Back to School Food Stains

Some of our fondest memories of school revolve around lunch time. Whether you had a cafeteria meal or a packed lunch from home, school lunches may not have always been the healthiest meals you ate at school. But at the time, playing in the lunch break seemed more important than sitting down to eat. With all the excitement of lunch break with your friends, the food and drink often ended up leaving stains on your school uniforms! 

Nowadays, there is a big emphasis on educating children on food and nutrition. Many lunch options have come a long way to reflect the latest nutrition science; ensuring children get enough calories, nutrients and protein to see them through the day. But not much is spoken about the stains that food leaves behind on clothes!

No matter how old your child is, it’s likely they are going to spill some of their food on their clothes during lunchtime at school. But thanks to the wide range of Vanish products, you don’t have to worry about food stains on school uniforms anymore.

We’ll explore the healthiest foods to pack as snacks for your children, and offer tips on how to avoid the most common food stains.

When packing lunch for your child, you need to ensure that they have enough to keep their energy levels up during the day. A nutritious sandwich and snack can work wonders to maintain concentration levels and give children a much-needed energy boost. Here are some suggestions for nutritious lunches and snacks to put into your child’s lunchbox.

• Sandwiches, wraps & pita
  Try to pack a sandwich, wrap or pita full of salad for your child’s lunch. The carbohydrates will help to keep your child full for longer in addition to getting all the healthy nutrients from the salad. Add a light sauce or dressing to ensure they eat every last bite of it!
• Fruit and veg
  For one of the all-important five-a-day, pack whole fruits such as apples, pears and bananas, or opt for a portion of carrot sticks or a handful of cherry tomatoes, grapes or berries. Small packets of raisins and other dried fruits are also great, simple options.
• Yoghurt
  Packed with protein and nutrients including calcium, vitamin B-2, vitamin B-12, potassium and magnesium, yoghurt is perfect for break-time snacking.
• Milk
  Calcium is an important component for healthy bone growth and development. As milk is rich in calcium, it is an easy way to ensure your child is getting enough calcium in their diet. In order to avoid milk spoiling, add an icepack to your child’s lunchbox and pack the milk next to it.

Schools are bustling with activity when lunch time comes around. Children scurry around eating, playing and talking with their friends. Here we have some precautionary tips on how to prevent stains from ruining their clothes during lunch time when you’re not there to clean it up: 

• Pack items carefully
  Anything that contains liquids should be packed separately inside a food bag. In case a lunchbox is dropped or a drink or yoghurt bursts, food bags will prevent any mess from spreading onto their clothes.
• Include tissues
  Kitchen towels are an essential item to place in lunchboxes, along with a few wet wipes. Whether they spill their milk, drop yoghurt onto their shirt or something explodes in their lunchbox, packing the right cleanup equipment will enable your child to deal with potential stains on the spot.
• Cover up
  While it might not be the trendiest option, if your child is a particularly messy eater, consider packing an apron or item of protective clothing in their school bag for them to wear during break and lunch time.

While you’ve taken steps to prevent food stains, sometimes the inevitable will still happen. Here are some of our top stain removal tips to tackle those lunchtime mishaps:

• Fruit and vegetables
  Run warm water over the back of the stain to remove solids trapped in the fabric. To remove your stain in as little as 30 seconds, mix 1/4 scoop of Vanish Gold Oxi Action Powder with 3/4 scoop of warm water and combine to make a paste. Rub this mixture directly on the front of the stain, then turn the fabric around and rub the mixture on the back. Wash as usual with an additional scoop of powder for perfect results.
• Protein
  For tough protein stains Vanish Gold Pre-Treat Power Gel works wonders. Squeeze the fast acting formula directly onto your stain, using the specially designed head of the product to gently rub the formula in and leave for five minutes before washing as usual.
• Oil and grease stains
  To remove stubborn food stains caused by grease and oil in just 30 seconds, combine four liters of warm water with 60ml of Vanish Gold Oxi Action Gel. Soak the garment for one hour in this solution before washing with your usual detergent and an extra 60ml of Vanish.

It’s important to pack a healthy lunch for your child. It will keep them full of energy throughout the day so they can concentrate in class. These tips for preventing food stains will help to minimize stains, but rest assured that when the inevitable happens, Vanish will be on hand to help.