Dealing with Stains Caused by the Great Outdoors

Nothing is worse than trying to remove a hard, set in stain. But what can you do? If you are active, if your husband or your kids are active and you all love the outdoors, than outdoor stains are bound to occur.

Don't fear. Don't hide inside. Just know what to do the next time they or yourself come in from the great outdoors with a stain may seem almost too tough to handle.

Ground in dirt

The kids seem to roll in the stuff. You may even ground some into your clothes yourself if you are active gardener. What to do?

If the clothes are wet, allow them to dry. Treat with a prewash stain remover. (my favorite is Spray n Wash). Wait to wash or wash as soon as you can. Personally, I try to wash before the stain remover completely dries.

Grass Stains

The kids fall into the grass. We may even do this occasionally ourselves. What to do?

Use a liquid detergent that is based with enzymes and rub it right into the stain. Wash in hot water. If the fabric is bleach safe, use it as well.

Bird droppings

Sometimes these do fall onto our clothes, not just our cars. What to do?

Treat with the prewash stain remover. You may also soak it in warm water with a detergent containing enzymes. Wash. If that stain is still there, carefully, using an eye dropper place a drop or two of hydrogen peroxide onto the stain. Now apply a couple of drops of unscented ammonia. You may want to test the ammonia on part of the fabric that is hidden, first, to make sure it doesn't create another stain.

Pollen

Yes, this stuff gets on our hair, our skin and our clothes. What to do:

Shake the clothing first. Use tape to remove any particles off of the clothing. Never use your hands to rub or brush off, this action could cause it to become further rubbed into the fabric. Treat with a prewash stain treatment. Wash. If pollen still remains, place the clothing outside in the sun for a few hours.

Another outdoor stain problem that may occur is that involving your suntan lotion. Yes, you must wear it. But if it does stain, here is what you may want to do:

Scrape any of the excess lotion off of the cloth. Treat with a prewash stain treatment. Wash in hot water.