Need Laundry Help

**AmyBoz** · 05-04-2006, 12:14 PM

Julia plays HARD and has dirt stains on the knees of a pair of Khakis and a pair of pink courdoroys. I have used the Spray and Wash stain stick and bleach and washed them numerous times, but I can't get the stains out.

Any thoughts or ideas? They are good pants and I'd hate for her not to be able to wear them to school

**joyb** · 05-04-2006, 02:10 PM

I have had good luck with rubbing wet bar soap directly into the stain and then laundering as usual. I know it works on fresh stains. Can't guarantee it will work on older stains.

**staceyy** · 05-04-2006, 02:28 PM

If all else fails, can you put patches on the knees or dye the pants?

**canadian gardener** · 05-04-2006, 03:20 PM

Try Oxi Clean powder this way:

Pour hot water on the stains. Rub a TBSP of OXI powder into them. Fill a pot or tub with near boiling water, and put the pants in. ADD A SCOOP OF OXI again and mix up a bit. Leave, stir with long spoon to swish around a bit a couple more times.

When it cools--

Dump into washer, fill with hot water, detergent, another scoop of OXI and some other clothes (whites) and run thru regular cycle. I've had very good luck doing that. Usually gets out the worst stains.

Industrial automotive degreaser full strength is what I use on greasy stains.

**Sara Noel** · 05-04-2006, 03:30 PM

Have you tried vinegar soak?

**miss_thrifty** · 05-05-2006, 10:16 AM

Margery ddi u ever haer of the mollasses stain remover? I was going to try it, and then make sure it was rinsed out thourghly before I put in washer. Hmmmmmm I may have to today use it, Youngest son, total grass stains alraedy lol

**NoDebtMom** · 05-05-2006, 10:47 AM

I have some success with grass stains by taking a bar of fels naptha (sp?) soap and rubbing some into the stain. So long as you haven't dryer dried them- I think after that, it is set in.

**amysh** · 05-09-2006, 08:33 PM

Have you tried the recipe from Tightwad Gazette? I think she uses 1 cup dry bleach and 1 cup Cascade dishwashing detergent in a five gallon bucket of HOT water. I never have that much laundry to soak so I use 1/4 cup of each, in approximately 1 gallon of water.

Beware, though, it does fade dark colors! My DH had a black stripe (bias tape) on a pair of white pants he uses for martial arts. Well, they get filthy because they're often on the ground doing street fighting, or other stuff. I soaked the pants and they looked better, but the stripe was WAY faded. (He thinks it's 'cause I regularly bleach them, but I had often bleached them before the soaking treatment, and I never had a problem until then.

Amy