How to Keep School Uniforms Looking Like New

With two children under the age of 7, Clare from Emmy’s Mummy knows all too well the difficulties of trying to keep school uniforms looking clean and fresh:

1: Use colour catchers in your washing machine. While you may try your hardest to separate the colours from the whites, it's the garments such as the gingham checked summer dresses which can catch you out when you place them in with the school jumpers. You can never be too careful because the white squares can end up with a coloured tinge to them by half term.

2: Check the filter and remove any caught socks, coins or papers etc.
Wipe around and inside the rubber seal. You'll be surprised how many bits and pieces you find tucked in there, which have fallen out of pockets (only last week I found 3 marbles and a spanner... KIDS!). Take out the washing liquid/powder drawer and give it a soak. Then run a washing machine cleaner through the machine.

3: Follow the washing instructions. If it says wash at 40°C then make sure you do. You can wash it on a lower heat setting of course, but never higher or you'll find the uniform has shrunk after a wash or two and no longer fits... a costly mistake.

4: Regularly clean your washing machine. Although you are constantly running soap and water through it, the machine still needs cleaning regularly to ensure you are getting the best from the appliance.

5: Wash jumpers and cardigans regularly. It's tempting to make one jumper last the whole week to keep down on the washing, but keep in mind that the cuffs and collars can stain and discolour quite easily. And of course, children often wipe their faces, especially their noses, on their sleeves during the day. Alternating two or three throughout the week will not only keep your kids’ jumpers fresh, but your kids will be feeling more comfortable too.

Emma from BrummyMummyof2 has some excellent recommendations when it comes to keeping her little ones looking their best at school:

1: If your little one comes home with a pen stain on their uniform, pop it in the sink and let it soak in cold water before rubbing in a bit of stain remover.

2: School uniforms can shrink really easily so make sure that you tumble dry on a low heat setting. Even better, don’t dry them completely so you can let them finish drying naturally on the line.

3: Buy at least three sets of school uniform. If you rotate them regularly, the wear and tear will be minimal. You will also always have a spare on hand if one of the sets starts to look a bit tatty or ends up covered in paint!

4: Ensure that when your child is sent home with their PE kit every half term, you give it a good clean. Also, wash the bag they keep it in so you can guarantee their kit will arrive as fresh as ever for the next half term.

Cass from Frugal Family is well equipped with tips to keep school uniforms looking new: “My 11 year old son seems to attract dirt at school and as aresult, I have a few tricks to keep him looking smart at school!”

1: I wipe their school uniforms every night when they get home with a damp microfibre cloth, which is great at getting rid of most stains.

2: Once I’ve checked them for stains, I make sure the kids hang their uniforms up, rather than dump them on the floor or over the back of a chair.

3: I don’t spend a lot on school uniforms, so we always have spares in case there are stains that won’t come out (as there inevitably will be), keeping the kids worry-free about how dirty they might get. My son can slide-tackle during every football game without worrying about the mud he knows he’s going to get covered in.

4: I also try to iron uniforms as minimally as possible and usually hang them on coat hangers when they’re slightly damp, which means that creases usually just drop out naturally as they dry.