I’m a Baseball Mom, and Have Scrubbed Hundreds of Pants — Here’s How to Get Mud Stains Out of Clothes

Ah, muddy clothes. Typically these stains are ones that indicate good old-fashioned time spent outside. Honestly I’d pick a mud stain over food grease stains or anything involving fluids (aka pee stains). As my mom always used to say, “ A little dirt don’t hurt!” But that doesn’t mean you need it sticking around forever and staining your kid’s clothes. 

Fortunately, I’ve got the official credentials to help you out; I’ve been a baseball mom for 15 years — you know, the sport where they put kids in white pants and encourage them to slide around in the dirt, often on a spring day after it rained not too long ago. 

I tried doing the math to figure out how many pairs of pants I’ve scrubbed over the years, but decided I am better off not knowing. Just know that my advice here is sound. 

Most of the time, the clothes I’m treating for mud stains are synthetic athletic gear, cotton, or cotton/polyester blend. My kids don’t spend much time in delicate fabrics while stomping in puddles. I would recommend spot-testing fabrics if you’re concerned about durability.

1. Use a stiff brush to remove it from the clothing.
2. Rinse as much mud/dirt as possible out with cold water.
3. Spray the stain with an enzyme cleaner, such as Shout or Spray ‘n’ Wash. 
4. Rub the stain treatment into the stain. This is a crucial step! It helps get it into the stain to do its job instead of just sitting on top of it.
5. If you have the time, let the garment sit before laundering to allow the enzymes time to work on the stain. Overnight is great, but even five minutes is better than nothing. 
6. Wash with regular detergent and hot water. 
7. Optional: For whites, add a measure of OxyClean White Revive to the washer along with the detergent. Add a pre-soak step to the washing cycle.