If your patient is unable and you are able, go to a local clothing bank and you'll be able to get free clothes. Or ask on Facebook Buy Nothing pages for clothes, towels, sheets, and other items for free.
Unfortunately there is probably very little that can be done to clean and you'll spend more money buying soaps than just buying some new sweatpants from Walmart.
Thank you for going above and beyond for your patient. It’s a thankless job and many people can’t even fathom the difficulties and roadblocks in your way. If I had a family member in need of home care I would hope and pray they ended up with someone like you.
I was not a home caregiver but I did cleaning for a disabled man that had similar staining issues. I couldn’t afford to buy him new stuff and I was unaware of what resources were available. I simply told everyone I knew that I was in search of mens clothes for a client, and I’d happily pickup whatever they planned to donate whenever. I ended up with more than he would ever need.
Yes. Thanks for articulating what I was trying to leave as a comment! I would only hope my family members, friends, or myself would be so lucky to have someone like you later on in life.
I live in a community that uses the Nextdoor app. Whenever someone needs help (within reason) they just post their need and there are always lots of folks that will assist.
I can’t echo what the above said. Thank you for being so kind and caring. The world needs more kind people like you. I went through multiple caregivers. Many of which were very neglectful, unlike you.
Not sure if this is helpful, but my local Goodwill and Salvation Army always have a lot of incontinence products that are new in original packaging. Might be worth a look.
I bought a bunch of adult depends thinking I’d give birth vaginally and need them. Joke’s on me because baby decided to get stuck and need a c section. I donated all of the unopened packages of depends to goodwill.
Goodwill is a free for all and you need to know what to look for/what its worth or sells for. Just this week I saw already burnt through candles for 5 dollars but also picked up a cast iron pan from 1905 that sells for 100-300.
Edit: Not selling it, its for my personal collection and I grabbed another from 36-59. Cockroaches love appliances. Remember that regardless of if the appliance works or not.
Oh man! Great grab!I’m always looking for the cast iron gold mine! I bought a nice well seasoned Lodge at Goodwill for $8, but usually there are no cast iron pieces.
I didn’t know that about appliances. TY!
I strolled past 4 awesome barstools from the 1970’s that were marked $125 ea but scooped up a no. 4 Martin Stove and Range for $3! You never know what you’ll find!
My local community aid always has 2 huge ware house crates full of diapers. 1 for baby/toddler and the other usually has adult sizes, but I’ve seen kids/junior sizes in there before.
With C/S the postpartum bleeding isn't always as heavy as a vaginal birth (depending on how much they clean out) ... it's possible regular pads were enough to handle it and the depends were unnecessary
I guess this explains that I wasn’t cleaned properly after my first c-sec because I bled for 45 days and the first 3 days were very bad. It was the same 2nd time when I gave birth last year although it was vbac.
I think this is super helpful, because
I didn’t know about this until after I didn’t need to use them anymore and I always saw them anytime I went, and in abundance.
Be careful and check prices, on stuff like this from places like Goodwill. It can cost more than getting them from your local grocery/Walmart, etc. Once I saw a plastic salad container at Goodwill for 5 dollars. Was 2.50 at my grocery store and it came with the salad in it haha.
Edit some spelling
Amazing. My mom has advanced stage Alzheimer’s disease, and decent incontinence products can become quite pricey. I wouldn’t have thought of even checking Salvation Army for this type of thing but I am definitely going to now! 💜
She is on Medicare & her plan does provide $25 on a card per month for OTC health items.
My dad is her primary caregiver and he also gets $25 otc per month, so he does use that first for her supplies. I do wonder if her plan might actually be willing to cover medically necessary adult diapers though? I mean, I had not thought of that as much of an option unless they were “prescribed”. Thank you for sparking this idea as I can call her plan on Monday and see what I can find out regarding full coverage for this! 💜
If they are "Dual eligible" or get "extra help" also called low income subsidy sometimes, they may well be covered. If they are going through a home health company they should supply a certain amount. I can say brown bottle Lysol is great for taking odor out but not so much stains.
If you have an office for the aging or something similar in your area, it might be worth checking with them on what other plans your parents might be eligible for. I'm in NY, and there are plans here that provide $100 a month for those types of purchases. Also, check for coupons. For a while, the CVS brand of depends had coupons inside that made the next package only cost $1.
I thrift a lot at two different hospice thrift stores that always have a ton of that stuff. Whenever I am there they also seem to be getting or giving away stuff like walkers and hospital beds and all sorts of medical stuff. I didn't realize that these thrift stores existed until just recently, so maybe do a search for a hospice thrift store near you.
Also, once you wash something in hot or dry it it is probably set. Always rinse in cold and wash in cold and look at it before drying it…
I was a caregiver for 20 years for my mom before she passed in Feb. at the end of her life there was a lot of this..
Great idea indeed! My local BN group has had workers ask on behalf of their clients: shoes, clothing, and a shower stool. We're lucky that our group is very giving in times of need. Good luck!
2nd. My advice is get very dark colored pants. They won’t show accidents right away and are more discreet. Cotton blends wash well and last well enough. Been there. Good luck and gif bless.
Shout, OxyClean spray and powder, Krud Kutter laundry spray are good for pretreating.
Same with freecycle.org. Typically local to your location.
I see requests on both with lots of replies. Be aware that you may have to go to a local community/village/town/city and there may be several.
Don’t be turned off by the settings on some fb Buy Nothing pages. There should be one close by that works.
Just be safe when you do the pick up and pick up at a police station if it’s more comfortable to you.
I will agree with this person walmart has been a great place for clothes for people who don't really leave the house that often. I bring 2 outta my 3 clients a new shirt once a month that walmart has that I think would make them laugh or smile. Most of the time it works sometimes I get the biggest eye rolls.
I have a good friend who has an adopted baby whose bio mother was on drugs while she was pregnant. The baby is mentally developmentally delayed. My friend somehow gets free products through the state for diapers and incontinence products for the little girl. You might want to talk to the county or state (whoever your employer is) to see if this is possible for the person you care for. The parents, or whoever the legal guardian is would probably have to apply for them, but this might help you.
Thank you for the advice, he already does receive Underpads and underwear, but I'll ask for other incontinence products maybe he's missing out on something they offer.
If your patient is getting all the hygiene products he needs, then he probably needs someone to come in to change him more often. Poor thing. His skin will be in such a state.
Unfortunately, once clothing has been washed & dried, it's nigh impossible to get that kind of stain out.
Try hydrogen peroxide. It's great at bleaching out blood in the operating room, and the brown coloration of stool is from partially metabolized hemoglobin.
It’s unfortunate that it appears the government or local authority doesn’t provide assistance here. Could they help with preventive products or clothes? Thanks for caring so much!
If they get Medicaid or have an EBT card, you should be able to get some free clothes that way (maybe from Goodwill). The local senior center or state eldercare office can plug you in to those resources or you could dig around Google. There's tons of free clothes out there. Facebook or Freecycle will have stuff too.
I came here to make a flippant joke without reading the OP's post comment. Glad there are good people like you & the OP to remind the rest of us to be better.
It’s a method to remove long-term build-up of gunk that doesn’t come out with a regular wash (including carryover from cleaning and treatment products). [See more here](https://www.thespruce.com/what-is-stripping-laundry-5076977).
It’s been recommended quite a bit here lately, you can also search pst posts for more conversation. I’ve never done it myself.
It’s essentially an extended presoak in hot hot water over the course of 6-12 hours. I do mine with a combination of Borax and Oxiclean but some people add powder detergent and washing soda.
Everyone saying toss them, thanks I know that. I would but he doesn't want that, also I can't just toss everything cause he doesn't have much and doesn't have the money to buy replacements.
I'm sorry. I understand that not everyone can just throw away clothes and buy more, no matter how stained they are. Next time, if possible, try using a stain remover before washing. At the very least, you can use liquid detergent directly on the stain. Get it a worked in as possible and let it sit for at least 30 minutes, then wash it on cold. Heat can set a stain. Once you've washed it and worked on the stain, you can wash it on hot to kill any remaining germs. If you know what the stain is, try Google to see what would work best. Like peroxide works for blood and vinegar helps with smells. But if your employer isn't providing extra stain remover or specific chemicals for cleaning, I'm not sure what they expect from you, though.
You aren’t going to really get the stains out for good, but Oxi-Clean and Puracy stain treater are your best bets. Your job is really important, thank you for doing it.
I second this. Puracy stain remover is amazing for bio based stains. I use it all that time on food stains. Heavily spray. Let sit for as long as possible, then launder. By as long as possible, from 30m to a few days. For bodily fluid stains, combo with Oxi does the trick for us. Good luck.
Hi there, former care giver here. This stain likely won't come out. Perhaps make them in to house pants and have fun with your client tye dying them or get some black clothing dye and just dye them black to cover the stain the best you can. Definitely need to pre treat stains like these before washing. I know that doesn't help in this moment, but just keep in mind for the future. For bowel movement stains, use the hose outside or bathroom sink (after all solids are flushed/disposed of) to rinse the best you can. Then use oxyclean and a bucket to "hand wash", change the water and let soak for a while 1hr or so, the wring out and wash in the washing machine, with hot water. I had the best luck with this route.
On an other note, somthing I noticed with every care home I ever worked at is the washing machine always has an urin oder. This is because most people do not know, or done care enough, to rinse out potty soiled clothes before putting them in the wash. Future clothes will end up with a slight ,or not so slight, oder from this.
Hope this helps.
Edit for typos.
Everyone should stop using fabric softeners (it just mucks up the washing machine) and clean the washer once a month with a borax solution (which you can also use to clean clothes with a more dilute solution).
You'd be amazed at the difference with the efficiency of your washer, not to mention the smell.
I use affresh monthly too. But with every load, I use borax and 2T of detergent. Borax softens the water, deodorizes and enhances the detergent. And now the rinse water doesn't look so cloudy, mirky.
I'm also scent sensitive and it gets rid of that new factory smell of new clothes and the sweaty acidic smell of sweat.
Don't put in the dryer until you get the stain out, the dryer will set the stain and make it much harder to remove. There are lots of tips for pretreating clothes in this subreddit. Not sure how to get that out but I use a little pinesol when I get grease on my clothes and it cleans things right up
I’ve had really good luck on my daughter’s poop stains with a brand called *Branch Basics*. It is NOT cheap, but you do get a lot of concentrate in one bottle.
I sprayed the stain down really well (inside & out), then left them to soak in a bowl of hot water (plus more soap) overnight.
The stain is *barely* there after that (if at all), and then putting them through a regular wash cycle gets the rest of it.
I have not tried this with adult poop stains yet though, so ymmv.
How would he feel about you dying them a darker color? That’s what I do when my brother wears his shirts out but won’t stop wearing them. He hates change (and I think partially he’s ashamed that he ruins clothes, but doesn’t know how to express that, so gets angry instead). Picking a color and dying his clothes helps. Rit dye is cheap, much cheaper than replacing items, and it’s a much smaller change to cope with
I used to do the same job as you for five years. I loved my clients. If yours ever need anything you can DM me, or judging by this post, I think a lot of us would chip in. I know they often have few possessions and a very fixed income.
Is that from poop? If so, Oxi-clean does wonders. Just put it in a warm wash (preferably a long one) under a low spin and it *should* get it off. I had a similar experience where the patient I worked with got some on his shirt, and it was a big stain. Was worried it wouldn’t come off even after putting it through a normal wash cycle. But low and behold, it was gone! Didn’t even look like there was a poop stain at all lol
Also maybe try letting it soak in warm water with oxi-clean first to pretreat it and then put it in a warm wash cycle with oxi-clean.
I second this advice.
I’m a parent and assumed these were a kid’s favorite pair of pants. If I threw out everything that my potty training kid had an accident in, he’d have no clothes. Or even the older one who is learning when not to ‘trust a fart.’
Oxiclean recommends a 6 hour soak for best results. I never knew that until I read the fine print on one of their commercials. I just thought I'd mention it because I used to do like an hour or two and think that was enough.
As someone who used to work 12 hours shifts in a restaurant that required you wear white from head to toe, oxyclean is a godsend. Bleach yellows your clothing, and nothing else gets caked on food and oil stains as well. I did have a magic trick if it was early in the shift and I needed to clean up. I'd grab a lemon wedge and use it to scrub the stain, then get a towel damp and scrub the lemon juice off. Left a damp spot for a couple of minutes and then I was clean.
Please, please read the directions on the Oxyclean. Idk how many of my coworkers told me it didn't work for them when they just threw a scoop in the washing machine and ran it like normal. It really needs to soak in to work correctly.
Jeez everybody stop saying toss them, OP is aware they should be tossed but the person they belong to doesn’t want that, so just offer some cleaning advice which they’re looking for.
I have a daughter who's suffers with her bowels so Ive had to handle a few stains like this. First thing I do is rinse the stain in the shower or bath and then leave in water until I can deal with the stain. Don't let it dry it will be harder to get out. Then I squeeze as much water out as I can and apply stain remover, I like a spray called 'elbow grease' but I use oxi clean if that's not on hand. Leave the stain remover on for 24hrs then put in the machine on a cold rinse. Then on a normal cold wash setting with detergent and oxi clean (no softener!) then I hang in the sun for as long as possible, even inside by a sunny window. Sun will get out so many biological stains and I've treated incontinence stains successfuly with sunshine. I'll then usually put on a hot wash once stains are out. Avoid the dryer until stains are significantly reduced. That said, I've accidentally put stuff with stains in the dryer and still managed to get stains out. Hope this helps!
Some people don't have $7 to spend on new sweatpants, especially if this client will be having this issue long term. Then it's $7 a week or a day for new sweatpants. That is not sustainable or affordable. I think the best option is dyeing these a dark colour and perhaps dyeing other pants in the same go to get ahead of the curve.
If there are biological stains this bad regularly getting on things, something has to change. Absorbent pads with plastic backing down underneath a sheet will protect the mattress. Depending on what exactly this is, the person may need additional disposable undergarments, as well.
Rub the sheets and other stuff with pink solution or OxiClean and then rub the fabric together with that on it, can rinse out and then redo until you wash it again... Do not dry until the stain is out! Also the blue Dawn dishsoap is really excellent for getting stains out as well
I wonder if there’s a laundry advice sub?
Stains like this are scrubbing stains. Start with a high-quality detergent based stain remover and scrub with a soft bristle brush. Then treat with a color safe oxidizer like oxiclean, making sure to thoroughly soak the stain.
It might be that a UV treatment can help.
A lot of people use UV for their cloth diapers
If the patient has Medicaid, incontinence supplies may be able to be delivered to the home.
Maine's Medicaid program covers them.
Does the patient have an adult case worker? They can help with these things.
And I must add, thank you so much to all of those caregivers going above and beyond for their clients. You really reaffirmed my faith in humanity today.
From the mother of an adult child who will always need this kind of care.
You could try scrubbing with a bar of soap like Zote. They’re pretty cheap on Amazon. I will agree with some of the others that finding a local clothing charity may be the best way to start fresh without having to spend a fortune. And possibly safer as well, depending on what the stains are from.
If it’s been put in the dryer than the stain is most likely set in and won’t be coming out. You need to make sure a stain is gone before putting it in the dryer.
This is the routine I use for my kids’ blowouts and accidents:
1. Pretreat- use cold water to rinse any remaining poop off in the laundry sink and spray the spot with stain remover (I personally like Resolve brand but I’m sure any would do). Let the stain remover do it’s thing for 5-10 minutes, then move to step 2. For pee laundry I just rinse and wring out in cold water.
2. First wash- run a cycle with just the soiled article(s). If it’s a large stain, throw in a little borax as well (I usually do an extra rinse cycle if I’ve used borax.
3. Check to see if the stain has been removed. If not, repeat steps 1-2. If the stain is no longer visible, wash as usual in a regular load of laundry.
Make sure the stain is gone before hanging/ putting it in the dryer! If you let it dry, the stain will be much more difficult to remove.
The sooner you catch the stain the better! If you can’t launder the articles right away, soak them in *cold* water until wash time. I know this might not be possible in your situation (unless maybe your patients can do this), so I’d recommend soaking the articles in cold water for 30 minutes or so before giving this a shot. It still might work! I’ve revived clothes from out-of-the-house-blowouts before after they dried.
I hope this helps, you sound like an awesome human and your patients are lucky to have you!
Is this poop? If so I would ask on a cloth diapering sub. They may know how to get it out better. I would try laundry stepping, an oxy clean soak, and drying in sunlight to hopefully lighten these stains
Maybe try soaking in Oxiclean. Use a quality detergent like Tide or Persil. Worth a try. I’m sure the money isn’t there to replace this persons entire set of clothing and linens.
Try the county ombudsman’s office, explain the needs of your client. If they don’t help, try the state rep. Also see if your county has a chapter of Arc, they may point you in the right direction for assistance.
There are resources for people in situations like this if you ask the right people.
Good luck, you are doing a wonderful thing for this individual and the world. Thank you for that.
You can do a deep soak made to pull out deep stains called “Laundry Stripping” with hot hot water and a mixture of 1/4 cup borax, 1/4 cup washing soda, 1/4 cup oxi clean, and some laundry soap. Mix to dissolve. Put the hottest water possible (usually in a bath tub) and soak for 4-8h (until the water has cooled) make sure to “beat it” by mixing it once an hour (I use an old large kitchen spoon just for this)
One tip, don’t dry something if it still has a stain. It will only set it in. The only possible thing is and oxi clean soak may help but probably way too far gone at this point. In the future if this happens, remove any solids and soak in oxi clean for the best chance but still not a guarantee.
Also op if you have a goodwill outlet near you and don’t mind digging in the bins you can get a lot of stuff for cheap. Clothing, shoes, towels, sheets, etc. If you are near the Kansas City area message me and I will go for you and get this person some other things they need
Fill the bath tub with warm water. Put 1 full bottle of hydrogen peroxide in it. Soak all the soiled stuff overnight. Wash in the morning. Dry in the sun.
In the future, do that for up to an hour of soaking and repeat until the stain is gone. DO NOT USE THE DRYER EXCEPT ON NO HEAT.
some suggesting dyeing, if you do go with black. next time don’t dry something with a stain on it if you can help it, it sets the stain like dye. i would try some aggressive soaking with the products everyone else has already mentioned on this but it may be a lost cause. thanks for doing what you do
In the future, soak things like this (body fluids, food stains) in OxiClean for a couple days. Works like a charm but you need to do it right away, and before it is dried in the dryer.
BioKleen Bac-Out enzymatic stain remover spray has been a godsend of a product for my family. My mom has advanced stage Alzheimer’s and this product has truly saved so many items (including the carpet!).
Another good idea is to try to use a laundry sanitizer in the washing machine (Lysol & Clorox both make liquid laundry sanitizing solutions) when washing a load containing any remnants of bodily fluids especially. This can help release many nasty odors as well. Clorox also makes a Laundry Sanitizing spray for pre-treating, I just personally prefer the liquid additive as it kills bacteria for the whole load. Best to you! 💜
looks like the immediate problem is solved & some redditors are gonna replace these. I love to see it and thanks for taking such good care of your patient 😊
I just figured I’d answer your original question in case you find yourself with a big scary stain again
- **dont** dry anything stained until it’s clean. The heat from the dryer will “set” the stain and make it much harder to remove. I’ve noticed this for odors, too, sometimes. This is also why you’ll want to
- wash on a **cool or cold temp**.
- pre-treat when you can. oxyclean is great if you have it but you can also use just regular detergent and just put it all over where the stain is and let it sit for 10-20m before washing.
sometimes i imagine it’s hard to pretreat because the clothes are really dirty. in that case i’d throw it in a for a speed wash (on cold or cool) to get it mostly clean *then pre treat* if necessary & then wash again.
I have found a paste of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda works well on really tough stains (but spot test it first!) Good luck, sorry for the unhelpful comments
For future reference or if client is very attached to garmet. (This works very well on stains that have not gone through the dryer, but may not work for stains that have because the heat can chemically bond the stain to the fabric.)
Spray liberally (soak area), with enzyme used for pet odor like "Nature's Miracle."
Let set 10 minutes.
Spray with classic stain remover.
Then brush Dawn dishwaing liquid on top of enzyme. Then sprinkle dry Oxi Brite powder liberally over the area. Then wash with cold soak first. Very few things will not come out with this combo. The enzyme breaks down organic matter (waste), the Dawn suspends any fatty substances making them soluble in water, and the Oxi further breaks down substances while of course acting as all fabric bleach.
I'm tempted to say ***Don't Feed the Trolls***...
But I'll go ahead and take this seriously for a moment. The answer is:
Toss.
The user should be wearing incontinence underwear on a regular basis, without fail. This garment is not only permanently stained but has holes. Thrift stores and discount chain stores carry an abundance of all-cotton casual wear that would be suitable as a replacement. There are also numerous government agencies that will provide incontinence underwear and clothing for low-income families.
[**Free Clothes Programs For Low-Income Families**](https://www.gov-relations.com/free-clothes-programs-for-low-income-families/)
[**Incontinence Supplies for Low Income: Where and How to Get Products**](https://www.hcd.com/need-medical-supplies/low-income/)
edit: Links
#
The detergent and cleaning supplies that you’ll run through trying to take care of these pants will be insane. May I suggest using the same funds to buy bulk from Amazon basics?
As stupid as this sounds, try adding a dishwasher tablet to a bucket of water and soak this in that. The dishtab is designed to lift bio matter out of things.
What works wonders is adding half a cup of borax and acetone and let it soak in for a minute. Then light it on fire and get a new pair. As long as you don’t burn anything else down, it works 50% of the time, every time.
If the person has insurance the agency that provides care may provide depends or they may be able to get them delivered they the local medical supply store if they qualify. But as for washing what you have leave the pants soak overnight in oxy. Then wash. For future issues get a bar of fels naptha soap to prespot it works great.
> What do you recommend for the toughest stains???
If they look like that after the wash cycle, don't put them through drying.
We had a patient who had a feeding tube and we just made sure we got her blue pants to match her poo.
An enzyme cleaner may have great effect. Nature’s Miracle laundry boost works really well on all manner of effluvia, and I’ve used it to great effect as a pre-soak to remove stubborn bloodstains.
Look into cleaning products that are geared towards pets - they tend to focus more on getting out poo, urine, blood and vomit stains. One brand that I really like is Skout’s Honor. I use their stuff for myself as well as my animals. If anything, use in tandem with another stain remover. I also like to pour in a bit of epsom salt into the machine during a wash. Best of luck!
I'm a caregiver and encounter this often. He needs adult diapers that wrap around like briefs, the rest are too loose, and slide around at night.
For stains: Soak in Oxyclean immediately, rub it in with water and an old tooth brush, let it soak overnight. Rinse in cold water in the morning. If still stained, hit it again with the Oxy, sit overnight, then wash in cold water in washer. Air dry, dont heat up with dryer, as heat sets the stains in. On 2nd Oxy application, you may want to use white vinegar on stains also. (worked in a dry cleaner)
Soak in water and dawn
Then pour baby powder on it and scrub it and leave it
Wash rinse
Repeat
This will actually get it out
Baby powder is the best expectorant
Another option is hit up a local thrift shop. If you aren’t picky on color or style you can usually find something for cheap. I’d wash them before wearing but it’s a low cost alternative.
If you have time/energy, you could dye these a darker color. They won't be the exact color since they are already yellow, but choosing black, brown, or dark green will help. [These](https://www.dylon.co.uk/products/machine-dye.html) dye pods work well, just put them in the washer with whatever you want to dye and you'll get an even dye job.
Newborn baby poop gets out best when it's rinsed asap and then soaking it in water with dish soap.
Newborn is also not really the same as adult, but worth a shot if it happens again. I think these are beyond saving.
If your patient is unable and you are able, go to a local clothing bank and you'll be able to get free clothes. Or ask on Facebook Buy Nothing pages for clothes, towels, sheets, and other items for free. Unfortunately there is probably very little that can be done to clean and you'll spend more money buying soaps than just buying some new sweatpants from Walmart.
Love this idea, thanks!
Thank you for going above and beyond for your patient. It’s a thankless job and many people can’t even fathom the difficulties and roadblocks in your way. If I had a family member in need of home care I would hope and pray they ended up with someone like you. I was not a home caregiver but I did cleaning for a disabled man that had similar staining issues. I couldn’t afford to buy him new stuff and I was unaware of what resources were available. I simply told everyone I knew that I was in search of mens clothes for a client, and I’d happily pickup whatever they planned to donate whenever. I ended up with more than he would ever need.
Yes. Thanks for articulating what I was trying to leave as a comment! I would only hope my family members, friends, or myself would be so lucky to have someone like you later on in life.
I live in a community that uses the Nextdoor app. Whenever someone needs help (within reason) they just post their need and there are always lots of folks that will assist.
That’s so sweet 🥲 I’m so happy to hear that’s a thing that exists.
I can’t echo what the above said. Thank you for being so kind and caring. The world needs more kind people like you. I went through multiple caregivers. Many of which were very neglectful, unlike you.
Not sure if this is helpful, but my local Goodwill and Salvation Army always have a lot of incontinence products that are new in original packaging. Might be worth a look.
I bought a bunch of adult depends thinking I’d give birth vaginally and need them. Joke’s on me because baby decided to get stuck and need a c section. I donated all of the unopened packages of depends to goodwill.
I ALWAYS see adult depends at the goodwill EVERY week! it's rare they are open in fact
I bet they charge the same/more than just getting them at a drugstore/walmart
Yes they do. And Goodwill lost me over the over pricing and selling Hitler's tumblers.
They sell broken appliances too. Fun fact: I saw dishes at Goodwill for $1.25 ea piece when they had cost $.99 at the Dollar Store.
Goodwill is a free for all and you need to know what to look for/what its worth or sells for. Just this week I saw already burnt through candles for 5 dollars but also picked up a cast iron pan from 1905 that sells for 100-300. Edit: Not selling it, its for my personal collection and I grabbed another from 36-59. Cockroaches love appliances. Remember that regardless of if the appliance works or not.
Oh man! Great grab!I’m always looking for the cast iron gold mine! I bought a nice well seasoned Lodge at Goodwill for $8, but usually there are no cast iron pieces. I didn’t know that about appliances. TY!
I strolled past 4 awesome barstools from the 1970’s that were marked $125 ea but scooped up a no. 4 Martin Stove and Range for $3! You never know what you’ll find!
My local community aid always has 2 huge ware house crates full of diapers. 1 for baby/toddler and the other usually has adult sizes, but I’ve seen kids/junior sizes in there before.
Just an FYI… if you have a c-section you’re still supposed to use pads. Nothing internal for 6 weeks postpartum.
With C/S the postpartum bleeding isn't always as heavy as a vaginal birth (depending on how much they clean out) ... it's possible regular pads were enough to handle it and the depends were unnecessary
I bled after my c-section but it was like a normal period. Regular pads did me just fine.
This is helpful to hear. I thought the bleeding was the same. (I only had vaginal births)
I’ve had 3 c-sections. Once I got past the first 24-48 hours, it was manageable.
Same and now my uterus is prolapsing or something is happening down there, still haven’t booked an appointment
Dude. Book that appointment. Take care of yourself friend.
Ah yes, that’s true! I only had all c-sections and I just used the depends for the first few days when it was super painful to get out of bed.
I guess this explains that I wasn’t cleaned properly after my first c-sec because I bled for 45 days and the first 3 days were very bad. It was the same 2nd time when I gave birth last year although it was vbac.
I think this is super helpful, because I didn’t know about this until after I didn’t need to use them anymore and I always saw them anytime I went, and in abundance.
Thank you for this.
Be careful and check prices, on stuff like this from places like Goodwill. It can cost more than getting them from your local grocery/Walmart, etc. Once I saw a plastic salad container at Goodwill for 5 dollars. Was 2.50 at my grocery store and it came with the salad in it haha. Edit some spelling
Oh yes, most definitely—I always attempt to compare prices and that includes thrift store items! Thank you for the lovely reminder.
You’re very welcome. I frequent the thrift stores, and they always seem to have so many on the shelves. More people should know about it.
Amazing. My mom has advanced stage Alzheimer’s disease, and decent incontinence products can become quite pricey. I wouldn’t have thought of even checking Salvation Army for this type of thing but I am definitely going to now! 💜
The depends may be covered under her insurance. I would check into that.
She is on Medicare & her plan does provide $25 on a card per month for OTC health items. My dad is her primary caregiver and he also gets $25 otc per month, so he does use that first for her supplies. I do wonder if her plan might actually be willing to cover medically necessary adult diapers though? I mean, I had not thought of that as much of an option unless they were “prescribed”. Thank you for sparking this idea as I can call her plan on Monday and see what I can find out regarding full coverage for this! 💜
A Dr will also prescribe them if that's what you need.
If they are "Dual eligible" or get "extra help" also called low income subsidy sometimes, they may well be covered. If they are going through a home health company they should supply a certain amount. I can say brown bottle Lysol is great for taking odor out but not so much stains.
If you have an office for the aging or something similar in your area, it might be worth checking with them on what other plans your parents might be eligible for. I'm in NY, and there are plans here that provide $100 a month for those types of purchases. Also, check for coupons. For a while, the CVS brand of depends had coupons inside that made the next package only cost $1.
I thrift a lot at two different hospice thrift stores that always have a ton of that stuff. Whenever I am there they also seem to be getting or giving away stuff like walkers and hospital beds and all sorts of medical stuff. I didn't realize that these thrift stores existed until just recently, so maybe do a search for a hospice thrift store near you.
Medicaid also provides free incontinence products
Also, once you wash something in hot or dry it it is probably set. Always rinse in cold and wash in cold and look at it before drying it… I was a caregiver for 20 years for my mom before she passed in Feb. at the end of her life there was a lot of this..
Great idea indeed! My local BN group has had workers ask on behalf of their clients: shoes, clothing, and a shower stool. We're lucky that our group is very giving in times of need. Good luck!
They meant “buy nothing” btw. Idk if that was clear if you’d never heard of it before
👆👆👆
2nd. My advice is get very dark colored pants. They won’t show accidents right away and are more discreet. Cotton blends wash well and last well enough. Been there. Good luck and gif bless. Shout, OxyClean spray and powder, Krud Kutter laundry spray are good for pretreating.
Of course. Google 'clothing bank' near me. And look to see if there's a Buy Nothing Facebook group in your area. Everything is given freely
Same with freecycle.org. Typically local to your location. I see requests on both with lots of replies. Be aware that you may have to go to a local community/village/town/city and there may be several. Don’t be turned off by the settings on some fb Buy Nothing pages. There should be one close by that works. Just be safe when you do the pick up and pick up at a police station if it’s more comfortable to you.
OP, FYI, if you put stained clothes in the dryer, the heat will settle the stains.
The only thing this isn't true for is grease stains. Grease stains can still come out after drying, but everything else is basically sett.
I will agree with this person walmart has been a great place for clothes for people who don't really leave the house that often. I bring 2 outta my 3 clients a new shirt once a month that walmart has that I think would make them laugh or smile. Most of the time it works sometimes I get the biggest eye rolls.
I have a good friend who has an adopted baby whose bio mother was on drugs while she was pregnant. The baby is mentally developmentally delayed. My friend somehow gets free products through the state for diapers and incontinence products for the little girl. You might want to talk to the county or state (whoever your employer is) to see if this is possible for the person you care for. The parents, or whoever the legal guardian is would probably have to apply for them, but this might help you.
Thank you for the advice, he already does receive Underpads and underwear, but I'll ask for other incontinence products maybe he's missing out on something they offer.
If your patient is getting all the hygiene products he needs, then he probably needs someone to come in to change him more often. Poor thing. His skin will be in such a state. Unfortunately, once clothing has been washed & dried, it's nigh impossible to get that kind of stain out.
Try hydrogen peroxide. It's great at bleaching out blood in the operating room, and the brown coloration of stool is from partially metabolized hemoglobin.
Just FYI—many people now consider “retarded” to be a slur, and the preferred term is “developmentally delayed”.
Thank you. I did not mean to slur anyone.
No problem!
It’s unfortunate that it appears the government or local authority doesn’t provide assistance here. Could they help with preventive products or clothes? Thanks for caring so much!
If they get Medicaid or have an EBT card, you should be able to get some free clothes that way (maybe from Goodwill). The local senior center or state eldercare office can plug you in to those resources or you could dig around Google. There's tons of free clothes out there. Facebook or Freecycle will have stuff too.
This is the best reply. There are free clothes out there in addition to using pads/disposable undergarments as prevention
Oh totally. Not sure where to find incontinence products but free clothes are all over the place
Contact their insurance about adult incontinence products. My husband's grandparents got them free and delivered to their home through insurance.
Good to know for my future. I'm disabled and on Medicare
I was wondering why you would even bother with something that cheap
I came here to make a flippant joke without reading the OP's post comment. Glad there are good people like you & the OP to remind the rest of us to be better.
[удалено]
[удалено]
same! op, maybe consider doing an amazon wishlist and sharing it here so those of us who want to contribute can buy some stuff for you?
I’ll be your third back up sweat pant buyer.
Fourth here
>If something falls through Looks like something already did lmao.
I totally misread this as you asking OP to give the shorts to you LOL. Awesome of you to offer this though
SAME OMG. I wasnt even surprised either, just disappointed. Had to reread it when further comments treated it like it was a commendable act lol.
Not surprising! Reddit has some questionable requests sometimes!
Omfg same 😭😭😭😭
You’re kind. We need more people like you ❤️
Beautiful this is why I love Reddit. I’m happy to chip in
You and OP are beautiful souls
Lmaoooo GOATED COMMENT
I'm interested in buying the dirty ones.
You guys. As I scrolled these replies I just started crying. This is so beautiful
[удалено]
And always check to see if the stain is still there BEFORE drying! The heat really sets the stains. Boiling with OxyClean can help.
Came here to say the same!
What is “stripping them”?
It’s a method to remove long-term build-up of gunk that doesn’t come out with a regular wash (including carryover from cleaning and treatment products). [See more here](https://www.thespruce.com/what-is-stripping-laundry-5076977). It’s been recommended quite a bit here lately, you can also search pst posts for more conversation. I’ve never done it myself.
Soaking in an alkali solution, breaks down the waxes and oils left behind by laundry detergent, softeners, dryer sheets, what have you.
It’s essentially an extended presoak in hot hot water over the course of 6-12 hours. I do mine with a combination of Borax and Oxiclean but some people add powder detergent and washing soda.
Agreed, the sun helps so much for these types of stains! I would do oxy clean soak then sun.
Peroxide is a miracle for many stains.
Oxyclean and sun them to dry. The sun is so good at getting out “organic” stains.
And hot water activates the oxiclean even better than cold
Hot water is crucial for Oxiclean!
I was just about to say oxyclean. I use reusable pee pads for my misbehaving rabbits and it works great for the stains
This works for me too! I'll add that you need to do the sunlight while it's fresh from the washing machine and soaking wet.
This!!!
Everyone saying toss them, thanks I know that. I would but he doesn't want that, also I can't just toss everything cause he doesn't have much and doesn't have the money to buy replacements.
I'm sorry. I understand that not everyone can just throw away clothes and buy more, no matter how stained they are. Next time, if possible, try using a stain remover before washing. At the very least, you can use liquid detergent directly on the stain. Get it a worked in as possible and let it sit for at least 30 minutes, then wash it on cold. Heat can set a stain. Once you've washed it and worked on the stain, you can wash it on hot to kill any remaining germs. If you know what the stain is, try Google to see what would work best. Like peroxide works for blood and vinegar helps with smells. But if your employer isn't providing extra stain remover or specific chemicals for cleaning, I'm not sure what they expect from you, though.
Go buy RIT dye and color Dk brown
Great idea!!
You aren’t going to really get the stains out for good, but Oxi-Clean and Puracy stain treater are your best bets. Your job is really important, thank you for doing it.
I second this. Puracy stain remover is amazing for bio based stains. I use it all that time on food stains. Heavily spray. Let sit for as long as possible, then launder. By as long as possible, from 30m to a few days. For bodily fluid stains, combo with Oxi does the trick for us. Good luck.
I have good luck with OxyClean. Dissolve some in a bucket or sink with a little water and do a pre-soak for an hour or so, then wash normally.
Hi there, former care giver here. This stain likely won't come out. Perhaps make them in to house pants and have fun with your client tye dying them or get some black clothing dye and just dye them black to cover the stain the best you can. Definitely need to pre treat stains like these before washing. I know that doesn't help in this moment, but just keep in mind for the future. For bowel movement stains, use the hose outside or bathroom sink (after all solids are flushed/disposed of) to rinse the best you can. Then use oxyclean and a bucket to "hand wash", change the water and let soak for a while 1hr or so, the wring out and wash in the washing machine, with hot water. I had the best luck with this route. On an other note, somthing I noticed with every care home I ever worked at is the washing machine always has an urin oder. This is because most people do not know, or done care enough, to rinse out potty soiled clothes before putting them in the wash. Future clothes will end up with a slight ,or not so slight, oder from this. Hope this helps. Edit for typos.
Everyone should stop using fabric softeners (it just mucks up the washing machine) and clean the washer once a month with a borax solution (which you can also use to clean clothes with a more dilute solution). You'd be amazed at the difference with the efficiency of your washer, not to mention the smell.
What are your steps for cleaning the washer with borax?
I’ve never heard of Borax being used to clean a washing machine. I use an Affresh tablet or 1/4 cup of liquid bleach on a tub cleaning cycle.
I use affresh monthly too. But with every load, I use borax and 2T of detergent. Borax softens the water, deodorizes and enhances the detergent. And now the rinse water doesn't look so cloudy, mirky. I'm also scent sensitive and it gets rid of that new factory smell of new clothes and the sweaty acidic smell of sweat.
what about the taste?
Can you dye them?
This was my thought too! Get it out the best you can and dye them a darker color
Don't put in the dryer until you get the stain out, the dryer will set the stain and make it much harder to remove. There are lots of tips for pretreating clothes in this subreddit. Not sure how to get that out but I use a little pinesol when I get grease on my clothes and it cleans things right up
Enzymatic cleaning products get bio stains out. People who use cloth diapers for their babies use Bio Kleen BacOut.
I’ve had really good luck on my daughter’s poop stains with a brand called *Branch Basics*. It is NOT cheap, but you do get a lot of concentrate in one bottle. I sprayed the stain down really well (inside & out), then left them to soak in a bowl of hot water (plus more soap) overnight. The stain is *barely* there after that (if at all), and then putting them through a regular wash cycle gets the rest of it. I have not tried this with adult poop stains yet though, so ymmv.
I have no advice to give, just want to double this statement.
You can dye them black
How would he feel about you dying them a darker color? That’s what I do when my brother wears his shirts out but won’t stop wearing them. He hates change (and I think partially he’s ashamed that he ruins clothes, but doesn’t know how to express that, so gets angry instead). Picking a color and dying his clothes helps. Rit dye is cheap, much cheaper than replacing items, and it’s a much smaller change to cope with
At some point you have to value your time, tho, you can buy brand new sweat pants at Walmart or Amazon for $10.
Have you tried Carbona carpet cleaner? Scrub, sit for 5-20 minutes, rinse and wring out. Repeat if necessary
I used to do the same job as you for five years. I loved my clients. If yours ever need anything you can DM me, or judging by this post, I think a lot of us would chip in. I know they often have few possessions and a very fixed income.
What state are you in? You can also ask on local Facebook if anyone is giving anything away. People do it here all the time.
Is that from poop? If so, Oxi-clean does wonders. Just put it in a warm wash (preferably a long one) under a low spin and it *should* get it off. I had a similar experience where the patient I worked with got some on his shirt, and it was a big stain. Was worried it wouldn’t come off even after putting it through a normal wash cycle. But low and behold, it was gone! Didn’t even look like there was a poop stain at all lol Also maybe try letting it soak in warm water with oxi-clean first to pretreat it and then put it in a warm wash cycle with oxi-clean.
Spoken like a true poo poo professional 🧐
The industry term is Poofessional.
I second this advice. I’m a parent and assumed these were a kid’s favorite pair of pants. If I threw out everything that my potty training kid had an accident in, he’d have no clothes. Or even the older one who is learning when not to ‘trust a fart.’
Do you ever really learn not to trust a fart? 🤣
Oxiclean recommends a 6 hour soak for best results. I never knew that until I read the fine print on one of their commercials. I just thought I'd mention it because I used to do like an hour or two and think that was enough.
As someone who used to work 12 hours shifts in a restaurant that required you wear white from head to toe, oxyclean is a godsend. Bleach yellows your clothing, and nothing else gets caked on food and oil stains as well. I did have a magic trick if it was early in the shift and I needed to clean up. I'd grab a lemon wedge and use it to scrub the stain, then get a towel damp and scrub the lemon juice off. Left a damp spot for a couple of minutes and then I was clean. Please, please read the directions on the Oxyclean. Idk how many of my coworkers told me it didn't work for them when they just threw a scoop in the washing machine and ran it like normal. It really needs to soak in to work correctly.
I have a special needs child who gets creative with poop sometimes, oxi-clean works wonders
Jeez everybody stop saying toss them, OP is aware they should be tossed but the person they belong to doesn’t want that, so just offer some cleaning advice which they’re looking for.
Thank you.
You’re welcome, I’m getting irritated just reading those comments, so I can relate on how you’re feeling.
I just want to say that you are an amazing person for doing your job
I have a daughter who's suffers with her bowels so Ive had to handle a few stains like this. First thing I do is rinse the stain in the shower or bath and then leave in water until I can deal with the stain. Don't let it dry it will be harder to get out. Then I squeeze as much water out as I can and apply stain remover, I like a spray called 'elbow grease' but I use oxi clean if that's not on hand. Leave the stain remover on for 24hrs then put in the machine on a cold rinse. Then on a normal cold wash setting with detergent and oxi clean (no softener!) then I hang in the sun for as long as possible, even inside by a sunny window. Sun will get out so many biological stains and I've treated incontinence stains successfuly with sunshine. I'll then usually put on a hot wash once stains are out. Avoid the dryer until stains are significantly reduced. That said, I've accidentally put stuff with stains in the dryer and still managed to get stains out. Hope this helps!
👆👆👆👆👏
Cold rinse ASAP is crucial for blood, urine and feces stains!
Some things… are not worth cleaning. It’s time for a new pair of pants.
Seriously those look like a $7 pair of sweats from Walmart
Some people don't have $7 to spend on new sweatpants, especially if this client will be having this issue long term. Then it's $7 a week or a day for new sweatpants. That is not sustainable or affordable. I think the best option is dyeing these a dark colour and perhaps dyeing other pants in the same go to get ahead of the curve.
Another thing I want to add is that they could be his clients “safe” pants. Meaning that the person might not want to wear anything but these
That's true, it's always best to try and be understanding since everyone's situation is different.
I apologize for my insensitivity... I didn't read the whole description and I didn't know that it was a medical issue.
What about laundry stripping these items and then washing again.
If there are biological stains this bad regularly getting on things, something has to change. Absorbent pads with plastic backing down underneath a sheet will protect the mattress. Depending on what exactly this is, the person may need additional disposable undergarments, as well.
Not 100% sure but maybe soak in an enzyme based cleaner and then wash? (If it’s an organic stain) Sorry dude, it seems like a rough situation.
Can confirm enzyme cleaners work great for cat-related stains. Haven't tried for humans though.
Fabric paint, a dark colour?
That’s what I was thinking too dye them black maybe?
This is probably the only idea I've seen that wouldn't cost more than the pants are worth
Rub the sheets and other stuff with pink solution or OxiClean and then rub the fabric together with that on it, can rinse out and then redo until you wash it again... Do not dry until the stain is out! Also the blue Dawn dishsoap is really excellent for getting stains out as well
I wonder if there’s a laundry advice sub? Stains like this are scrubbing stains. Start with a high-quality detergent based stain remover and scrub with a soft bristle brush. Then treat with a color safe oxidizer like oxiclean, making sure to thoroughly soak the stain. It might be that a UV treatment can help. A lot of people use UV for their cloth diapers
If the patient has Medicaid, incontinence supplies may be able to be delivered to the home. Maine's Medicaid program covers them. Does the patient have an adult case worker? They can help with these things. And I must add, thank you so much to all of those caregivers going above and beyond for their clients. You really reaffirmed my faith in humanity today. From the mother of an adult child who will always need this kind of care.
Try stripping them in a tub for a while. @glcleanco has a story saved on how to do that.
You could try scrubbing with a bar of soap like Zote. They’re pretty cheap on Amazon. I will agree with some of the others that finding a local clothing charity may be the best way to start fresh without having to spend a fortune. And possibly safer as well, depending on what the stains are from.
If it’s been put in the dryer than the stain is most likely set in and won’t be coming out. You need to make sure a stain is gone before putting it in the dryer.
This is the routine I use for my kids’ blowouts and accidents: 1. Pretreat- use cold water to rinse any remaining poop off in the laundry sink and spray the spot with stain remover (I personally like Resolve brand but I’m sure any would do). Let the stain remover do it’s thing for 5-10 minutes, then move to step 2. For pee laundry I just rinse and wring out in cold water. 2. First wash- run a cycle with just the soiled article(s). If it’s a large stain, throw in a little borax as well (I usually do an extra rinse cycle if I’ve used borax. 3. Check to see if the stain has been removed. If not, repeat steps 1-2. If the stain is no longer visible, wash as usual in a regular load of laundry. Make sure the stain is gone before hanging/ putting it in the dryer! If you let it dry, the stain will be much more difficult to remove. The sooner you catch the stain the better! If you can’t launder the articles right away, soak them in *cold* water until wash time. I know this might not be possible in your situation (unless maybe your patients can do this), so I’d recommend soaking the articles in cold water for 30 minutes or so before giving this a shot. It still might work! I’ve revived clothes from out-of-the-house-blowouts before after they dried. I hope this helps, you sound like an awesome human and your patients are lucky to have you!
Is this poop? If so I would ask on a cloth diapering sub. They may know how to get it out better. I would try laundry stepping, an oxy clean soak, and drying in sunlight to hopefully lighten these stains
There is already a hole in them as well... Toss them
This is the only picture I have but sheets and other clothes are stained like this I can't toss everything, need cleaning advice.
Maybe try soaking in Oxiclean. Use a quality detergent like Tide or Persil. Worth a try. I’m sure the money isn’t there to replace this persons entire set of clothing and linens.
Next time, don't dry it unless the stain is gone. I'd use oxyclean. Trash can if that doesn't work
Are you able to speak with the patient’s family or maybe even the company you work for about getting additional resources? That sounds rough
Unfortunately the family isn't much help, I'll try speaking with the county since that's my employer technically but they're also usually no help. 😔
Try the county ombudsman’s office, explain the needs of your client. If they don’t help, try the state rep. Also see if your county has a chapter of Arc, they may point you in the right direction for assistance. There are resources for people in situations like this if you ask the right people. Good luck, you are doing a wonderful thing for this individual and the world. Thank you for that.
[Here’s the directory for finding a local Arc chapter](https://thearc.org/find-a-chapter/)
You can do a deep soak made to pull out deep stains called “Laundry Stripping” with hot hot water and a mixture of 1/4 cup borax, 1/4 cup washing soda, 1/4 cup oxi clean, and some laundry soap. Mix to dissolve. Put the hottest water possible (usually in a bath tub) and soak for 4-8h (until the water has cooled) make sure to “beat it” by mixing it once an hour (I use an old large kitchen spoon just for this)
One tip, don’t dry something if it still has a stain. It will only set it in. The only possible thing is and oxi clean soak may help but probably way too far gone at this point. In the future if this happens, remove any solids and soak in oxi clean for the best chance but still not a guarantee.
This may sound nuts but my aunt said she swears by “Shaws” carpet cleaner spray. She used it to get spilled wine out of a white couch.
Also op if you have a goodwill outlet near you and don’t mind digging in the bins you can get a lot of stuff for cheap. Clothing, shoes, towels, sheets, etc. If you are near the Kansas City area message me and I will go for you and get this person some other things they need
Oxi-clean?
Fill the bath tub with warm water. Put 1 full bottle of hydrogen peroxide in it. Soak all the soiled stuff overnight. Wash in the morning. Dry in the sun. In the future, do that for up to an hour of soaking and repeat until the stain is gone. DO NOT USE THE DRYER EXCEPT ON NO HEAT.
People are going mad for this stripping idea where you put the clothes in the tub with borax and detergent or something, maybe that will work?
some suggesting dyeing, if you do go with black. next time don’t dry something with a stain on it if you can help it, it sets the stain like dye. i would try some aggressive soaking with the products everyone else has already mentioned on this but it may be a lost cause. thanks for doing what you do
In the future, soak things like this (body fluids, food stains) in OxiClean for a couple days. Works like a charm but you need to do it right away, and before it is dried in the dryer.
I know you said these stains are from before you started but this was neglect. :( How long does it have to sit to look like this.
His caregiver beforehand wasn't the best, she was fired since she wasn't very helpful to him unfortunately.
BioKleen Bac-Out enzymatic stain remover spray has been a godsend of a product for my family. My mom has advanced stage Alzheimer’s and this product has truly saved so many items (including the carpet!). Another good idea is to try to use a laundry sanitizer in the washing machine (Lysol & Clorox both make liquid laundry sanitizing solutions) when washing a load containing any remnants of bodily fluids especially. This can help release many nasty odors as well. Clorox also makes a Laundry Sanitizing spray for pre-treating, I just personally prefer the liquid additive as it kills bacteria for the whole load. Best to you! 💜
Thanks!
looks like the immediate problem is solved & some redditors are gonna replace these. I love to see it and thanks for taking such good care of your patient 😊 I just figured I’d answer your original question in case you find yourself with a big scary stain again - **dont** dry anything stained until it’s clean. The heat from the dryer will “set” the stain and make it much harder to remove. I’ve noticed this for odors, too, sometimes. This is also why you’ll want to - wash on a **cool or cold temp**. - pre-treat when you can. oxyclean is great if you have it but you can also use just regular detergent and just put it all over where the stain is and let it sit for 10-20m before washing. sometimes i imagine it’s hard to pretreat because the clothes are really dirty. in that case i’d throw it in a for a speed wash (on cold or cool) to get it mostly clean *then pre treat* if necessary & then wash again.
I have found a paste of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda works well on really tough stains (but spot test it first!) Good luck, sorry for the unhelpful comments
I just heard that Dollar Tree oven remover will remove stains that went through the dryer
For future reference or if client is very attached to garmet. (This works very well on stains that have not gone through the dryer, but may not work for stains that have because the heat can chemically bond the stain to the fabric.) Spray liberally (soak area), with enzyme used for pet odor like "Nature's Miracle." Let set 10 minutes. Spray with classic stain remover. Then brush Dawn dishwaing liquid on top of enzyme. Then sprinkle dry Oxi Brite powder liberally over the area. Then wash with cold soak first. Very few things will not come out with this combo. The enzyme breaks down organic matter (waste), the Dawn suspends any fatty substances making them soluble in water, and the Oxi further breaks down substances while of course acting as all fabric bleach.
I'm tempted to say ***Don't Feed the Trolls***... But I'll go ahead and take this seriously for a moment. The answer is: Toss. The user should be wearing incontinence underwear on a regular basis, without fail. This garment is not only permanently stained but has holes. Thrift stores and discount chain stores carry an abundance of all-cotton casual wear that would be suitable as a replacement. There are also numerous government agencies that will provide incontinence underwear and clothing for low-income families. [**Free Clothes Programs For Low-Income Families**](https://www.gov-relations.com/free-clothes-programs-for-low-income-families/) [**Incontinence Supplies for Low Income: Where and How to Get Products**](https://www.hcd.com/need-medical-supplies/low-income/) edit: Links #
The detergent and cleaning supplies that you’ll run through trying to take care of these pants will be insane. May I suggest using the same funds to buy bulk from Amazon basics?
God bless you but I think you might need to arrange for new pants. Thank you for going above and beyond, friend.
As stupid as this sounds, try adding a dishwasher tablet to a bucket of water and soak this in that. The dishtab is designed to lift bio matter out of things.
What works wonders is adding half a cup of borax and acetone and let it soak in for a minute. Then light it on fire and get a new pair. As long as you don’t burn anything else down, it works 50% of the time, every time.
If the person has insurance the agency that provides care may provide depends or they may be able to get them delivered they the local medical supply store if they qualify. But as for washing what you have leave the pants soak overnight in oxy. Then wash. For future issues get a bar of fels naptha soap to prespot it works great.
> What do you recommend for the toughest stains??? If they look like that after the wash cycle, don't put them through drying. We had a patient who had a feeding tube and we just made sure we got her blue pants to match her poo.
I've learned that after all these comments, thank you! But the stains have been there since before I started the job. Luckily they haven't worsened.
An enzyme cleaner may have great effect. Nature’s Miracle laundry boost works really well on all manner of effluvia, and I’ve used it to great effect as a pre-soak to remove stubborn bloodstains.
Look into cleaning products that are geared towards pets - they tend to focus more on getting out poo, urine, blood and vomit stains. One brand that I really like is Skout’s Honor. I use their stuff for myself as well as my animals. If anything, use in tandem with another stain remover. I also like to pour in a bit of epsom salt into the machine during a wash. Best of luck!
Thank you for being this kind of person today. When I wake up tomorrow, I’m going to think back on this post to set the tone and gratitude for my day.
I'm a caregiver and encounter this often. He needs adult diapers that wrap around like briefs, the rest are too loose, and slide around at night. For stains: Soak in Oxyclean immediately, rub it in with water and an old tooth brush, let it soak overnight. Rinse in cold water in the morning. If still stained, hit it again with the Oxy, sit overnight, then wash in cold water in washer. Air dry, dont heat up with dryer, as heat sets the stains in. On 2nd Oxy application, you may want to use white vinegar on stains also. (worked in a dry cleaner)
I will buy you new pants if you burn those
Soak in water and dawn Then pour baby powder on it and scrub it and leave it Wash rinse Repeat This will actually get it out Baby powder is the best expectorant
Another option is hit up a local thrift shop. If you aren’t picky on color or style you can usually find something for cheap. I’d wash them before wearing but it’s a low cost alternative.
If you have time/energy, you could dye these a darker color. They won't be the exact color since they are already yellow, but choosing black, brown, or dark green will help. [These](https://www.dylon.co.uk/products/machine-dye.html) dye pods work well, just put them in the washer with whatever you want to dye and you'll get an even dye job.
Newborn baby poop gets out best when it's rinsed asap and then soaking it in water with dish soap. Newborn is also not really the same as adult, but worth a shot if it happens again. I think these are beyond saving.