5 Stubborn Sports Stains—and Exactly How to Treat Them

Having kids in sports can be a full-time job in and of itself. Shuttling them back and forth between school, home, practices, and tournaments is exhausting. And then you also need to keep their uniforms clean on top of that. The uniforms can get downright disgusting with stains and smells depending on the sport. That goes for adult sports, too. 

We’ve got some tricks up our sleeves to keep them looking (and smelling) their best. 

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Our go-to stain remover is Tide® Rescue (USA) (Canada), but we also love to DIY our own stain treatments. 

Pro Tip: When treating any stain, remember NO HEAT until you know it’s gone, or you risk setting the stain. Always check your garments before tossing them into the dryer. 

Grass Stains

Grass stains are notoriously tricky to get out and are common in any field sport, such as soccer, baseball, track, football, etc. 

What you need:

• 1 tsp powdered Tide® (USA) (Canada) or Oxiclean® (USA) (Canada)
• 1/3 cup white vinegar

How to Treat:

Scrub the stain with a paste of Tide® or Oxiclean® and COLD water. Let sit for 20 minutes and rinse with COLD water. If green remains, pour vinegar on the stain and let sit for 20 minutes. Rinse well and machine wash in COLD water with powdered Tide®. Check that the stain has lifted, and repeat if necessary before drying.  

Sweat

If you aren’t sweating while playing sports, are you even doing it right? Sweat stains on the armpits of your shirts and workout gear are caused by the minerals in sweat (salt) mixing with the ingredients in deodorant (usually aluminum). These stains can be very stubborn and may need to be treated a couple of times before they lift. 

What you need:

• 1 tsp each: Blue Dawn®, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide

NOTE: Hydrogen peroxide is a mild bleaching agent, so always test this recipe on a small spot first.

How to Treat:

Scrub the mixture into the stain and let it sit overnight. Rinse well and wash in COLD water with powdered Tide®. Check that the stain has lifted and repeat if necessary before drying. 

See it in action here:

Shale/Clay/Dirt/Mud

Someone tell me why baseball pants are usually white. Sliding into a base on red shale, dirt, or clay creates the worst stains. But it’s so satisfying when you get them crisp and white again.

What you need:

• OUT White Brite Laundry Whitener (USA) (Canada)

How to Treat:

First, allow the garment to dry(if it was a rainy day game) and brush off as much loose dust and dirt as possible. Sometimes, it looks worse than it actually is, and most of the dirt can be brushed off. 

Fill a bucket or sink with warm water and ½ cup of White Brite, and add your garment. Soak for 20 minutes, remove, and then wash using another ½ cup of White Bright in the washing machine as a laundry booster with your regular detergent. Check that the stain is gone, and repeat if necessary before drying. 

Blood

Scrapes, cuts, and nosebleeds are common when you give it your all while playing. These stains are pretty easy to treat if you don’t add heat and set the stain. 

What you need:

• Cold water
• Hydrogen peroxide

NOTE: Hydrogen peroxide is a mild bleaching agent, so always test this recipe on a small spot first.

How to Treat

As soon as you can, pour cold water over the stain to remove as much of it as possible. Next, pour hydrogen peroxide directly onto the stain to help lift it more. You should see it bubbling right away. Wash in cold water with powdered Tide®, checking that the stain has lifted and repeating if necessary before drying.

Smells

If you’ve never smelled a hockey bag, consider yourself lucky. Sports equipment and clothing can gather smells that a regular laundry cycle can’t entirely eliminate. Our best recommendation for smelly gym stuff is to laundry strip it. Read our laundry stripping article here or watch it in action on hockey equipment below. 

For more help with stains and fabric care, see this section of our blog. Our new Laundry Symbols + Stain Guide PDF is also a great resource to have hanging in your laundry room. 

Becky @GoCleanCo