Mom's Number One School Tool

(ARA) - It's school time and this year you promise yourself you're going to do everything right. You're going to shop smart -- watch for back-to-school sales and shop early. You'll steer your child right past the aisle of candy-colored calculators. And no matter what, you won't give in to pleas for a whole new wardrobe.

But no matter how much you try, back-to-school spending still adds up. Last year, families spent more than $450 per child on back-to-school gear -- most of it on clothing that inevitably does battle with juice, markers and mud. A recent survey showed that nearly 55 percent of moms admitted they had to replace a piece of clothing because of a permanent stain. They must not have heard about the Clorox Bleach Pen.

The Clorox Bleach Pen is the pocket-sized guide to school year survival. It's a literal stroke of genius. It's bleach in a pen. Juice stains can be zapped from a striped polo. Mud stains can be expelled from Converse sneakers. It also comes with a wide tip for scrubbing out tough grass and mud stains on dirty sports uniforms.

So whether you're ringing up the latest school fashions at the cash register, or simply looking for creative ways to make last year's outfits look newer again, moms may want to put the Clorox Bleach Pen at the top of their back-to-school shopping list.

An ounce of prevention. Washing clothes before treating the stain can "set" tough stains, making them difficult, if not impossible, to remove. The key is to "write off the stain" as soon as it appears with the bleach pen, then wash the garment as usual.

Keep new fashions looking new. Zip up zippers, button all buttons, and turn clothes inside out before washing. Don't overstuff your washer or dryer and remove dry clothes from the dryer immediately to prevent wrinkling. Hang up clothes in the closet; don't overstuff drawers.

Update last season's clothes with a new look. Turn old clothes or hand-me-downs into something fun that "feels" new. Personalize old jeans, pants and shirts with the bleach pen. Kids can add the names of their school, sports team, club or best friends to a colored piece of apparel and turn it into something new that also shows their school spirit. It's a great way to celebrate a pep rally and give an old piece of clothing new life.

Look for new clothing that is laundry friendly. When asked in a survey, more than 94 percent of moms said that a fabric's ability to resist and easily release stains is a driving factor when buying clothes for children. Read clothing labels before you purchase and avoid items that require dry-cleaning, or contain lots of special handling instructions that will add time to your busy life. Pass on clothes that are hard-to-care-for materials, like leather, suede and wool.

When in doubt, stick to apparel brands that have held up well in the past for you and have stood the "hand-me-down" test of time. Don't buy an item just because it looks good.

For more laundry tips and creative ideas, visit www.cloroxbleachpen.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content