How To Clean Yellow Breastfed Baby Poop Off Clothes

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Wondering if that cute baby outfit is salvageable now that it experienced a poo-splosion? Here’s how to clean bright yellow breastfed baby poop out of baby clothes–even white ones–without any special cleaners!

If you’ve ever experienced a baby diaper blow out, you know there’s nothing like exclusively breastfed baby poo. 

I never thought I would find myself actually appreciating baby poop, but the stool of an exclusively breastfed baby, I’ve learned, is something special. Especially when it comes to laundry and saving your baby clothes from the aftermath of poosplosions!

Not only does exclusively breastfed baby poo not stink, but it is water soluble, meaning it dissolves in water. This makes it surprisingly easy to successfully wash out of clothing (and cloth diapers!) 

Don’t be deceived by that bright yellow appearance, friend! And don’t kick yourself for buying the cheap diapers and ruining that cute outfit. It’s probably not ruined. In fact, it is actually very easy to prevent stains if you follow these important steps:

STEP 1: IMMEDIATELY RINSE IN COLD WATER

To be honest, I’ve rinsed a pooped-on onesie in a lot of different temperatures, but since hot water can set some stains, I figure cold water is a safe bet, and it hasn’t failed me yet.

If you can’t wash your soiled outfit immediately, at least rinse it in cold water as soon as possible, since stains left by dried-on poo will be harder to get out. 

You can shake off excess poo in the toilet if there is quite a bit on the outfit, but remember: exclusively breastfed baby poop is water soluble, so it will dissolve completely and won’t clog any pipes.

STEP 2: SCRUB WITH DISH SOAP

Some people swear by blue Dawn, but I’ve used about every dish soap under the sun–we usually have 7th generation free and clear at our sink–and it has worked just fine. 

If you don’t have a dedicated scrub brush you’re willing to use, just use your fingers. Yes, barf, I know. But you’re going to get poop on you at some point, you’re scrubbing in soap, and exclusively breastfed poop is probably the least disgusting poop you’ll encounter as a parent (it helped me to think of it as just processed breast milk!). You can do this.

Scrub that stain vigorously with an a bunch of dish soap, then rinse and wring out the water.

STEP 3: WASH LIKE NORMAL

That’s right. No special detergents, stain removers, or cleaners. Just toss it in the laundry and wash. If you’re not ready to do a full load yet, you can get away with leaving your damp outfit in the hamper until you’re ready to wash. 

When it’s time to wash, I’ve had success getting stains out while washing in a variety of temperatures. Avoid hot water though, as this can set protein-based stains (poo is protein-based!).

Don’t freak out if your outfit comes out of the wash with a yellow stain still visible! You’ve got a secret weapon: The Sun.

STEP 4: LAY THE DAMP OUTFIT IN THE SUN TO DRY

The Sun bleaches out stains! Sunning your stains works even if it’s raining or if the sun isn’t out, since it is UV rays (which are always present) that bleach the stain out. However, if you can get the outfit in direct sunlight (even if only through a window) you’ll probably have the most (or at least the quickest) success. 

That’s it! Like I said: no special cleaners or detergents needed. This easy, four-step method has never failed me. And as a cloth-diapering mama, my bright white diapers (which have been pooped on repeatedly by two babies) are still bright white. 

Crazy, no?

So don’t be afraid of those blowout diapers, mama. In just a few simple steps, you can clean breastfed baby poop off clothes in no time. You totally got this. 

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