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Who else feels like they fall behind on laundry? With a family of 6 we are always tackling mount dirty laundry. Having kids is a dirty but rewarding job. I can’t say too much about the dirty clothes from the kids though because I am a klutz and spill and drop food on myself more than I care to admit. Below I have listed how I treat some common fall stains in a fall laundry stain remover guide.
 

Fall Laundry Stain Remover Guide

How to treat common fall stains

 
Pumpkin
It’s pumpkin season and pumpkin carving can get rather messy especially when you have a 2 year old ‘helping’. For pumpkin stains you’ll want to scrap off the pumpkin ‘guts’ and soak the stains in cold water with liquid detergent for 30 minutes and then laundry as usual.
 

 
Pumpkin Spice Lattes
I guess I’m basic because I enjoy pumpkin spice a latte. For those darn coffee spills you’ll want to blot the spots to remove any excess coffee. Mix together 1 part dish soap, 1 part white vinegar, and 2 parts water and soak the coffee stained item. Rinse in warm water; repeat process if necessary and then launder as usual.
 
Hot Chocolate
My kids go through some hot chocolate from October through February. Where there are kids there are mostly likely going to be spills. For hot chocolate stains you’ll want to rinse the stain from the backside of the garment and soak with mixture of liquid detergent and water. Then you can launder as usual.
 

 
Hot Cider
I tackle hot cider stains with club soda or water mixed with some baking soda into a paste. Work the paste into the stain by gently sponging it on to the stain working from the center of the stain outwards. Launder the garment as usual.
 
Caramel
I use caramel dip often during the fall, like with my hand pies recipe and some days it ends up on my shirt. DO NOT rub a caramel stain! Mix 1 The stain remover of choice here is: 1 teaspoon detergent with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and enough warm water to soak the garment. Soak the garment for 30 minutes then blot the stain with a dry cloth to remove the extra grease. Launder as usual.
 
Chocolate
This time of year there is always extra chocolate in the house from trick or treating leftovers and products I buy for holiday baking. Chocolate stains can leave you bitter if not treated properly. For chocolate stains I use lemon juice or white vinegar on the spots and then rinse with water. You can machine wash the garment but DO NOT put the chocolate stained items in the dryer until you are satisfied with the stain removal because the dryer will set whatever you leave behind. If the lemon juice or vinegar doesn’t do well enough you can also try an enzyme based stain remover product and let it set for 15 minutes and then wash again. Check the treated area before putting in the dryer.
 
Dirt/Mud
When fall weather hits you pile the family in the car in matching outfits and spend $60 on getting in to a pumpkin patch instead of just buying the $3 pumpkins from the grocery store so you can post the happy family fall photos online. Just me? I didn’t think so. When at the pumpkin patch there are usually spots for the kids to play which means dirt/mud stains on the knees of their pants, around the bottoms of their pants, or on the backside of their pants. For dirt or mud you’ll want to soak in cold water, adding in 1 teaspoon of detergent and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. After soaking for 30 minutes you can rinse with warm water and then launder as usual.
 

 
Mildew
If you have kids in fall sports you may have had to deal with the “Moooom, I can’t find my jersey”. Which leads to a car and room search to discover a sweaty jersey stuffed between the backseats or still in a sports bag from the week prior with a very fragrant sweaty mildew scent. For these stains enzyme based stain removers, bleach, and color safe bleach are your friends. If the fabric is not bleach friendly then you could soak a cotton pad with lemon juice or white vinegar and let it sit. Remove the cotton pad and gently rub the stained area with salt to help boost the removal process of the acid. Wash as usual and then when you are ready to dry the item let it dry in the sun, don’t use the dryer. The sunshine will help bleach away stains.
 

 
If you are a local in my area (Lynchburg, VA) you can take your large load washables like fall and winter blankets and comforters to The Clothes Spin. They are open 24 hours and offer multi-sized washers and dryers to get your fall laundry done before the family can The Clothes Spin has coin or app operated machines so if you’re like me and never have change on you when you need it you have technology to the rescue. They are located in a variety of areas too, not just Lynchburg so make sure to find one where you live and give it a whirl!