Tips for Beating Food Stains

Prevent stains before they even happen.

Jan. 4, 2022

Baby led weaning bib by Bibbrella

You’ve just finished throwing together dinner, getting your babe fed, and weathering a mealtime storm… only to realize that you’re facing a mountain of dirty laundry before finally taking a breather. It’s a lot, and anything that helps minimize parents’ workload is a win in our book. We have a couple of tried and true tips for preventing and beating food stains that are sure to provide some much needed relief. 

Proper Mealtime Accessories

First things first: Preventing stains before they even happen is the best and easiest way to beat them. And for that, the right accessories are essential. The most common and fundamental items that can help prevent stains are sippy cups, food mats with suction cups, and full-length baby bibs. 

Full-coverage Bibs

Ever wonder how those teeny tiny bibs actually provide full protection from stains? They don’t! Traditional bibs can catch small drips or dribble, but don’t offer much in the way of spills and flying food. Reduce food stains once and for all with a full-length bib like Bibbrella to protect your babe’s clothing from stubborn stains and yourself from extra laundry. Bibbrella provides coverage beyond mealtimes and can offer protection from stains that can happen while playing, painting, or traveling. 

Full-length bibs can be especially helpful for parents and their children who are going down the baby led weaning route. These types of bibs offer the most protection from stains as they cover the entire child instead of just their torso. So when your child decides that jam seems more fun as paint than food, you’ll be ready to join in on the fun instead of stressing over the mess. 

Appropriate Cleaning Solutions

Stains need to be tackled with the appropriate cleaning solution to be effectively removed. Most importantly, never throw stained fabric into the dryer unless you’re trying to permanently set the stain. Stains generally fall into two categories: 

Oil stains: Dish soap isn’t just for combatting oil in pans. It’s helpful for dealing with oil stains (like that seemingly everlasting oil left behind from pasta sauce). Try to tackle these tough stains asap with cold water and dish soap, and dab a white vinegar soaked cotton ball on extra stubborn stains. Common sources of oil stains might be from sauces, dressings, condiments, and soups. 

Pigment stains: Alcohol is the go-to method for removing pigment stains, but they can also be treated with white vinegar as well. What is a pigment stain? Pigment stains are generally residue from coloring agents. Unlike an oil stain, a pigment stain is more like a dye. Think spilled juice, a marker fiasco, or jam stains.  

Dealing with stains is one of the least exciting parts of parenthood, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be beat. Being prepared helps prevent stains, and knowing how to clean them means no longer fearing the dreadful stain!