Tired of stains ruining your kids’ school uniforms? These are the cleaning hacks every mum needs to know

PICTURE the scene: your little boy comes barrelling into the kitchen after football with his mates.

He's flushed, excited... and absolutely covered in grass stains.

11

Or maybe your daughter has come home with Biro doodles all over her brand new school shirt?

Stubborn stains are common headaches for parents trying to keep kids' uniform clean - but with our help you can banish those marks with little fuss.

11

Natasha Harding tested out some handy - and unlikely - hacks which are supposed to lift stains with no bother, all using everyday items you have at home anyway.

Use cola to get rid of grease

11

All kids have ended up with mysterious greasy marks over their uniform.

Even if you've painstakingly packed them a healthy lunch, somehow they still manage to pick them up.

There's no need to tear your hair out though, because they are very easy to get out - and all you need is a bottle of cola.

11

A close up of the mark that needed removing

Method:

• Place the stained clothing in a bowl
• Pour cola over it until it's covered
• Leave to soak for 30 minutes
• Wash as normal

Unbelievably that really is all there is to it.

11

The cola lifts the stain clean off, and there is no risk of the drink staining your top either.

If you have marks on a lot of clothes you can even add a bottle of cola to your wash to remove the marks.

Tackle grass stains with vinegar and baking soda

11

Grass marks are notoriously hard to remove, they are the ones which get so ground in many used to chuck the stained clothing out rather than try to tackle it.

No need to do that anymore though, as you can remove them painlessly using white vinegar, baking soda and an old toothbrush.

Related Stories

Stay safe

UK car seat laws for babies: When should your child move out of a rear-facing seat?

Liar, Liar

Classic fibs kids tell that all parents will recognise and little white lies we've all told our children

Give us a break, kid

When it comes to disrupting the best laid holiday plans these little rascals take some beating

Home alone

What age can you legally leave your kids on their own? The advice every parent needs ahead of the holidays

11

Method:

• Place the stained clothing in a bowl
• Cover with white vinegar, rub the stains and leave to soak for about 30 minutes
• Remove from the bowl and wring, then place on a worktop
• Create a paste by mixing the baking soda and more white vinegar in a small bowl - keep adding the vinegar until you get a thick consistency but be careful as it fizzes
• Use immediately as the paste will harden
• Take the toothbrush and rub the mixture on to any tough stains
• Wash as normal

The marks should be lifted clean off the uniform - that's really all there is to it.

11

Wave goodbye to Biro using hairspray

This has to be the most unusual tip.

Kids often manage to get Biro marks on their clothes, apparently writing on clothes is much more fun than doodling on paper.

11

If that sounds familiar you'll know how hard they are to get out.

Adding to the problem is that if the mark doesn't come out in the wash, once you've put the uniform through your tumble dryer it'll be set. So what to do?

11

Reach for the hairspray, and then follow these steps.

Method:

• Lie the stained top out on a work surface
• Spray liberally with hairspray - you'll probably want to make sure you've got some windows open
• Take a damp cloth and carefully blot the stain
• Make sure you don't rub as that will make things worse
• Repeat as many times as needed until the stain is lighter
• Spray with hairspray one more time, then wash as normal

You'll be amazed how well this one works.

It does take a bit of elbow grease, but it's definitely worth it because the stains completely vanish.

11