The Best Way to Get Stains Out of Football Pants

by Alaina Forbes

Overview

Football pants get filthy with grass stains and mud and are then tossed in the laundry pile and expected to appear sparkling clean, only to be trounced through the mud again the following week. These types of grass and mud stains can be very difficult to remove, but with some easy tips the football pants will appear looking new after each laundry day.
Pre-treating

The important thing to remember about stains is that the longer they are left to sit, the harder they are to get out. Make a habit of putting the pants in the laundry and treating them with something as fast as possible. A stain can be pre-treated if there is no time to soak or wash the pants immediately. Pre-treat with a stain stick or spray, or try using rubbing alcohol to pre-treat. If the mud stains have dried, then try using a brush to rub against the stain and remove as much of the mud as possible before pre-treating. Using a vacuum on the stain to remove as much of the mud as possible works as well.

Soaking

Soak the pants as soon as possible. There are many choices on the store shelves to use for soaking. Enzyme-based detergents are best for mud and grass stains. Directly apply the detergent to the stain to soak or place the pants in a bucket with a solution of diluted detergent for at least 10 minutes. After soaking, remove the pants from the bucket and scrub the stains with a brush again. Check the pants to see if the stain is still there. If a lot of the stain remains place it back in the soaking solution. Repeat this process of soaking and scrubbing until the stain is no longer visible or it is no longer improving throughout the process.
Wash

Once the stain has been mostly removed from the pants then you can launder them as usual. Use bleach on bleach-safe items to remove the remainder of the stain. When the pants have gone through the wash cycle, check them again before putting them in the dryer. This is important because heat will set a stain, so if the stain has not been removed, running them through the dryer will set it and make it almost impossible to get out. If the stain is still there, repeat the process of soaking and washing until satisfied with the results. Dry the pants as normal.