The task of cleaning athletic uniforms is an age-old challenge. The difficult stains just won't go away with the normal laundry process that most sports moms use. Nothing is more frustrating than to have your child take the field in a uniform that is still showing signs of the stains from the previous game.

You know the deal: Red clay stains on white baseball and softball pants, grass stains on your child's football or soccer uniforms, blood stains, field paint — you name it. They just don’t seem to come clean by putting them in the washing machine with your regular detergent.

So what can you do to get the job done without spending a ridiculous amount of time in the laundry room, scrubbing, soaking, washing, rescrubbing, on and on?

Every athletic equipment manager and experienced sports mom will tell you that you need a good prespot stain remover for those extra difficult stains on your child’s uniform. The stains will not go away without using a good stain remover prior to your washing cycle.

There are many good products available, not to mention dozens of home remedies passed down through the years. Just be sure to select a stain remover that is safe to use and friendly to the environment.

You can come up with a cleaning chemical that will take any stain off any fabric, but you don’t want to cross that line of compromising safety and the life of the uniform just to eliminate a stain. There are prespot stain removers that are highly effective and safe for the user and the environment. My recommendation for a prespot stain remover is to use one that is ready-to-use (not concentrated) and in a spray bottle for ease of application.

Don't make cleaning your child's athletic uniforms a laundry room nightmare anymore. Just equip yourself with the right cleaning arsenal and show up at the ballpark with confidence that your child has the cleanest uniform on the field.