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Home Product Recommendations

How to Get Yellow Stains Out of Baby Clothes

Updated: 2/11/21

This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Looking for a way to get yellow stains out of baby clothes after storage? I’ve stumbled on the PERFECT solution! Read on to learn how to save those baby clothes! (Tip- be sure to read the comments too! People have offered some great tips there as well.)

How to remove the yellow staining that shows up in stored baby clothes.

A rumbling-tumbling-jumping belly, achy back, out of breath…all the time, decreased appetite, and hating 95% of my clothing can only mean one thing: the third trimester!

It’s game time baby.

Stack of baby clothes

The nursery is starting to take shape, I’ve got some fabulous freezer meals made, and I’m starting to knock off some to-do’s before baby #3 arrives. Since we aren’t finding out the gender of this one, one of my big tasks was to dig out infant clothes for both genders. I’ve stored and hauled around bins and bins of these pre-washed, organized baby clothes for years knowing that this day would come.

So, I’m sure you can imagine the shock and horror I experienced when I opened up the first container to find a mysterious yellow staining on almost all of my baby clothes! I washed these, I tell you! The yellow staining was particularly bad on the girl clothes that had been stored for 4 years now. The boy clothes did not escape the yellow-plague by any means either.

Onesie with yellow staining around the neck

Since hormones and emotions are a bit heightened presently, I came close to calling it all a loss and throwing away all of the totally ruined-hopeless-grossly yellowed clothes. Drama.

Well, luckily I still had a tad bit of sanity left that evening and decided to do a little research on the issue.

Turns out, I’m not alone.

Why do baby clothes get yellow stains?

It’s quite common for stored baby clothes to go into storage clean and come out a few years later with discoloration–even if you’ve washed them well. The culprit: the protein from milk.

This can come from breastmilk or even spit-up. Even if they’ve been washed, the residue can remain and bond to the clothing. Over time it takes on a yellowish color.

How to get yellow stains out of baby clothes

OxiClean

Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Read our full disclosure policy here.

After digging a bit more, I learned that many have had success in removing these stains using OxiClean. So, on my next store run, I snagged a tub of it and gave it a whirl. 

You guys.

IT WORKED!

Baby girl clothes

I feel like only fellow mothers can appreciate the triumph of the situation. (When I told my husband about it all he was happy but, I guarantee you, hasn’t given it a thought since.) It not only got stains OUT but I feel like it brightened up the clothes and made them look almost new. 

Step by Step Guide on How to Remove Yellow Stains from Baby Clothes

Here is exactly how I got those yucky yellow stained clothes looking good as new.

Oxiclean

I set my washer on a medium-load, hot water soak cycle. I then put 6, yes 6 scoops of OxiClean. The directions said to put a scoop for every gallon of water and my best guess what that my load would be about 6 gallons. It seemed like an insane amount of detergent to put in a load but I was trusting the directions. 

I let it soak about 10 hours (overnight) and then ran a wash cycle as normal.

Baby clothes Before & After washing with oxiclean

The clothes came out STAIN FREE. Stain free, I tell you! Here are a few before and afters of some of the boys clothes:

Baby clothes before and after washing with oxiclean
Baby clothes with yellow stains before and after washing
Baby clothes with yellow stains before and after washing with oxiclean

It even worked just as well on the four year old stains on the girl clothes.

So mama friends, learn from this gal. Don’t be shocked when your precious, cleanly stored baby clothes come out with the yellow plague. While no vaccine may be available, rest assured that there is an easy cure!

Since you have a tub of Oxiclean on hand now, here are a few more ways you can use it in your home!

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Polly Conner

Polly Conner

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Polly’s passionate about helping busy parents get dinner on the table. With a house full of kids, dogs, and (usually) a DIY project in the works, she knows firsthand how every minute (and every dollar) counts. As a business owner, she enjoys wearing multiple hats and serves best as a project manager for Thriving Home.

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Reader Interactions

  1. AvatarClarice A. says

    Posted on 8/7/20 at 7:41 am

    We adopted our daughter in 2001 when she was 14 years old and three month after we got her we baptized her at sunday mass.We did her in a white,short sleeve,poofy,top of the knees baptism dress with a matching bonnet,white tights and white mary jane shoes.We did a white tee shirt as her top under the dress with a cloth diaper and adult size rubberpants under the tights.We had the entire outfit cleaned and boxed.Back in march,some cousins adopted a 15 year old girl and are finially having her baptized on August 30th.We are loaning them our daughters baptism outfit to wear and i opended up the box the other day and the dress and bonnet are still white,but the tights and the cloth diaper have yellowed a little,the rubberpants are still white.Would washing the diaper and tights in Oxyclean get the yellowing out?

  2. AvatarT says

    Posted on 8/6/20 at 8:29 pm

    Did this today with my twins’ clothes, which I had stain treated so carefully prior to putting them in storage. I was planning to give them to a friend who is getting ready to have a baby and due to a variety of circumstances, has very few options as far as baby clothes go. I followed the steps one by one and went to go check 3 hours later…the colors had bled EVERYWHERE. Black and red staining over $1000 worth of baby clothes, which also had incredible intrinsic value to me. I’ve been washing them like a maniac all night and the dyes are permanently staining them. Now I have nothing to give my friend, and everything is in such bad shape I can’t even donate it.

  3. AvatarHannah says

    Posted on 7/13/20 at 7:53 pm

    I’m so glad I found this post and all the helpful comments. I’m expecting #2 and realized many of the clothes we had were stained. I’m hoping this works as well for us as it has for y’all. Our washing machine only soaks for a couple of hours before starting the wash cycle. I soaked my clothes in the bathtub and now my tub is yellow. Did anyone else have an issue with this? If so how did y’all clean it out? My husband scrubbed with our normal tub cleaner and now we are letting bleach soak for a bit. I’m hoping that helps, but wanted to check in case it doesn’t.

  4. AvatarDebbie McHenry says

    Posted on 7/10/20 at 9:47 pm

    I have baby cloths that have yellow stains after being stored. I picked up Oxi Clean white revive thinking I had the right thing. Will that be safe to use on colored baby clothes?

  5. AvatarSophia Anglo says

    Posted on 6/24/20 at 6:02 pm

    For newborns, would you use a free and clear detergent after using the oxiclean on the clothes? Or is the oxiclean safe on newborn skin?

    • Polly ConnerPolly Conner says

      Posted on 6/29/20 at 10:27 am

      I don’t think I can speak to the safety of oxiclean. I’d say do a little research on their website to get that answer. I always used a fragrant free detergent with my baby clothes though.

  6. AvatarAna says

    Posted on 6/22/20 at 10:48 am

    Thank you for the recommendation I will be trying out this method today. But I ask that you please don’t alter or brighten the “after” photos as it can be misleading….

    • AvatarSally says

      Posted on 7/2/20 at 11:06 am

      Hi, I live in the UK.

      I have a similar problem.
      Can I use oxiclean on white pure wool first size clothes? (knitted for my children by my godmother 36 years ago).
      I’m guessing I can order oxiclean from amazon, not sure it is sold in the UK.

      • AvatarColleen says

        Posted on 7/26/20 at 4:44 am

        Hi, live in the USA.
        Wool can shrink when washed. For something that precious, I think I would take it to be dry cleaned

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