Spit up stains and leaks from baby bottles can really do a number on your favorite shirts and onesies. Baby formula contains proteins and fats that can cling to fabric and become nearly impossible to remove over time. But don’t despair! With some handy laundry tricks, you can banish crusty formula stains from your laundry pile.
What You’ll Need
- Dish soap
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Baking soda
- White vinegar
- Laundry detergent
- Washcloth
- Toothbrush
- Bucket or sink for pretreating
Act Fast!
It’s important to treat formula stains as soon as possible after the spill happens. Given time to set in, the proteins and oils can bond strongly to fabric fibers. For best results, get to that onesie stain within a few hours if you can.
Pretreat the Formula Stain
Pretreating is essential to lifting set-in baby formula stains. It gives you a head start loosening up that sticky mess before laundering. Here’s a powerful pretreating formula that utilizes ingredients you likely already have at home:
- In a bucket or sink, mix together:
- 1⁄2 cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon dish soap
- 1 tablespoon hydrogen peroxide
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- Use a soft brush or washcloth soaked in the mixture to gently scrub the formula stain.
- Let the garment sit for about 10 minutes so the mixture can further penetrate the fabric.
- For extra stubborn stains, make a paste of baking soda and vinegar and carefully scrub it into the stain with a toothbrush before the wash cycle.
Wash as Usual
After pretreating, wash the garment as usual with your regular laundry detergent and the warmest water safe for the fabric. Using the gentle cycle is also recommended to avoid damaging clothes as you remove stains.
And that’s it! With the powerful combo of dish soap, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and vinegar, you can conquer those messy baby formula stains.
Still Seeing Stains?
If faint remnants of formula stains still remain after washing, don’t toss the garment just yet! Repeat the soaking and washing process focusing specially on the stained area. You can also try hanging the garment in direct sunlight, as the sun’s UV rays also help lift stains. With enough elbow grease, you can outsmart those stubborn formula stains!
Avoid Future Stains
While getting out current stains, also think about stain prevention! When your little one is taking a bottle, drape a clean burping cloth or small towel under their chin to catch any dripping milk. And try to change out of clothes immediately if you notice leakage or spit up on your shirts. Stopping that formula from setting into fabric in the first place will make your laundry days a breeze!
References:
American Cleaning Institute. “How to Remove Baby Formula Stains.” Accessed January 2023. https://www.cleaninginstitute.org/cleaning-tips/clothes/how-to-remove-baby-formula-stains
Good Housekeeping. “How to Get Formula Stains Out of Baby Clothes.” Accessed January 2023. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/tips/a24885/how-to-get-formula-stains-out-of-baby-clothes/
The Spruce. “How to Remove Formula Stains from Baby Clothes.” Accessed January 2023. https://www.thespruce.com/remove-formula-stains-from-baby-clothes-2146368
Laura has had an enthusiasm for laundry ever since she was a teenager experimenting with wash cycles. She went on study textile science in college before working in product testing.
Soon, Laura found friends and family constantly asking her laundry advice, realizing she had become an unofficial laundry guru. The questions kept coming in, so Laura decided to start sharing laundry tips online to help more people. The enthusiastic response led her start the blog “Laundry How”.
Now in her late thirties, Laura uses Laundry How to tackle all kinds of laundry topics – stains, fabric care, detergents, and more. She provides advice from both her studies and experience testing techniques out firsthand. Laura continues to grow an engaged community of laundry learners, feeling fulfilled empowering people to make laundry an easy, confidence-building ritual rather than a dreaded chore.