Happy Healthy Families

Got kids? Then you probably have stains! In our house, we have dealt with all kinds of munchkin-inspired stains, from markers on the wall to juice stains on t-shirts. And of course, the stubborn grass stains. I have a few DIY stain tips to share and would love to hear more --if anyone has some to share too?!

1. My budding Picasso, aka my 3 year old son, loves to practice his artistic skills on our walls. What I find works well to remove the marker stains is good old rubbing alcohol. Just dip a clean soft cloth in the rubbing alcohol, and gently buff away the marks.

2. For the spilled fruit juice, a simple trick is to boil some water while the stain is fresh. While the water heats up, gently blot away the the excess juice, then pour the boiling water (carefully!) through the stain to make it disappear.

3. Grass Stains have been my nemesis for a very long time. But of all things, a little meat tenderizer works well at removing those stubborn stains! Just sprinkle meat tenderizer on the stains before laundering the clothes. When the tenderizer mixes with water, it dissolves those stains like magic!

4. For crayon stains on your kids clothes, try a combination of liquid dish soap and WD-40. Put the clothes on a few sheets of paper towels or some other cover to protect your surface, then spray both sides of the stain with it. Next, rub the soap into the stain until the crayon marks are gone. Then toss the clothes in the wash.

5. For dried chocolate stains, try using an iron on low setting. First, scrape off excess chocolate with a butter knife. Then place paper towels over the stain and lightly iron over the stain to lift the chocolate. Then toss the clothing in the wash.