Gluesticks Blog

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • DIY
  • About Me
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • DIY
    • About Me
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Home & Garden » Cleaning & Organizing

    How to Remove Old Stains From Baby Clothing

    February 16, 2019 By Brandy 73 Comments

    The easiest way to remove old stains from baby clothing! Treat several items at once, even set in stains! Works for blow outs and spit up stains. Also takes out the yellow spots in baby clothing (breast milk and formula stains) that have been in storage. This post contains affiliate links.

    The easiest way to tackle baby stains in clothing! Treat several items at once, even set in stains! Works for blow outs and spit up stains. Also takes out the yellow spots in baby clothing that have been in storage.
    Have you ever pulled out a box of stored infant clothes only to notice that they are STAINED? They were clean when you packed them away, but now they have yellow spots all over them. Well, those yellow spots are enzymes from spit up and diaper blow outs. Bleach can help if the items are white, but what about colored outfits?

    The yellow spots linger in the clothes and are unique to baby stains.

    I call these types of stains ‘baby stains’ because they are different than food or permanent marker type stains. Simply treating them with a spray on stain remover is not going to work. You’re going to need an enzyme cleaner like OxiClean.

    My little cutie is almost three months old now! In those three months, he has treated us to quite a few loads of laundry and baby stains! Mostly from spit up, but we've had a couple of impressive onesie blowouts as well. The most recent one was last night while I was at a meeting. He was sitting on my lap and I could totally feel it happening and there wasn't a thing that I could do about it! It was all up his back and soaked through the brand-new outfit from Baby Gap.

    Not only did his outfit take a hit, but also the blanket he was wrapped in, and the blanket that I laid him on while cleaning up the mess!

    I wasn't worried about baby stains at all. I simply wrapped it all up in a blanket and put it in the car and would eventually take care of it when I had time at home.

    ::speaking of blowouts...every mom needs a blowout kit to keep in the car. Trust me. Click here to see what I keep in mine!::

    This is because my sister shared her method for how to remove old stains from baby clothing years ago when my other kids were babies, and it has been my go-to method ever since. It has saved many, many articles of clothing. Her mother-in-law shared the trick with her and now I'm sharing it with you. I don't use cloth diapers, but I'd imagine this would be helpful for those as well.

    I've tried skipping this method and rinsing the fabrics with a variety of pretreatments like Oxi Clean Spray and Wash, but I still sometimes end up with light yellow staining.

    The easiest way to tackle baby stains in clothing! Treat several items at once, even set in stains! Works for blow outs and spit up stains. Also takes out the yellow spots in baby clothing that have been in storage.

    Baby Protein Stains From Breastmilk and Formula

    The secret is Oxi Clean and BOILING water. Normally you would use cold water and avoid hot water when trying to remove a stain, but not for baby stains using this method. The Oxi Clean has a chemical reaction to the enzymes in the spit up for those yellow stains (protein stains) that appear in baby clothing after sitting in storage.

    Treating Baby Blow Outs

    It also reacts with diaper blow outs so that they wash right out. If you don't want to treat items one at a time you can give them a quick rinse then set to the side and wait until you have a few items with baby stains to treat together.

    The easiest way to tackle baby stains in clothing! Treat several items at once, even set in stains! Works for blow outs and spit up stains. Also takes out the yellow spots in baby clothing that have been in storage.

    My husband said I should have taken a "before" photo. I just couldn't bring myself to do that. It was nasty, and I have a personal thing against posting poop stains on social media. I hope you'll forgive me, but just know that there was a soft ball sized stain that leaked from the back to the front of this beautiful organic cotton one piece. But after treating it with Oxi Clean and boiling water it is perfectly clean!

    How to Remove Old Stains From Baby Clothing

    The easiest way to tackle baby stains in clothing! Treat several items at once, even set in stains! Works for blow outs and spit up stains. Also takes out the yellow spots in baby clothing that have been in storage.
    Step 1: Fill a large stock pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

    Step 2: SLOWLY pour two small scoops of Oxi Clean into the water (Scoop sizes vary, but about ¼ c. works great).

    Step 3: Add stained clothing. Stir to make sure everything is soaked.

    Step 4: Let soak for 10-15 minutes.

    Step 5: Dump the entire pot (excess water and all) into the washing machine.

    Step 6: Run a normal cycle in the washing machine with a bit of laundry detergent. Place in the dryer and dry as usual.

    Notes:

    • Treat light-colored clothing separately from dark-colored clothing to avoid color bleeding.
    • Pour Oxi Clean slowly into the water to avoid foaming over.
    • May be repeated if the baby stains don't come out all the way out of the garment the first time. I've never had to do this.

    You might also like...

    Tried and True Cleaning Hacks like How to Remove Stains from Baby Clothing, Uses for White Vinegar and Baking Soda and MORE!

    IKEA Wall of Storage Built-Ins

     

    12 Mom Hacks to Make Life Easier from Scary Mommy

    Share
    Pin

    More Cleaning and Organizing Tips

    • 3 felt baskets with school supplies in them
      Felt Nesting Baskets for Storage (+ Video)
    • 15 Ways Being a Minimalist Can Improve Your Life
    • Small Closet Organization Ideas for a Clean and Clutter-Free Home
    • family recipe book sitting upright on table
      Cookbook Printables: Make A Family Recipe Book

    About Brandy

    Welcome! I'm Brandy, mother to 5 darling kiddos and a cute black lab named Toby. My husband is in the Coast Guard so we've lived all over the place, turning each house into a home. I love baking, sewing, making cute things with my kids, and sharing what I've learned with all of you!

    Comments

    1. Stephanie says

      January 12, 2025 at 11:17 am

      Okay honestly I was skeptical, but this worked PERFECTLY on year old formula, milk and blowout stains!!! I was worried about the little graphics melting or distorting but they are fine! THANK YOU for sharing this, I am now on a mission to obliterate all the stains from all of my little’s outgrown (and current 😅) clothes! 😂

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        January 12, 2025 at 3:07 pm

        Yay!!

        Reply
    2. Kim Couch says

      December 05, 2024 at 1:05 pm

      I am so glad I found this. I tried your method on baby clothes that had been stored in the attic for 25 years. It did an amazing job and now I can pass on some baby clothes to my daughter. Thank you for this wonderful method!

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        December 05, 2024 at 5:27 pm

        Oh, I’m so glad!!

        Reply
    3. Eliza says

      March 12, 2023 at 6:38 pm

      Would this get old baby food stains out?

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        March 12, 2023 at 7:25 pm

        It might. I’ve only it used it for bodily stains (spit up, diaper leaks etc.)

        Reply
    4. Alana says

      February 01, 2023 at 1:34 pm

      Definitely help but still have some yellowing just not as severe. Will try to repeat and hopefully they will be totally gone! Trying this on some stains on my 2 year olds clothes as well as they came out of the washer with bluish/gray spots, soaked twice with Borax and still present. Fingers crossed!

      Reply
    5. Jennifer says

      September 02, 2022 at 9:09 pm

      Thank you so much for this suggestion it word super well on baby clothes I had in storage for a little more than 3 years! I started by spraying dreft on the spit up stains, only to find the stains didn’t go anywhere. I contemplated tossing all of the stained outfits out, but I’m so glad I found your blog post! There was only one outfit that seemed to be negatively impacted, which was a burt’s bees sleeper that was light gray & white striped - some of the gray areas had small pinkish blotches afterward (almost like if I had spilled a little bleach on it, but I didn’t). All of the items I treated with the oxi-clean were in the same color sceme, so it wasn’t color bleed from something red. It was the only burt’s bees outfit I treated, & the only outfit impacted. It’s not the end of the world, but wanted to make anyone else aware. Ultimately I’m so glad for your tip though...everything else looks like new again! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        September 02, 2022 at 10:35 pm

        Glad it worked—-for almost everything!!

        Reply
    6. Wendy Costante says

      July 05, 2022 at 9:53 pm

      Used your method on baby clothes that I had stored for more than 27 years, and I'm now handing them on to my son and his wife for my first grandchild. It worked perfectly - thanks so much for the tip.

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        July 06, 2022 at 6:25 pm

        Oh, I’m so glad to hear this!

        Reply
    7. Emma says

      January 19, 2022 at 12:07 pm

      Thank you for this! I’m wondering if this technique will work if you clean the garments and then put them back in storage for a few months. Does the stain reappear? I’m hoping to take care of laundering baby clothes before my third trimester.

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        January 19, 2022 at 3:30 pm

        Hi Emma! From my experience, once the stain is gone it's stayed gone. I think you'd be find laundering the clothing ahead of time.

        Reply
    8. Ellen Blaisdell says

      December 22, 2021 at 10:44 am

      I have an antique family christening dress about 130 yr old, made by my great great grandmother and passed down through the generations. I took it from 12 years of storage for my first grandchild's ceremony and it has the telltale yellow stain in the front. I washed in cold with Oxyclean yesterday, the stain has lightened but still there. I am sorely tempted to try the boiling water/Oxyclean method but fear it will damage the dress. Do you have experience using this method with old/antique/precious clothing?

      EB

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        December 22, 2021 at 2:10 pm

        Hi Ellen! Everything I’ve washed was onesies and basic baby clothes. Nothing of heirloom quality. I’m sorry I’m not more helpful!

        Reply
        • Ellen Blaisdell says

          December 27, 2021 at 11:31 am

          Success! I wanted to share my method, which is a variation on yours. The family heirloom christening dress had a large semicircle of yellow under the neck after a dozen years in storage. After several unsatisfactory attempts using cold water, I heated 1-3/4 gallons of water in a pot (max water amount pot could hold) to 130 degrees which is the typical hot wash temp, added and dissolved 1-3/4 scoops original Oxiclean (1 full scoop to level 4 on scoop, the second scoop to level 3), and put the christening dress in and soaked for 10 hours. Then I dumped water and dress into my top loader, added hot water to small wash level, added Tide free and gentle detergent, and hand-washed the dress in the top loader, rinsing several times. I rolled the dress in towels to remove most water, and laid flat to dry. I was afraid to use boiling water but the 130 degree did the trick. It came out beautifully, all stains gone. Thank you so much!

          Reply
          • Brandy says

            December 27, 2021 at 2:27 pm

            Awesome!! And thank you for coming back and updating us. This will help anyone else wondering about those types of items too!

            Reply
    9. Grace says

      October 25, 2021 at 7:47 pm

      I don’t usually reply to these but I have to on this one. I can not believe how well this works!! I received a ton of hand-me-down baby clothes and some of the cutest onesies were stained. Gave this a whirl not thinking it would work and I’m now obsessed. They all look brand new!

      Today I thought I’d try it on some white pillow cases that turned yellow in storage. IT WORKED! So much better than bleach! Thanks a bunch for this!

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        October 25, 2021 at 9:17 pm

        I’m so glad!! I hate throwing out clothes so I’m so glad it worked for you too!

        Reply
    10. DJ says

      September 04, 2021 at 6:57 am

      Will the oxiclean liquid work or just the powder? I work with infants and as such my shirts do get spit up stains on them. Thank You for your time and consideration with this question.

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        September 05, 2021 at 10:06 am

        Hi! I've only ever used the powdered Oxiclean so I'm not sure if it would make a difference or not.

        Reply
    11. Katie Ryan says

      February 07, 2021 at 2:52 pm

      Hi! Any idea how many newborn items can be put in the pot at the same time?

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        February 07, 2021 at 8:33 pm

        Hi Katie! You can put quite a few in. Just make sure you can still give them a stir with a wooden spoon. If they are packed too tight the water/oxyclean might not soak them completely.

        Reply
    12. Brooke says

      December 04, 2020 at 3:37 pm

      On the scoop size, are you meaning to use a 1/4 cup size scoop and still use 2 scoops (1/2 total) or just use 1/4 cup total? Excited to try this! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        December 04, 2020 at 4:47 pm

        1/4 c. Total. Hope your results are as good as ours were! 🙂

        Reply
    13. Kim says

      November 21, 2020 at 7:26 pm

      I had a white blanket with fringe that only had one small stain on it. Booked with oxiclean and now the blanket has large yellow spots all over it. Any thoughts or suggestions. It said it could be machine washed.

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        November 21, 2020 at 8:45 pm

        That is really strange. I’ve never had oxyclean cause stains. It has only ever removed spit up and blow out stains that nothing else could get out. 🙁

        Reply
    14. Jessica Henn says

      November 04, 2020 at 11:33 am

      How should I handle items that are both white and color? Like I have a color block navy and white dress? Should these go with the whites or colors?

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        November 05, 2020 at 12:27 pm

        Hi Jessica! Most of what I washed were onesies (solid colors). I would imagine it would be ok, but haven't tested it.

        Reply
    15. Doris Risley says

      October 15, 2020 at 4:05 pm

      Is it safe to put baby clothes in the Oxiclean boiling water?? I have a pink baby dress that has been stored for 25 years with unknown stain at top of dress. I am afraid boiling water would set the stain.

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        October 15, 2020 at 5:02 pm

        I use this for baby clothes. Works great and the boiling water doesn't set the stains. That being said, the oldest outfits that I have washed were 10 years old. I haven't used them for heirlooms or anything older.

        Reply
    16. Steph says

      September 19, 2020 at 2:47 pm

      I know everyone is saying the colors bleed, I just soaked a pot full of onesies with spit up. Had white ones, dark green ones and a white one with blur trim. I through one the oxyclean white revive powder that comes in the all white container not the traditional blue container and the colors didn’t bleed. Maybe just a throught for everyone for it to be colorsafe.

      Reply
    17. Stacie Bodine says

      August 24, 2020 at 6:39 pm

      I have a front loading washing machine. How can I make this work without having to go to the laundromat?
      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        August 24, 2020 at 11:04 pm

        Hi Stacie! I have a front loader, too. I pour the pot of water and clothes into the washer. Just being careful not to splash. It works!

        Reply
    18. Heidi says

      August 02, 2020 at 1:47 pm

      Can i do several pots full and wait to wash them all together after an hour or 2 or do they need to be washed right away? I got a huge bunch of borrowed clothes back all covered in spitup stains 🙁 so hopeful I can revive them!

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        August 03, 2020 at 1:07 pm

        Hi Heidi! You can totally wait to wash them all at once. Hope they save your clothes!

        Reply
    19. Beth H says

      July 12, 2020 at 7:23 pm

      This is amazing! I had 30 year old stains on a smocked dress. I had tried every remedy given to me to no avail. Oxiclean in boiling water removed every single stain!

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        July 13, 2020 at 11:29 am

        Oh, I'm so glad to hear this!

        Reply
    20. Ehvan says

      April 17, 2020 at 9:10 am

      When running a normal cycle, did you use cold/cool water or warm/hot water?

      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        April 17, 2020 at 10:12 am

        I typically run normal cycles with cold water. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    21. Brandy says

      January 23, 2020 at 9:09 pm

      That's interesting because I used this method once a week with my newborns to get rid of diaper blow outs and spit up stains. Occasionally, I had to treat certain items twice. But it always cleaned the clothing in the end!

      Reply
    22. Reagen Ikard says

      August 11, 2019 at 10:30 am

      This works amazingly well!! Getting clothes ready for a consignment sale and it made them look like new!

      Reply
    23. Rachel says

      August 08, 2019 at 6:33 pm

      Just a note, she isn’t kidding when she says separate darks and lights. I included a white shirt with a red graphic on it, and it completely ruined almost everything else in the pot. All of my oldest son’s cute newborn outfits are ruined with dye transfer 😪

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        August 10, 2019 at 11:08 pm

        Oh no! 🙁

        Reply
        • Lori says

          December 14, 2020 at 8:42 pm

          I’m 73 and had 5 children also. I’ve seen so many baby clothes with those yellow stains and thought I’d tried everything to remove them to no avail. I now have 9 grandchildren and have finally removed the stains without fading or damaging the fabric. Your tip really works!!! Thank you so very much. Lori

          Reply
          • Brandy says

            December 15, 2020 at 10:08 am

            Yay! I'm so glad! I remember my mom struggling with this too. Pulling out baby clothes that had been stored, only to have yellowing on them. I'm so glad my sister shared this tip with me!

            Reply
        • Alyssa says

          February 20, 2021 at 3:19 pm

          I separated and this worked on 99% of the clothes that I had stored for 15 years!!! I that being said, while I separated, one of my most favorite outfits of my daughters (first 4th of July when she was 3 days old) was red white and blue. Because of this, the red stripes bled onto the white and is now pink. 🙁 I am trying to figure out how to fix that - any help you can offer would be super appreciated. Again, this worked on all the typical baby colors but NOT dark red or blues.... especially when combined with white fabric.

          Reply
          • Brandy says

            February 20, 2021 at 6:46 pm

            Oh no! So, I've seen something in the laundry section at Walmart called "color run remover". Next to the Color Catcher sheets. It's a couple of bucks and worth a shot!

            Reply
          • Clare says

            March 10, 2022 at 7:19 am

            Try Dawn dish soap, peroxide, baking soda in a 1:1:1 equal parts mix. Scrub it on the white areas with an old tooth brush, let sit a day. You can also put a large amount of the mix in a sink or bucket, add water and let it sit over night. Wash as usual. If it’s still pink after washing repeat the process. I once washed a red item with an entire load of organic baby whites! Filled the tub and let it soak. It took rinsing it all and repeating the next day. But they’re all white again.

            Reply
      • Lan says

        September 11, 2020 at 9:40 pm

        You probably don’t have the clothes any more, but if this happens to anyone else, Rit Color Remover might be able to save the clothes.

        Reply
        • Brandy says

          September 11, 2020 at 9:42 pm

          I've never heard of that before. Great tip!

          Reply
    24. Kate says

      June 18, 2019 at 6:15 pm

      I moved into a home with a front load washer and I hate it. So, when it came time to pre treat and wash baby clothes (prepping for #2), I knew I would need a better option. This worked miracles!! All of the breastmilk yellow storage stains are completely gone after one round!! Thank you for this tutorial!!

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        June 18, 2019 at 10:03 pm

        You're welcome! It works for so many stains. I just did a pot full of clothes today!

        Reply
    25. Jessica says

      January 26, 2019 at 8:29 pm

      Works great! Thank you.. to avoid bubble over I place a wooden spoon across the top of pot.

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        January 27, 2019 at 11:45 am

        Great tip!

        Reply
    26. Haley says

      October 17, 2018 at 6:59 pm

      BE CAREFUL!! My pot of hot water foamed over as I slowly added oxy clean. I would suggesting placing pot in the sink BEFORE adding oxy clean 😬😬😬

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        October 18, 2018 at 10:05 am

        Great idea, it does bubble up quickly! I've done it dozens of times and have had it bubble over probably twice over the years, even when pouring slowly. And I use the same amount of water and oxy clean every time, so I'm not sure what makes the difference!

        Reply
    27. Sharon says

      August 09, 2018 at 12:49 pm

      Hi, can you tell me how do you do several garments at once? Thank you very much for your help.

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        August 12, 2018 at 4:45 pm

        Hi Sharon! You can soak several items at the same time. As many as will fit inside of your pot. For baby clothes it means several onesies and pajamas. For larger items, you may have to do it in bathes. Hope tha thelps! 🙂

        Reply
    28. Kristen says

      March 18, 2018 at 1:45 pm

      Any idea if Biz powder detergent will work as well?

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        March 20, 2018 at 7:12 am

        Hi Kristen, I havne't tried that so I'm not sure!

        Reply
    29. FirstTimeMommy says

      September 19, 2017 at 9:49 pm

      Do you add laundry detergent to the washing machine load? Or will the dissolved oxiclean be enough when you put it in the washing machine? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        September 19, 2017 at 10:10 pm

        Hi! I add laundry detergent and wash like normal! (with the oxiclean). Hope that helps!

        Reply
    30. Bev says

      June 04, 2017 at 5:36 am

      In high school our marching band had white uniform pants with a red stripe (probably the worst colors ever for sweaty teenagers) and the parents would wash the uniform pants with oxi clean to save money on dry cleaning and keep them white.

      Reply
    31. truthe1 says

      June 01, 2017 at 2:29 pm

      Wonder if this would work on white baseball uniforms stained with dirt from baseball field!!! Surely can't hurt?

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        June 02, 2017 at 2:01 pm

        It's worth a shot!

        Reply
        • Pamela J Cole says

          July 14, 2022 at 6:17 pm

          Brandy,
          I just had to send you a Thank You note! I’m preparing to surprise my son on his 50th birthday in another state next week. While there, we’re delivering my hope chest to my 47 YO daughter. In it were baby clothes from both of them. After trying your method of removing old stains, I’m nothing short of AMAZED!!! Both homecoming outfits are white again. His baptism “suit” is white again. Many, many other infant outfits, I thought were ruined, can now be passed along. Thank You so much for your wonderful advice!

          Reply
          • Brandy says

            July 16, 2022 at 7:59 pm

            Pamela, this made my day! I’m so glad your treasures were saved!

            Reply
            • Joanna says

              February 26, 2024 at 5:22 pm

              I love everyone's comments if success...But do you know if this method will work using any of the oxyclean products ..or does it specify have to be the one from the link?

            • Brandy says

              February 26, 2024 at 6:09 pm

              Hi Joanna! I’ve only ever used it with the original oxy-clean powder.

      • Julie Weimer says

        November 13, 2020 at 1:13 pm

        My son had a coach once that bought old baseball pants for his team, T-ball and used Lestoil on the stains and they looked brand new:)

        Reply
      • Julia says

        June 08, 2022 at 9:30 am

        Hi! Would this method work on a formal, non-cotton baptismal outfit? It isn’t labeled but I assume Satin or a polyester blend.

        Reply
        • Brandy says

          June 08, 2022 at 4:01 pm

          Hi Julia! I haven’t tried it on anything other than cotton, knit and denim. It worked for all of those so it might be worth a shot.

          Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Welcome!

    I'm Brandy! I love to create and share my ideas through easy-to-follow recipes and tutorials.

    More about me

    As an Amazon Associate, I make a small commission on qualifying purchases.

    sew with me kids sewing book
    My Book

    Latest Posts

    • mini s'mores pie on white plate
      Mini S'Mores Pies
    • slab pie on white plate
      Peach Slab Pie
    • baba bar on spatula
      Frosted Banana Nut Bars
    • tray of baked cookies on parchment paper
      Martha-Stewart-Fired-Me Cookies

    Seasonal

    • M&M Cookies piled on top of each other
      Soft M&M Cookies (Soft and Thick) + Video
    • red, white and blue shortbread cookies
      Patriotic Shortbread Cookies (Video)
    • star shaped cookie with frosting and fruit
      Red White & Blue Mini Fruit Pizzas (Video)
    • Simple and Inexpensive Patriotic Wreath Tutorial

    Footer

    ↑ Back to Top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Gluesticks Blog