Having a baby is one of the greatest feelings any parent could experience. New parents get to discover the unbelievable joy and life-changing experiences as they transition to parenthood. However, being a parent also comes with many surprises, some of which can be exhausting. Aside from the lack of sleep, a new parent needs to clean up after her child. You know, pees, poops, and all.
Do you use disposable diapers or cloth diapers for your little ones? Whichever your choice is, you probably encountered cleaning baby poop along the way. Sometimes, things can get extremely messy. Before you know it, you are cleaning stubborn poop stains in the baby clothes, cloth diapers, mat, or even your shirt! Don’t worry! We will help you with that baby poop problem.
Is it a Poop Stain? Here are the Colors of Babies’ Poop:
Not sure if it’s baby poop or just a dollop of mustard on your baby’s diaper? Here are different colors of baby poops you may encounter and what they indicate.
Mustard Yellow
If you are breastfeeding your newborn, having mustard yellow baby poop is common. This seedy-yellow stool in the diaper is an indication that your new bundle of joy is pretty normal.
Yellow-Brown
Formula-fed babies usually excrete darker colored baby poop. The consistency may resemble peanut butter.
Greenish-Brown
A guacamole-looking poop in your baby’s diaper is nothing to be concerned about. As your child transitions from milk to solid foods, you will see different colored poos during diaper changing times.
Black
During the first days of life, the baby releases his first stool called meconium. Meconium is greenish-black in color and tends to be very sticky. Do not panic if you see that your baby’s diaper is full of this dark, sticky substance. A newborn child can remove all the materials he swallowed in the uterus by releasing this dark poop. Although it could be concerning if your child is more than three days old and has a black stool in his cloth diaper. It may indicate bleeding in the upper digestive tract.
Red
Unless your child has been gorging on beets, his poop should not be red. Otherwise, red marks in the diaper may indicate blood in your baby’s poop.
Chalk White
Poop should not be white. If you observe that your baby’s stool is white, you need to check in with your doctor to rule out any liver or gallbladder problems.
How To Get Poop Stains Out Of Baby Clothes
No matter the color and consistency, here are effective stain removers and techniques on how you can use them to remove poop stains on clothes or cloth diapers.
1. Remove the remaining poop stains
Use warm water to rinse off any chunk of poop in the cloth diapers. You can also use a plastic bag or paper towels to scoop out any poop that may have found its way on the floor or carpet. The key here is to avoid mashing the stool on the surface. Don’t forget to wash your hands every time you handle poo!
2. Submerge the stained garment in water
Fill a bucket with warm water and let the cloth diaper soak in it. If the stained area is a carpet, you can use a sprayer to spray some water into it to loosen any remaining poop.
3. Apply a stain remover of your choice
For stubborn poop stains, here are some safe stain removers you can use.
Oxygen-Based Bleach
Pour some oxygen-based bleach on the stain to remove poop stains before washing the garment.
Lemon Juice
A squirt of lemon juice on the wet stain can help remove stains on poopy clothes. You can also dilute 1/4 cup of lemon juice with water and put it in a sprayer. It is effective in removing pesky poo stains on carpeted floors.
Soap Dish, Baking Soda, and Hydrogen Peroxide
You can use a mixture of these household products to remove pesky poop stains. Put one-part dish soap with one-part baking soda and two parts hydrogen peroxide in a bowl. Mix them and apply them to the stained area. Let the mixture sit before washing the poopy clothes and cloth diapers in the washing machine.
Vinegar, Dish Soap, and Warm Water
If you need to get rid of poop stains on the carpet, you can make a mixture of dish soap, white vinegar, and warm water. Just blot the stain using this solution until you don’t see any poop marks on the carpet.
4. Carefully scrub out the poop stain
Once you put your choice of stain remover, it’s time to use some elbow grease and scrub the stained area. You can use an old but clean toothbrush to speed up the process. After scrubbing, you can let the stain remover sit for around 10 to 15 minutes before washing the items.
5. Wash as normal
After you scrubbed off any poo residue on the stained item, you are now ready to do the laundry. When washing clothes for babies, it’s best to use a laundry detergent that is safe for your baby’s sensitive skin.
If you are cleaning a carpeted floor, you may put some water in a spray bottle. Then you may use this to spray some cool water on the surface and rinse any remaining stain remover. Use a paper towel or dry cloth to get rid of excess moisture.
It’s also best if you can sun-dry the cloth diapers after washing. The heat from the sun gets rid of any bacteria that can get trapped in the diapers.
In Conclusion
While changing diapers and cleaning your child’s mess doesn’t sound like fun, it doesn’t have to be dreadful. Don’t forget to follow our social media for more tips and tricks on cleaning and laundry!
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