As the school year starts back and families settle into the routine of kid’s lunches, inevitable morning rushes, 3 pm picks up and endless after school activities (hello sports season), parents everywhere are faced with the never-ending dilemma: uniforms.
Our children seem to have a different uniform for every day – from dancing and karate to netball, cricket, and soccer. No matter the age or gender if you are a parent you know the pain that accompanies keeping your kids’ uniforms looking clean and fresh for longer than a morning!
At Strucket HQ we know your pain, and that’s why we have developed the 5-steps to stain-free uniforms. May you know the joy of easy uniform-care from here on in.
1. Make it a Ritual
Routines. We might not like them, but they make life easier. When it comes to uniforms school and sports, it is best to rinse, soak and wash as soon as they come off your child. This does not have to be a chore. By making it a ritual we can introduce fun into the mundane. At the end of the day, or after every practice/game have the kids strip down and leave their uniform in the laundry sink. Then meet them in there. Together rinse the uniform and then get your pre-soak ready just like you are making a cake… After you have completed steps 2- 3 together you can go and enjoy a snack or time together doing something fun.
2. Get the pre-soak routine right
Generally, if a kid has been in a uniform it’s going to have either some grime, stain or odour present. To ensure your uniforms stay fresh all season long, start by rinsing them immediately after use under the sink to remove as much loose dirt and body soil as possible. Then fill grab your Strucket (or your sink if you don’t have a Strucket) and fill it with warm water, your favourite soaking solution and a cup of baking soda to neutralise odours. For the best soaking solutions to remove stubborn stains read our article on stain removal here.
3. Set an alarm
Pop your uniforms in your Strucket to soak and set a timer on your phone for 60 mins (or however long you choose). Then walk away and enjoy your time – doing whatever it is you like.
4. Don’t Delay – when the alarm goes off get into action
As soon as your alarm goes off head to the laundry and prepare for the wash. If you have a Strucket all you need to do is Separate and Drain by pulling your strainer up and letting the clothes dry off a touch before popping them into the wash. After you have put the washing machine on to cycle through, then just drain the water left through the outside plug without touching any of the mess.
5. Follow through & finish
After the wash is complete it is a dry as you please, iron and put them away! Now we know that for many of us it is often in the follow through we fail (seriously, does any actually like folding or ironing?), so we suggest you couple this horrible yet necessary task with a favourite pastime such as Netflix. If you are in need of serious inspiration maybe flick to Marie Kondo and be amazed at how quickly you get those uniforms pressed and away!
