Stain removal 101

It's crisis time: Jimmy is out of clean underwear! I just got through pre-treating a load of his clothes and am killing time before starting the wash cycle. It seems like any mom raising a boy (or an adventurous girl, for that matter) has to deal with lots of stains. This probably sounds lazy, but I've gotten to the point where I don't even bother to have Jimmy change his clothes during the day if they're dirty because I know he'll just get even dirtier. Once a day is fine with me, unless we're going out or trying to impress company.

My favorite stain fighter is Spray'n'Wash, which I buy packaged with the big refill bottle at Costco.

I also love Carbona Stain Devils, especially the formula for ball-point ink: works like a charm!

The absolute best for getting out greasy stains is Dawn dish soap. It's one of my all-time faves. Just treat the stain and let it stand for 30 minutes, or even better, over night.

And if you're feeling especially fastidious or fussy, Martha Stewart has some great suggestions for getting stains out on her "Stain Removal Basics" chart.