the stain and scrub. trust me it works. the key is to soak it as soon as you can; don't wait until the stain has set in for a day or so. i'm curious how it works for ya. God bless.

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S.L.

answers from Washington DC on

SUNSHINE AND/OR RESOLVE CARPET CLEANER!

I to this day follow my Mom's rule. Good old-fashioned sunshine will bleach out stains from your clothes. Just wet the shirt/outfit and lay out in the sunshine for the day. It worked like a charm for formula stains and spagetti stains! The sun naturally bleaches the stain without any harsh chemicals.

If it was winter or the sun was sparce, my Mom swore by Resolve carpet cleaner. It is not a stain remover for clothes but it does work. I just had spagetti sauce, chocolate and coffee on a few shirts. I sprayed the stains, let it sit for 10 minutes (all day usually on my schedule) and just wash on cold in the washer. You could rinse before washing to see if the stain diminished.

Hope this helps.

L.A.

answers from Washington DC on

The best thing for stain removal is a non-toxic liquid I use from Veriuni. If you google it look for the Natural Stain Remover. Actually, I use all of the Veriuni products and love them. They're highly concentrated, so a little goes a long way.

It doesn't smell, and doesn't harm you or the environment and it works better than anything I've ever used. I dilute 2/3 with water in a spray bottle and spray a little on the stain and let it sit till laundry day (usually 1-2 days later) and the stain is completely gone. It wipes out everything.

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M.K.

answers from Washington DC on

I found that liquid dishwasher soap helped on some of the stains from formula, just make sure you water it down before putting on the clothes (test in a small area). It worked for me 20 years ago w/the last one

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D.D.

answers from Washington DC on

The DREFT spray is awesome... how are the boys?

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S.C.

answers from Norfolk on

Babies r us has a product I used to use for my boys. I think it was called "Totally Toddler" it got EVERYTHING out. It came in a spray bottle and then you could by 1/2 gallon refills. Toys r us may have it too.

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C.H.

answers from Washington DC on

The stains from formula actually are from the iron in the formula. The best thing to get out the iron is a product that removes iron stains from bathtubs/sinks/toilets ect. You don't need much of it....sorry I can't remember the name but can be purchased at Lowe's or Home Dept. Use about 1/2 cup per gallon of water let the clothes soak in a bucket overnight. It works miracles.

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T.H.

answers from Norfolk on

i've heard Biz works great.

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B.B.

answers from Norfolk on

I know this may sound weird, but it does work. I use Peroxide to get stains out of my clothes. It gets everything out. You just pour it on the stain if it is really bad and has set in and let it sit for a while and then wash and dry and it should come out. I have even used it to get out mildew stains. I use about a 1/2 cup to 1 cup when I do laundry and it helps brighten them and get stains out without using bleach. It will not bleach your colors as some people may think that it does. I have also used it to take stains out of my carpet as well. It is very inexpensive and will not harm you and is non-toxic.

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B.W.

answers from Washington DC on

I used this trick with my 3rd child...to bad I didn't know about it with the older 2.
What I used was GoJo. You can find it at Walmart in the automotive department. It's the stuff that Michanics use to clean oil off their hands while working on cars. Believe it or not the stuff worked like a miricle. It even got out old spit up stains from some of my 1st daughters clothes that I had saved.
All I did was use an old toothbrush to apply the gojo and scrub the stain. Then I'd let it sit on the stain for awhile. Sometimes I'd just throw it in the hamper until wash day and it still came out!
As the kids got older I've used it on grass stains, chocolate and even blood stains! On blood stains I advise putting some on both sides of the material.
Make sure you buy the white virsion. The last time I bought some it even had clothes stains listed on it as one of it's uses.

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A.M.

answers from Washington DC on

Hi A.,

Have you ever tried using peroxide on the stains. It's a harmless substance you could try it for prespotting.

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A.G.

answers from Washington DC on

Soak in oxycean (the powder not spray) overnight for tough ones or stains you have already put throught the dryer. Otherwise I don't pretreat at all - I just add a big scoop of oxyclean to the laundry with All Free and Clear (instead of dreft).

Sometimes soaking in oxyclean gets all those already dried in stains out too as long as the stain was organic (ie doesn't work on rust or grease). This works especially well when the diaper leaks. The clothes go immediately into a bucket of oxyclean and water and stay there still wet until I wash them. Just don't let them sit too long or you will have mildew. Also don't buy the free and clear oxyclean - the powder is so light you can't help but breath it in which is clearly unhealthy.

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S.M.

answers from Richmond on

I found that the Dreft stain remover can take just about anything out. It worked for my daughter's formula and food stains when she was little. I eve got out the carrot and sweet tater stains out!

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J.W.

answers from Norfolk on

You will probably juyst have to thow the clothes away, formula and breastmilk stains are very hard to get out. I ahd to throw away a lot wiht my oldest daughter

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J.S.

answers from Washington DC on

Try running it through the wash and don't dry it. While it is wet, lay it outside with the stain in the sun. I've found the sun bleaches out the stain often times while it dries. It doesn't change the color of the clothes. Though it doesn't work every time, it does some so it might be worth a shot.

Good luck.

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S.H.

answers from Washington DC on

Many years ago I used a detergent called Dreft for babies. I thought it was great. There is also Oxyclean to try.

S.

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A.H.

answers from Washington DC on

1/2 cup of Clorox 2 colorsafe bleach powder + 1/2 liquid detergent mixed into 2 gallons of hot water. Soak stained garments for at least 2 hours or , even better, overnight. Then rinse and launder as usual. This always got the stains out. However, if you already mashine dried the garments, they might never come out, since the heat of the drier will set the stain.

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J.B.

answers from Washington DC on

Hi!

I have 4 children and I always used Toddler's Best. You can get it in the baby department of Walmart or KMart. Good Luck!

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J.N.

answers from Washington DC on

A product that I've never used but heard great things about is OxiClean. Have you tried that yet? If someone has already responded with this advice, I apologize for being too lazy to have read everyone else's ideas before thinking mine is SO brilliant!

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R.W.

answers from Norfolk on

I have had the best luck with the Oxy Clean stain spray.

Good luck!!

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T.J.

answers from Washington DC on

Hi A.,
Im mom of two myself and I can't tell you how many stains I have seen. Luckily I have found that Dreft Spray works on everything!!! It works on clothes with new and old stains. It also is a great spray for carpet stains. Hope it works for you too.
T. Johns

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C.P.

answers from Washington DC on

Soak the baby clothes (colors and whites seperated)in cold water with 1/2 cup to 1 cup Murphys Oil Soap overnight then wash as usual the next day.

If they are whites or colorfasts (a poly blend that the colors are locked into the fibers) they can be soaked in a sink with Cascade and cold water overnight and washed as usual the next day. Please be advised Cascade will whiten the toughest stains out so I would not use it on anything I thought it might bleach the color out of. But it works for everything, old linens, lace, white clothing, canvas shoes, etc.

There is also a spray called Nursery Time Toddler Stain Remover that contains alcohol and it works incredibly well as a pretreatment if you are in a pinch and cannot soak. It is sold a WalMart SS, Target, Babies R Us and Toys R Us.

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M.S.

answers from Washington DC on

OxiClean is the best for formula stains (and everything else)! We used to mix a scoop of the powder with water but now they sell an OxiClean spray! I even used it on hand-me-downs that I received that had stains and they all came out. It's awesome stuff! :-)

D.S.

answers from Allentown on

Hi A.,

Have you checked the internet for an answer?

Good luck. D.

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H.L.

answers from Washington DC on

1 cup non-chlorine Clorox powder, 1 cup cascade dishwashing powder. Pour both in a bucket in your bathtub and fill with HOT water. Add clothes. Let sit for as long as necessary. If you are doing whites, you can just pour the water and the clothes into the washer. If the clothes bleed, it’s probably better not to pour the water in.

This is the best! I call it the miracle stain remover! It even took out stains on clothes I had packed away for 3 years!
Amazing. Hope it helps you.

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G.D.

answers from Washington DC on

Hi A.. Dreft Liquid Stain Remover works very well for me. However, I presoak the stain for about 5 minutes, and depending upon how stained it is, re-spray and rub the cloth together. Afterwards, I throw it in the washer machine with the rest of the load... using Dreft detergent.

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W.J.

answers from Washington DC on

I have found SPRAY 'n WASH Dual Power Laundry Stain Remover works well.

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M.W.

answers from Washington DC on

Try rubbing it with a little Ivory soap (the regular bath soap) before you put in the wash. Get the spot wet, rub on a little Ivory, do a little scrub and toss in with the rest of the wash. The key is NOT to let the stains set - the sooner you treat the better. Even if you aren't doing the wash that instant, treat the spot and then include the item with the rest of the laundry.

When my guys (now 8 and 5) were babies I never used any special spot remover except Ivory, and their stuff was always nice and white - so long as I remembered to spot treat. Once they go thru the dryer it'll take stronger stuff to get the stains out.

Good luck!

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T.B.

answers from Cumberland on

It may sound a little weird, but I always took off my baby's clothes and placed them on the bottom of the tub before I put the baby in. It then protected the baby, and most of the stains were removed immediately instead of being allowed to soak in.

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K.K.

answers from Washington DC on

I liked using "ZOUT"....It seemed to work on a lot of stains. I do not know for formula stains per se, but I know it works well.

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M.C.

answers from Washington DC on

I found a spray at Babies R Us called Totally Toddler. I spray it on all of the dirty clothes, even for the rest of the family. Let the stuff sit for 5-10 minutes and then run a regular wash. The only clothes that I've had to toss out were underwear (sometimes its just easier to toss those). I've been able to pass all of my DD clothes down to other kids.
M.

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N.B.

answers from Washington DC on

Hi, A., Are you familiar with Melaleuca? Their product, Sol-U-Mel, gets ANY stain out! Their products also sanitize without harmful chemicals like bleach. Check out saferforyourhome.com. Good luck! N. B.

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S.L.

answers from Washington DC on

I reccomend Oxyclean. I leave all of our stained onsies etc to soak in a bucket of oxy clean and water before washing. Stains don't stick when they're soaked fast.

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J.B.

answers from Norfolk on

I use spray n wash and it gets almost EVERYTHING out!!!

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L.A.

answers from Charlottesville on

I agree Oxy clean is amazing. I get the tub and soak the clothes with stains on them for about 4-6 hours and then wash them with regular detergant.

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S.W.

answers from Washington DC on

Dreft is great for everything from poop to spit up to formula and baby food. It's a bit more expensive but you will covet it once you see what it does. And I wouldn't use bleach but you could use Oxy (make sure it is the liquid) and just let it soak in the Dreft and Oxy. Bleach is too strong and can irritate a baby's sensitive skin. Good Luck!!

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A.W.

answers from Glens Falls on

The spray and wash stick has worked great for me!! I leave it next to where I change her and if there are stains when I take her clothes off I wipe it on them and let it set for about 24 hours and WA...LA.. the stains are gone! Good luck, hope this helps!

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C.B.

answers from Charlottesville on

I use Oxy Clean for my bigger kids & adult clothes and Totally Toddler for the baby items. I love how both work. I'll sometimes spray them with Shout and wait a couple days to gather other stained clothes for a small load to soak in the Oxy Clean or Totally Toddler. With a 5 person household it doesn't take long to gather stained clothes.

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