Back-to-school: new clothes, new ink!

It's that time of year when your kids are heading back to school in their brand new uniforms. When they are learning and having fun with their friends, it is almost impossible for them not to get a little messy. Thankfully, we have some great tips to getting your child's uniforms back to their stain free state. From ink stains to tough oil stains, you won't have to worry at all.

Here are some easy ways to fight off tough stains when the kids go back to school. Hopefully, you won't have to worry about your children getting messy again.

Children tend to play a lot of games with pens, and it's not long until a mark appears on a skirt or shirt sleeve. If your child has come home with biro ink stains on their clothes, try soaking it in detergent. After about ten minutes, rinse the clothing in warm water and then leave to dry. If you find that the stain is still there, apply Vanish to the ink stain.

If the ink stain has been made by a water based felt tip, you can use soap or a detergent to get rid of it. Try dabbing it on to the stained area until you see a difference. Once you've done that, rinse the garment with water and then give it a full wash in the washing machine with a scoop of Vanish to make sure that those stains don't stand a chance.

Art classes are always popular and allow kids to be creative, especially when it comes to creating stains! When your child has been playing with paint, it is important to find out if it is oil or water based. Oil stains can be tougher to remove, whereas water-based stains can be a little easier to deal with.

To remove water based paint, it would be handy to scrape off as much excess paint as possible using a spoon or knife. This will make it a lot easier to remove the stain, rather than making it worse by spreading it. You can then rub a solution of Vanish and a bit of warm water into the leftover mark, and rinse using warm water. This process can be repeated until you are happy with the outcome. If you do find the mark is still showing, rub some stain removal powder into it and put it in the wash with the scoop of Vanish.

Oil paint stains can be a bit harder to remove, but if you keep working at it, the stain will eventually disappear. These types of stains are easier to tackle when they are still wet but if the stain has dried by the time your child is home from school, don't worry! Try dabbing the mark with a cloth to pick up as much of the pigment as possible. You can apply Vanish to help break it down, the gels are the best for tackling oily stains. Then rinse the piece of clothing in soapy water for 10 minutes. Once you have done that, give the clothing a wash in the washing machine with some Vanish and your oil stains will be gone.

1. Pour 2ml of Vanish gel directly onto the stain and gently rub. 
2. Leave the product in contact with the stain for 10 mins max. 
3. After pre-treatment, wash as usual or rinse thoroughly.
4. Got yourself a stain that just won’t go? Feel free to repeat these steps as many times as necessary until it’s gone.