I’m a budgeting expert, here’s how to use hairspray and milk to get rid of uniform stains before kids go back to school | The Sun
IF your child is heading to school in September, you’ve come to the right place.
Thanks to financial expert and CEO at MoneyTransfers.com, Jonathan Merry, here’s some top tips on how to save money on school uniform costs.
You might be shocked to hear, but you won’t need to head out to the shops and spend loads of money on fancy cleaning products – as according to this expert, all you need is hairspray and milk to get rid of harsh stains.
Here Jonathan Merry shares his seven tips for getting the most out of your child’s school uniform when money is tight.
Tackle the stains, don’t avoid them
If you are fed up with your children constantly coming home with stains all over their new uniform, fear not.
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It’s inevitable that your child’s uniform is going to get stained, so the best thing you can do is learn how to get rid of them effectively.
Whether it’s ink, crayon, mud or grass, there are a few easy cleaning hacks you should try out first before you throw any stained clothing in the bin.
Jonathan shared his top stain removal tips that you must try.
For ink stains: “Spray it with hairspray first and then blot over the area with a paper towel.
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“However, if it's a biro pen instead, then these stains can be removed if you lightly soak the item of clothing in some milk.”
For crayon stains: “Try freezing the fabric first, this will harden the crayon and then you should be able to scrape off any excess crayon.
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“Once this is done, turn on an iron at a medium heat setting.
"While it’s heating up, put a paper towel on top of and underneath the stained area and gently press the warm iron over it.
“Hopefully, it should move the stain onto the paper towel instead.”
If your child is covered in mud stains: “When it comes to playtime at school, this is where the real damage happens.
“As soon as you see any mud on your child’s uniform, soak it immediately in a cold bowl of water with 3 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda.
“Leave this soaking for an hour and then wash as normal.”
But if it’s grass stains that are the issue: “With this type of stain it’s important to dab over the area with methylated spirits and then let it dry out completely.
“Once it dries, you can then throw it in your washing machine.”
Changing out of school uniform quick
Another tip from Jonathan involves getting your child out of third clothes as soon as they get home.
He advised: “Get into the habit of telling your child to change out of their school uniform as soon as they walk through the front door.
“This will stop their uniform from wearing out as fast and prevent it from getting even messier at home after school.”
Wash clothing correctly
Not only this, but this budget expert reveals that it’s important that you wash your child’s clothes correctly.
Jonathan added: “How you wash and dry clothes is the key to helping them stand the test of time.
“If you didn’t already know, then different materials respond in different ways when they’re washed, dried or ironed so be sure to always check the label first to avoid any damage.
“Aim for 30 degrees with your washes as this lower temperature will not only help clothes to last longer but it will cut down your energy bill too.
“Also, only use the tumble dryer if you really need to as drying your clothes out on the line will help maintain their quality better.
“Another positive that comes from line drying is that the sun will help to brighten any white items of clothing and keep them looking fresh, which is a useful hack to bear in mind when the polo shirts start looking a bit grey.”
Pass any school uniform down
Another way to save money on school uniform costs is to pass down any unneeded uniform to young siblings that may need it.
Jonathan explained “If you have more than one child who attends the same school, then passing the school uniform down between siblings is a great way to save money each year.
“Especially when children grow so fast, it can get very expensive trying to keep up with the jumps in sizing.
“It’s also worth asking around at the school for parents who are wanting to get rid of any hand-me-downs, especially for children who are moving schools and will no longer require the same uniform anymore.
“In fact, you’re probably doing them more of a favour.
“Some schools and local Facebook groups even organise uniform swaps and sales, where you can pick up uniform pieces for bargain prices.”
Get creative with repairs and alterations
What’s more, another way to save money on your child’s school uniform is to fix it first, rather than buying new.
Jonathan added: “Rather than throwing out any school uniform that has a button missing or a small hole for example, you could try to repair it instead – doing this is often much easier than you realise and a more sustainable way to extend the use of clothing.
“Also, if certain school clothes are too big or have become too small after a recent growth spurt, rather than buying a brand new uniform that fits perfectly, get them altered and that’ll do the job.
“Some alterations, for example letting down a hemline, won’t take much practice at all.”
Look out for deals
As well as this, it’s importatnt that you look out for bundle deals and speial offers when buying school unifrom.
The financial expert advised: “If you have more than one child, it’s a good idea to keep an eye out for bundle deals and offers if you’re out shopping for new school uniforms, as this will help to knock off a quid or two.
“All of the major supermarkets which have clothing ranges in store offer discounts on uniforms each year, so look out for those and know when to shop.”
Use name tags
Finally, if you want to prevent your child’s school uniform getting lost and needing replacing, get yourself some name tags.
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Jonathan concluded: “Last but not least, once the school uniform is ready to go for another year, the most important thing you can do next is to put name tags on every piece of clothing your child wears.
“This may seem like an unnecessary step but something as simple as this can prevent any uniform from getting lost forever and needing to be replaced."
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