Preschool Stains

It is impossible (seriously IMPOSSIBLE) to go a single day in a preschool classroom without getting a stain on something.  It could be the carpet, a child's clothing, the teacher's clothing, dress-up clothes, a nap blanket, or a lunchbox.  If it's in a preschool room, it has the potential to get a little messy.  This is for two reasons;

1. Small children do not comprehend the word "careful".  No matter how hard they try, they are not completely steady on their feet, and with a lack of balance comes a general unsteadiness that makes carrying things incredibly difficult. This being said, children need to have these experiences.  In my classroom, students know that spilling or dropping things is ok, they also know that they will help clean up any mess that results.  
2. Preschoolers want to explore everything! This is something that I love about being a preschool teacher.  I love that they get so excited about new things that they literally have to touch them. I want my students to get messy because this is how they learn - they get to feel things squish between  their fingers and get stuck underneath their fingernails, then they have to learn how to get those things off of their hands (which typically turns the bathroom into a disaster).  Messes are totally fine because children learn from the process of making the mess, and then they learn while cleaning it up!

Because we make a lot of messes, I've been collecting tips and tricks for stain removal and easy clean up. Of course, I have to share my tips with all of you!

This first idea is genius - make clean up easy by avoiding the mess all together. Put a plastic bag inside of your paint cups, then you can just remove the bag and the cup will not need washed! Thanks Sharing Kindergarten!

I think that Magic Erasers are miracle products. I use them for everything and I'm always finding new uses.  This list is mind blowing - did you know Magic Erasers could clean up nail polish stains?! They will also get rid of that gross cooked on food that won't come out of the inside of your lunch containers, and take tarnish off of silver.  In the classroom the most common uses for my magic erasers are to get dried glue off of tabletops, remove crayon from pretty much anything, and get scuffs off of walls.  

Martha Stewart is the Queen of all things laundry related, so of course her checklist of stain treatment and removal is AMAZING.  You can print a copy to keep in your laundry room, classroom, or even to give to parents!

This is my all-time favorite stain removal product - Resolve Stain Stick with Spray N' Wash.  I put the stain remover on when I take off the article of clothing, and then throw it on the laundry pile and wash with everything else, just like I usually would.  It has taken care of every stain that I have ever attempted to use it on!

What are your favorite tips and tricks for taking care of messes and stains! I'd love to hear about them, I'm always looking to add to my arsenal!