Let’s face it: Kids like playing in the dirt. Toddlers are fascinated by making mud puddles. Preschoolers and school-age kids like to make them, then play in them. And older school-age kids take this love of mud to a new level: they play soccer, baseball, softball, or football. Which means that at some point in their parenting existence, most mamas (and some dads, too!) will need to know how to get mud out of clothes.
I used to think I was the stain guru. At the seasonal consignment sales where I hang out for several weeks a year, all the other mamas always come to ME to ask how to get this or that stain out of things. I even wrote a whole post listing my favorite stain-removal helpers.
RELATED POST: Laundry Hacks I Love: 16 Laundry-Room Must-Haves
But there was one stain-removal solution that eluded me: How to get mud out of clothes.
Fortunately (?), this past summer my girls discovered a very muddy cave to explore while we attended our first family music festival. When we got home, it was time to do a thorough test of what would get out mud and dirt the best.
Originally published Oct. 18, 2018; last updated October 2021.
How To Get Mud Out Of Clothes
The challenge:
While Dear Husband and I were enjoying the Sunday morning “Gospel Set” at last summer’s music fest, the girls got bored. So they asked if they could explore a cave in the nearby rock formations with a bunch of other kids.
My husband and I had been marveling all weekend at how our girls were finally old enough to go play with other kids, without us chaperoning them every second. So we said, sure, go ahead! – we’ll catch up with you when the set is over.
It hadn’t occurred to us that the “cave” in question was lined with mud. Or that our kids would spend lots of time sitting on the floor of this muddy cave. Kid heaven, for sure. Laundry heaven, not so much.
Cleaning them up with a shower that night was the easy part. But after we got home, I decided it was time to overcome the laundry mud challenge once and for all.
The contenders:
The three products I tested thoroughly are
- OxiClean powder, which was already in my stain-removal arsenal. Even though pictures on our packaging claim that OxiClean is the official stain-remover of Major League Baseball, I have been less-than-fully-impressed with its ability to get out dirt and mud in the past – even when soaking laundry overnight with multiple scoops of powder dissolved in the washer, as recommended on the back of the package for “tough stain removal.” OxiClean comes in large boxes (3-7 lbs), but one box lasts a long time.
- Zote bars, which I first heard about from my friend and fellow blogger Michele. She swears by them for cleaning her boys’ baseball uniforms. You MAY be able to find them in stores where you live, but for me that’s not the case; I had to buy them online. Buying a multi-bar pack of the 14-oz size is much more cost effective than buying a single bar, if you’re shopping online.
- Fels-Naptha bars, which I found in the laundry section of my local grocery store when looking for the Zote bars at Michele’s suggestion. If you can get these bars in a local store, it will probably be cheaper than buying them online; grocery stores near me all sell them for less than $1.50/bar. But if you can’t buy them locally, then buying a multipack online costs much less per bar than a single bar. (For what it’s worth, Fels-Naptha is good to keep on hand anyway, because it will remove poison ivy resin from both skin and clothing!)
One option I did NOT test thoroughly:
- I also did limited testing with Carbona’s Stain Devils Grass-Dirt-Makeup formula. But given the small quantity per bottle versus the large quantity of mud I had to remove, my already-partially-used bottle ran out early in the process. So I just kept going with the other three. We can sometimes get bottles of these micro-targeted formulas locally, but a 1.7-ounce bottle usually costs $3-$5. Not the best option for multiple sets of muddy clothes, as I could have easily gone through a brand-new bottle and still had mud left to treat!
The method:
For the primary testing, I mostly applied the stain removers as directed on the packaging, with one notable exception. In each case, I applied the treatment directly to the fabric on the muddiest two pairs of shorts.
- For the Fels-Naptha and Zote bars, I wet the fabric first and then rubbed the bar directly on to the fabric, allowing it to sit for awhile before putting into the washer.
- For the Carbona, I squirted it directly on the fabric, as per the bottle instructions.
- Finally, for the OxiClean, I used a method that I read about somewhere once (on an old package? – I didn’t see it on my current packaging). Unlike the long presoak that my current packages recommend, I used this alternate method because it’s the only thing that’s given me some success in the past, when it comes to mud/dirt removal. I filled a laundry cap with OxiClean powder, stirred in enough water to form a paste, and then applied the paste directly to the laundry. Next I allowed the paste to dry (which usually takes 10-15 min) before adding the clothing to the washer.
For the denim shorts and a pair of khaki shorts, I applied the Oxi paste to the back right pocket, a squirt of Carbona to the center seam, the Fels-Naptha to the upper left side, and the Zote to the lower left side.
I also tested a bunch of socks with OxiClean, Zote, and Fels-Naptha. All the socks were muddy from the camping trip, but also had accumulated dirt discoloration on the soles from previous use. After washing, I line-dried everything in case all the stains had not come out the first time around, since I didn’t want the dryer heat to “set” any remaining stains.
The results:
The first round of stain treatment on the shorts showed much improvement, but there were still traces of mud visible. All four products yielded similar results to one another, on both the denim and the khaki shorts.
It was only AFTER the first round of treatment
that I asked Michele if she usually worked the Zote into the fabric with a scrub brush between treating and washing, even though the packaging did not mention this step.
- When she said yes, I re-treated the denim shorts and the khaki shorts by applying Zote (scrubbed in) to the back right side, and Fels-Naptha (scrubbed in) to the back left side.
- This time I worked both treatments in with a scrub brush before tossing them into the washer.
- I also treated a green print pair of shorts with just these two bars (again, scrubbing in the soap after rubbing the bar onto the wet fabric) before washing them.
Results were similar between the two bar products, but working the bar soaps into the wet fabric with a scrub brush definitely did a better job of cleaning the green shorts on the first try. The two pairs I re-treated also came out cleaner after I had scrubbed the soap in.
The socks fared better than any of the shorts in the first round. The dirt stains and mud residue were all but gone from every treated sock after just one treatment, even though I did not use a scrub brush after applying the bar soaps to some of the socks.
The bottom line:
Any one of these products, when used as described above, does a reasonable job at getting mud and dirt out of clothing.
However, I noticed definite pros and cons to using each product, which are also worth considering before you buy any one of them:
- The Carbona was easiest to use (just squirt on!), but also the most expensive per use. And it’s also somewhat harder to find in local stores (where it’s cheaper, for me at least, than buying online); the store where I shop the most often does not carry it. So this is my last choice.
- The OxiClean is by far the most cost-effective AND easy to find, but also the hardest to use. I usually buy the large boxes of OxiClean powder at Costco, but it’s also available online (where it costs around $2/lb or less) and in grocery and department stores. This test confirmed what I had already discovered previously: Mixing Oxi into a paste, applying it directly to the dirt, letting the paste dry, and THEN machine-washing will remove (most) mud/dirt. But it’s messy and time-consuming, and (except for the socks) the results were not as good as scrubbing in the two bar soaps. (OxiClean’s packaging encourages overnight soaking in a concentrated OxiClean solution to remove dirt, but I’ve had better luck with the paste than with long soaking.)
- Fels-Naptha and Zote both removed mud/dirt the best (when scrubbed in), are budget-friendly, and are relatively easy to use. If you’re going to try either of these and cannot find them in stores near you, I strongly recommend ✅ordering several bars at once online, because this is much more cost-effective than ordering a single bar.
The overall winner:
However, Zote was the overall winner because it has one crucial advantage over Fels-Naptha. See if you can figure out what it is from these photos:
The eco-friendly Fels-Naptha paper wrapper initially impressed me, compared to the hard-to-open plastic wrapper on the Zote. But as I’ve used the bars (keeping them in their wrappers so they don’t get all over my wet hands and slip out), I’ve found that rubbing the Zote bar into fabric is easier than the Fels-Naptha for this very reason. The plastic wrapper on the Zote makes a sturdier holder than the paper Fels wrapper, which has just disintegrated over time. Good for the planet, perhaps, but not so much for quick low-mess stain treatments.
It’s because of this ease-of-use that I’ve tested Zote on other cleaning challenges since the mud-removal challenge.
The most stunning results have come from cleaning several sets of dirty shoes, in preparation for the fall children’s resale event season:
- Zote did wonders with pretreating dirt stains on fabric shoes before throwing them in the washer.
- But what shocked me most was how well they performed on cleaning white soles.
Ordinarily I’d try to clean shoe soles with magic erasers, which usually gets them somewhat cleaner – but not always, and not always completely. (Besides, rubbing melamine sponges over rough surfaces tears up your sponge pretty quickly.) So on a whim, I wet the white sole of a shoe, rubbed the Zote bar over it, scrubbed a little, and rinsed.
As you can see, the Zote shoe (right) looks clean as new, compared to the left shoe AFTER I’d used a melamine sponge on it!
So there you have it!
If you want to know how to get mud out of clothes, you have several options, but there are pros and cons to each. Have you tried any of these products? How do YOU get mud and dirt stains out of clothing? Let us know in the comments!
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Zote is a new product to me. Will have to look for you it for certain… with two young kids running around and I love that it worked on shoes too!
It is a total lifesaver for cleaning SO many things – I keep finding more ways it rescues items I thought were permanently stained that no other stain-lifter has even come close to cleaning…
Great tips, here in Georgia the red clay ruins everything so this information can save your wardrobe.
Totally! Iron-rich clay is the WORST!
Great tips! I had never heard of Zote but will be on the lookout for it.
It just started being carried in our area in some of the home-improvement box stores – if you have to get it online, def get it in bulk (2-4 bars) because it is much more cost-effective than buying a single bar online.
You have way more patience than me. I tend to toss clothes that have this much of a stain but maybe next time I will give these products a try!
Well, partly these were the girls’ best-fitting/fave sets of play clothes that summer, and partly I am constantly trying to keep otherwise decent stuff in circulation and out of landfills LOL!
Oh nice, I will try this out. My kids have some stains that I can’t seem to get out.
I have another post that may also be helpful here, 16 Laundry Room Must-Haves, which includes my fave stain-get-out tips for other kinds of stains too – it should be linked above. I get such satisfaction out of rescuing my kiddos’ fave outfits from being stained/dirty, so they can wear them all they like 🙂
I don’t think people truly understand how hard mud is to get out.
AMEN TO THAT!!! My mama laughed when I told her about this post. Then she saw the pictures, and admitted that my baby bro and I NEVER got mud like that all over our clothes!!!
I’m trying this method, my husband and I we work around mud sometimes so this is definitely great tip for us.
Glad you found it useful! 🙂
Wow, you did such a good job on getting those stains out! Thanks for sharing – I wasn’t familiar with these products (just the OxiClean). I encourage my kids to get outside and be active, and it’s nice to have some ways to treat stains.
You are more than welcome! 🙂
This is perfect timing! I have some clothes that have mud on them that I’ve been needing to clean.
haha, I tend to put aside challenging stains til I have time to (or have figured out HOW to) deal with them, too! 🙂
What great ideas… my girls play softball and it’s always a constant struggle to get them clean!
Oh, dear, then you definitely need these! Hope they help!
I’m happy you find a great method for getting rid of mud stains! I’ve got a similar problem (my boy plays footbal, everyday, everywhere…) but I’m trying to turn to more ecological and biodegradable products. Still trying, but in the meantime I do some soaking with neutral soap and baking soda and it seems to work well with mud but less so with green grass stains. So if you have any eco-friendly idea for grass stains I’ll be taking them!!
Hmm, I have a pretty hard time getting out grass stains no matter what!!! Maybe there are some all-natural handmade laundry bars out there? I’ve seen things like that at craft fairs and such for sale…
I like the zote bars I tried them a long time ago for removing stains. I have not tried the fels-nappa yet though. And oxi clean is so important when you have kids!
Absolutely!!!
My son is ALWAYS coming home with some sort of crud on his clothing from playing with his friends. They love to play football – so this is a really great hack!
So glad you found the post useful! 🙂
This is so helpful, not for my kids’ clothes, but for mine! I participate in Tough Mudders and my clothes get destroyed. I can’t wait to try this!
LOL then you definitely need to try these tips for yourself!
Excellent tips! I had not heard of the Fels-Naptha before, so I will check it out!!
So glad you liked them! 🙂
OMG thank you for this! My stepdad does a lot of work in the mud and it’s always a pain to get stuff out and when we go for mountain walks with our dogs – the troublesome twosome sometimes like to jump on us and leave muddy pawprints!
Oh, dear, then you definitely need these tips!!!
So cool to hear how these product compare. I am going to keep Zote in mind as well, especially when I have kids! Cleaning shoes can be a struggle and they turned out so well!!
I know – I could not BELIEVE how clean they got!!!
I have seen fels-nappa in stores but not zote. I will have to keep an eye out. I also apparently need to get a brush.
Just a nail brush will work – they’re usually pretty cheap in stores – or you can even stash your old toothbrushes with your laundry cleaning supplies! (but for the mud, a nail scrub brush would work better!)
Oh this is helpful! My little boy comes home muddy non stop!
So glad you found it helpful!
Wow I love how you compared all the products! I never heard of Zote but the result with the shoes is super impressive – I am definitely going to try it! Thanks for the recommendations!
You’re so welcome! I have another stack of shoes in the laundry room that I hope to try it on this afternoon!
That those are some dirty jeans! I love your honest review of each one of the cleaners. I love that the Fels Naptha was super effective while also being super cheap. 🙂
So glad you found the post useful, Shannon! 🙂
I always have a few bars of Zote ready to go and I live by the miracle of Oxi-clean for my kids’ clothes and carpet…. with two dogs and three outdoor loving kids, yep, I am always looking for cleaning tips and tricks. Thanks!
You’re welcome! (though it sounds as if you already have this one down lol!)
I don’t have kids but my husband is no less. He loves sports and outdoor activities and I am always looking for ways to clean his dirty clothes. The ideas look wonderful and definitely handy.
Haha I know just what you mean – sometimes the “biggest” kids are the hardest ones to clean up after! 🙂
These are super easy ways to get mud out. I will definitely be using these the next time my kids gets mud on their clothes
Glad you liked them! 🙂
I’ve never had mud encase clothes so badly I’ve needed to scrub or use anything special before. I like your break down of the price, ease of access and use!
haha, then you definitely haven’t done my kiddos’ laundry! Although the cave was definitely worse than anything from making/playing in mud puddles!
Getting mud off dirty clothes is an essential mom hack! Lovely pictures and step by step guide.
Thanks, Joshua – glad you liked them!
This was so helpful! I loved the details about each product and the photos provided. Thanks!
You’re welcome! 🙂
Great information for getting out mud. Nice to see a price and product comparison to see what ones are easy to work with and the cost of them. Sometimes ease of use is worth paying that little bit more.
Absolutely!
Wow that’s great! Hanks for sharing
You’re very welcome! 🙂
This will be incredibly useful while we travel! Thank you for sharing this.
You’re so welcome! 🙂
wow how helpful is this. Mud is a sticker and a real tough cookie to clean. These tips are fab xx
So glad you liked them!
Hallelujah! I’m always looking for ways to preserve our clothes. Kids are the messiest!
Yesss…they SO are!
My boys have found the mud a few times, but usually in their swim suits. Luckily those don’t hold in the dirt as much as jeans. That being said, I’m sure as they get older and start playing more sports, we will need this! I’ve never heard of Zote before, but I’ll have to grab a bar for future use!
It is truly the handiest thing ever, and I am so glad I learned about it from Michele! I was also glad to buy a multipack – left a bar at my mama’s house for when we visit her and the girls “help” in her garden (which is way bigger than ours, thus has much more mud potential lol…)