The year really does seem to be flying by! Like us, if you’re a parent of children or teenagers you’ll have recently waved them back off to school in a crisp and clean uniform. But if we know kids, we know this… however clean they are when you send them into school, they always seem to come home dirty!
Classrooms and playgrounds are full of the things children love and those “things” seem to be attracted with some invisible magnetic force to white shirts and blouses. We’re thinking glitter, paint, fountain pen ink, crayons and grass. And then there’s the dinner hall where beans and chocolate pudding seemingly collide to make stains galore.
As parents ourselves we understand the stresses of the school uniform and the mountain of mucky laundry it creates! We count ourselves as experts (and it was in fact our children who inspired us to create our laundry sheets - you can read about this here). We formulate our detergent sheets to deliver maximum cleaning power to those pesky school stains so you can wash with a little extra peace of mind.
For a standard dirty load all you need is one detergent sheet in the drum. For more heavily soiled uniforms a second sheet will deliver a powerful clean. And remember, our sheets are created with just 4 simple ingredients, including natural, plant based oils that keep clothes smelling great and feeling soft WITHOUT the need for added softener. Independent tests also confirmed that Simple Living Eco detergent sheets remove more stains than the UK market leader!
We all know that when it comes to stains, kids are the experts and pre-treatment may be needed in some situations. Here’s what we recommend when pre-treating stubborn stains:
Treating grass stains
Whilst kids love to run free on the school field they also are partial to the occasional fall and let’s not forget the goal celebration knee slide! And this means GRASS STAINS. Grass stains can be stubborn but don’t panic. Pre-treat a grass stain by dissolving a Simple Living Eco Oxygen Bleach Tab in water. Cool the water (grass stains are better to be treated with cold water rather than hot). An alternative would be to tab the area with surgical spirit. Don’t rub it, just dab it, rinse it and add to the washing machine as per your normal routine.
Treating crayon stains
Waxy stains need some extra work, but are fairly straightforward to remove. Take the stained garment and lie it facing down onto an old cloth or paper towel. Iron the back of the stain to allow the wax to soften and melt and scrape away the excess with a blunt knife or tea spoon. If a stain remains, pop into the machine along with a detergent sheet and wash on a setting as hot as the garment’s care instructions will allow.
Treating ink stains
As kids get older then seemingly don’t lose their ability to attract stains and pen ink is a classic! If you are finding pen ink stubborn to shift try pre-treating it by spraying it with hairspray. This may sound a little unconventional but it does work. Once sprayed, pop the garment into the wash with a detergent sheet and wash as normal.
Dealing with colour fade
If you’re finding your kids’ school uniform is fading a little over time we recommend using our Oxygen Bleach Tablets in every wash. These really do maximise the cleaning power of our detergent sheets. Made with Sodium Percarbonate, this is simply activated hydrogen peroxide. Natural, simple and effective it allows you to add extra cleaning power to your wash, dealing with tough stains during the machine cycle or for a pre-soak without resorting to chlorine bleach. It will not discolour fabrics and can be used on all fabrics except silk, wool or leather.
We hope this guide is helpful - let us know which stains your little ones seem to attract the most by dropping us a comment below!
