Skip to main content

Baby poop stains happen: Here’s how to remove them

Your baby is the new love of your life, but something you don’t love? Poop stains on everything. Babies have accidents, but that’s no reason you have to throw out perfectly good clothing (yours or the baby’s), blankets, toys, or any number of things.

Blowouts happen, but when they do, you can be prepared. The best thing you can do is act quickly, but the next best thing is to take advice from us. We’ve got all the best tips and tricks to help you deal with blowouts and eliminate staining so that your baby’s gear and your favorite shirt stay good as new. Let’s take a look at this “crappy” situation and turn it into a success story.

Speed is key

Those bright yellow poop stains set in fast, so the key to having a prayer at stain removal is acting immediately. Once poop dries, it can be impossible to remove the oily, set-in color, and that’s your first big move.

Once you’ve cleaned your baby up, rinse poop off in cold water. Heat can encourage the stain to set so treat the material first with cold water. You can toss it in the sink while you’re bathing your baby so you can deal with it later.

cleaning carpet
Syda Productions/Shutterstock

If you’re out, rinse poop off in cold water and put it in your wet bag. The clothing or material will stay moist until you can get home to treat it.

Treat stains first

The next step to helping work out stains is to treat them. This time, you’ll switch to warm water to encourage your stain fighters to penetrate the fibers of the fabric and help lift stains.

A few common methods for soaking poop-stained diapers:

  • Use a fourth cup lemon juice with one cup of water in a spray bottle and spray or pour it into your soaking container. Lemon juice can help lighten stains on white clothing.
  • Use a stain fighter like OxiClean to help remove stubborn stains.
  • Use one tablespoon of dishwashing liquid and one tablespoon of white vinegar. Pour onto the stain and blot (don’t rub) to help lift stains.
  • Use hydrogen peroxide to remove the protein-based stain provided you have a colorfast fabric. Test a small area first if you can. Spray or dab a small amount on the stain and allow it to bubble up and blot; don’t rub.

For all these pretreatment methods, rinse your fabric on the opposite side of the stain to avoid pushing stains through to the other side of the material. Move on to the washing stage.

Wash in warm water

Hot water can be hard on your clothing or other materials, so use this as a last resort. Warm water on a regular cycle can help remove and agitate the stain so that you get it removed.

  • Use OxiClean to help remove the protein-based stain.
  • If you don’t have OxiClean, add a cup of white vinegar to your wash, and launder your clothing or material to remove stains and odor.

The biggest help for poop stains is a laundry detergent with an enzymatic component. These types of detergents help remove protein-based stains like poop better than conventional detergents and control lingering odors.

Don’t dry until you’re sure

Throwing clothing in the dryer is a sure way to find out you didn’t really get the stain out after all. The heat from the dryer sets in stains and makes it tough to remove them from fibers. Take the stained material out of the wash and do one of two things:

  1. Air dry and inspect the garment. If there’s no odor lingering staining, you can launder as usual the next time you have to wash the garment or material.
  2. Lay it in the sunlight to dry. Sun can help bleach any remaining stains and remove odors through UV exposure. This is one of the ways people helped to remove stains before fancy stain removers, and it could also kill lingering bacteria.

Removing stains from floors and carpet

mother and baby
Daria Shevtsova/Pexels

If your baby gets poop on your hardwood, tile, or linoleum, a quick swipe with a disinfectant and you’re good to go. But what if you’ve got a poop stain on the carpet? That’s a bit more challenging. Here’s what you need to do.

  1. Mix one tablespoon of white vinegar and one tablespoon of Dawn dish liquid in two cups of water.
  2. Apply the mixture with a clean, white cloth and blot the stain to remove it.
  3. Repeat until the stain and the odor are both gone.
  4. If there is any lingering staining, but no more coming up onto your cloth, use a dropper to apply hydrogen peroxide.
  5. Sponge the stain with cold water and allow it to dry naturally.

Once you’ve gotten the stain up, your carpet may still have matted fibers where the liquid has dried. Vacuum thoroughly to encourage the carpet fibers to fluff back up or use a carpet rake to agitate the fibers gently back to their original position.

Check the stain spot in a few days to ensure there are no lingering odors. Freshen with a bit of baking soda and vacuum the spot again to help get the fibers back to their original position and to hide any carpet matting from cleaning.

With thick, deep pile carpet, you may be able to cut out any fibers that remain stained. Gently part the carpet and use a thin pair of scissors to cut a single fiber. Fluff the carpet back with your fingers to check for any noticeable gaps. Don’t take too many, or you’ll end up with a hole in your carpet.

Dealing with stains

Acting immediately when you’re able to is the key to successful poop removal. Stains that sit for a long time are more likely to linger, but your favorite shirt or that adorable onesie may have a chance if you act now.

Whatever you do, avoid the dryer without checking on staining, and be patient with your pretreatments. Give them time to work so that when you do launder, they’re at their most potent. Don’t let those stains get you down — there’s hope yet!

Editors' Recommendations

NewFolks
When babies get their first haircut: Everything you need to know to get through this milestone without tears
Here's when babies should get their new look
Baby getting a haircut.

The first year of your child's life is filled with exciting milestone moments, like their first smile, learning how to crawl, and taking their first step. For most parents, that first snip of hair is another milestone that is just as celebratory and emotional. The notion of cutting your baby's hair for the first time could bring parents and baby to tears.

Whether you choose to trim your baby's hair yourself or take them to a trusted professional, you may wonder when baby gets their first haircut. If you think your little one is ready for their first styling, we have tricks and tips to help make the experience enjoyable for everyone — with limited tears involved.

Read more
When can babies have water? You might be surprised
Here's why you need to wait to introduce water to your infant
Mom holding a cup while baby drinks from it

Water is a crucial part of almost every living being's diet, with proper hydration being one of the keys to good health and wellness. However, you may be surprised to learn that there is an age limit when babies can have water.

Although it may be tempting on those hot summer days to give your infant a bit of water, or you may want to supplement your regular feeding schedule with water if you think your baby is thirsty, experts warn against giving water to infants under a certain age. So, when can babies have water? Keep reading to find out.

Read more
Some babies want to be held while sleeping: Here’s why
Tips to help with this situation
Father holding baby in nursery.

Those first few days and weeks after your newborn comes home from the hospital are filled with happiness, but they are also trying too. As parents adjust to having a newborn in the house, it can be difficult to find time for your own personal care as well as household chores. Even taking a shower on some days seems like a luxury.

Now, if your newborn wants to be held all night or while napping, it can be even more challenging. Just finding the time to get some sleep yourself is like a pipe dream. Why do some babies want to be held constantly while sleeping? The first step is understanding why newborns want to be held all night, what you can do to manage, and when baby will sleep in a crib. Don't worry. Just because your newborn wants to be cuddled while sleeping doesn't mean you won't be able to.

Read more