What I'd like to know is...

[DonnaNJ]

what brain trust decided it was a good idea for Little Leaguers to wear white pants? It rained again yesterday but not enough to cancel the ballgame and Coach (aka DH) decided the kids had already had so many games cancelled this fall that they'd go ahead and play.. well even the kids who aren't crazy baseball players were spattered with red mud but for those of us with kids that looooove to slide into every base it was disastrous.. this is my son after only one inning :-( so does any one have any great tips for getting that red clay dirt out of clothes ???? Thanks DonnaNJ

[lima]

Ah, the memories! When I had football pants to clean, I followed someone's recommendation to make a paste out of Fels Naptha and rub it into the stain. There are probably some more current suggestions that work, too.

[maureenreynolds]

Doesn't every laundry detergent make a claim to make they eye popping white?

Seems like I used the Oxo kind of powder (Ariel) when I lived overseas. You may be able to find this in Latin or Hispanic markets. btw, my Nana used the FelsNaptha and I haven't heard of that in years!

[grandma lynnie]

It's been many years since I've had to clean white Little League pants and there may be something better now, but I used to soak them in a mixture of bleach, dishwasher (not dishwashing) detergent and hot water and it worked like a charm!

[DonnaNJ]

Well thank you ladies... not sure if I actually expected a reply I was just venting because yesterday was soooo hectic it being Halloween so I rinsed them in the slop sink when we got home to remove the caked on layers then threw them in the wash. When we got home I took them out and put them to soak with non-chlorine bleach overnight.. then I got up at 4:15 to wash them again.. then realized an hour later that it was 4:15 again.. and the pants still were stained :-( this has all been complicated by the fact that he has another game this afternoon and they have to be line dryed..

Of course once I got my senses about me I realized that they were going to look just as bad today so I gave up :-)

But I did find out something.. that FelsNaptha is still sold.. it's now made by the Dial Corp so I'm on the lookout for it.. someone mentioned that it's often mistakenly put by the hand soap instead of the laundry detergent.

Thanks again you're all so sweet Donna NJ

[LisaD]

I purchased the FelsNaptha just a couple of months ago after reading about it. Haven't used it yet.
But this solution works wonders (even on colored clothing). If/when you do have time to soak them, make a solution of a 2ish TBSP tide laundy detergent, a squeeze of dish soap, 1 capful or less bleach (I use more with white clothing, less with non-white) mixed intoa few 3-5 gallons hot water. Soak til ready to wash.
Hope today is going better for you!

[suzanne]

I have always wonder that question myself. You know it had to be a man that thought white ball pants were a good idea. I don't know of anything that will get red mud out of anything. Sorry.

[Jen D]

Nice!!!! Have fun with those =)

[Scrapbird]

Wait! Before you get them clean, you need a red mud layout!!

[DonnaNJ]

Oh don't worry I have lots of photos for the 'red mud layout' :-) Thought I'd share one more pic with all of you... I am now convinced I probably need therapy... I was worried about getting these clean???? This shot is from today's game :-) Thankfully the season ends next week and I think it's straight to the garbage can with these Thks for all your help. BTW they are soaking in that dishwasher/bleach/water mixture as I write :-) DonnaNJ


Oops sorry the pics was to big let's try that again

[GoingtotheSun]

Donna - I'm also a Garden-Stater. . . and am SO over all this rain. Enough already with the wet, the cold, the mud, the mold, all of it! I'm praying for a drier November!

[digigrandma]

It is amazing that teams wear white pants for baseball or football games. Somebody who picks the uniforms is probably not the one washing the pants! LOL, I sure remember spending time doing the wash for 2 athletes growing up in our family.

[dugarner]

Originally Posted by digigrandma

It is amazing that teams wear white pants for baseball or football games. Somebody who picks the uniforms is probably not the one washing the pants!

We have the same problem in music---really, who came up with the idea to wear all-black when string players use all that white rosin on our bows? I never come away from a concert without white-streaked pants, as though I've been baking in a kitchen and have flour all over me.

Having a boy, I think we're going to enter the realm of baseball and football uniform pants. I'm not looking forward to it!

[DonnaNJ]

Hi Terri It's nice to know I have a digi scrapping neighbor :-)

and Merrilee well we all know it's the guys who pick them :-)

and Sarah I'll keep you posted on whether or not that soap works once I find it.. so you'll have it for future reference

Thanks everyone for your replies.. it cheered me up to know I wasn't alone in this :-)

[readstoomuch]

"Who in their infinite wisdom decreed that Little League uniforms be white?
Certainly not a mother.? ~ Erma Bombeck

I used this quote a while back with a photograph of our grandson in his white pants after a baseball game! It made me smile to know that darling Erma thought the same way that I do about white pants! And, the same way that each of you thinks too!

I love that you posted this thread Donna! (And, I miss Erma Bombeck and her wonderful sense of humor.)

[DonnaNJ]

Hi Mollie Oh my goodness.. I should have known she would have had a perspective on this.. Thanks so much for posting that quote. It went right into my list of favorite quotes to be scrapped with these photos. I too miss Erma Bombeck's unique perspective on life.. the world lost a great deal of wit and wisdom when she died. She had such a unique way of turning the mundane into the marvelous :-)