Back to School Laundry Tips – Uniforms, Blue Jeans, and More!
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Gearing up to go back to school means shopping for pens, notebooks, binders and of course, school clothes! It’s a yearly ritual that parents and kids look forward to after a hot, lazy summer. But after you’ve purchased your child’s uniform, slacks, cotton shirts, blue jeans, and “wearable art,” you’ll need to find effective ways to keep fabrics intact—especially if your kids are really active during recess! Below you’ll find some helpful laundry tips that’ll help you keep stains at bay while keeping colors as vibrant as your kids are!
School Uniforms
Typically, washing school uniforms at home requires a little extra care. See below.
- The Pre-Wash – Rinse your uniform in cold water. This will blast off an caked-on semi-solid materials (such as mud or blood).
- The Wash – Wash the uniform in warm or hot water. Use your detergent as usual, but as an added boost, use a Pinalen® along with it. One cup of Pinalen® should remove any residual stains on the fabric. If your uniforms have an odor, don’t hesitate to put in a little vinegar into the wash – ¼ – ½ cup should do the trick.
- Drying – For the drying phase, check the label to make sure it’s safe to put the uniform in the dryer. If so, tumble dry for at least 30 minutes. If the label tells you to skip the drying machine, do so. Air-drying is just as effective.
Blue Jeans and Wearable Art – “The Delicates”
The biggest thing to remember about blue jeans is that they’re sensitive. Washing jeans in hot water can cause fading, discoloration, and other unsightly problems. And wearable art like beads and decals? Things can get messy when put in the wash. Check out our blue jeans and wearable best practices here:
- The Wash – There’s no need to pre-wash your kid’s jeans. Instead, take the time to turn the jeans inside out, and wash them on the delicate cycle. Use cold water and a gentle detergent like Pinol®. For wearable art, nix the washing machine altogether. It requires hand washing in cold water, as to not disturb any glued-on materials on the fabric.
- Drying – We recommend air-drying your kid’s jeans and wearable art items. The excessive heat from dryers can shrink jeans and ruin artsy (and bedazzled) clothing.
Fun to-do: Several sources agree that putting your jeans in the freezer actually kills bacteria and helps keeps the denim in tip-top shape. Just put them in a plastic bag (with all the air pushed out) for a half hour or so. (This isn’t a good idea if you have a stain or two on them, so check that first)
Cotton Fabrics
The key takeaway for cotton is that it’s durable…very durable. That’s why most manufactured clothes today are made with cotton—a reliable, strong and versatile fabric.
- The Pre-Wash – For set-in stains like blood, ink, and juice, pre-wash on a hot setting.
- The Wash – For whites, use Cloralex® 3-in-1 Power Bleach to brighten the fabric. For colors, it’s ok to use bleach too—just make sure the kind you’re using is color safe, like Cloralex® Color with Vinegar. It’s ok to use warm or hot water for your cotton loads. In fact, use PINALEN MAX aromas™ along with your detergent to give your fabrics a nice, clean, fresh smell.
- Drying – Most cotton fabrics are good to go when put in the dryer (check the label just in case). Most medium loads can dry in about 40 minutes on a hot setting.
For kids and parents alike, it’s an exciting time when you prepare for a new school year. New teachers, new lessons, and a renewed positive outlook on learning are all the craze. And for parents, knowing they can keep their kids’ clothes looking like new adds some peace of mind.
About The Author
Everyday Cleaning Tips
Bringing you the best cleaning tips for your entire home – from us and shared by the online community of moms. We help busy moms with household cleaning tips that save you time and money. AlEn USA is a family-owned company headquartered in Houston, Texas. For more than 60 years we have been committed to bringing affordable, innovative products that have helped clean and disinfect homes for generations.
