Which stains will this actually shift?
The ones Miss Mouth's names are the ones it handles best: baby food, formula, ketchup, fruit juice, blowouts and blood, plus food, grease and coffee spots on everyday clothes. It can even remove both the stain and the smell of dog vomit from a duvet. If most of your stains are fresh food and baby mess, it is well matched to your life.
It did nothing on my stain. Is it a dud?
Not necessarily. It is hit and miss, and the stains that resist most are usually old, dried or strongly coloured ones. Coffee, tea, wine and fruit juice are tannin stains, which are generally among the hardest to shift once dry, and ink is stubborn too. Persistence can pay: ink and dried watermelon juice can clear after several rounds of spraying and washing. Try again before the item sees a dryer, and treat the next stain sooner.
Why is the stain still there after several washes?
Most often because heat set it. Never put heat on a stain you have not fully removed: a protein stain washed hot, or sent through a tumble dryer while still faintly visible, can be set permanently, because heat bonds it into the fibre. Wash stained items cool, and check the garment while wet before it goes near a dryer. If the stain is still visible, treat and wash again.
Does it really work on set-in stains?
Miss Mouth's says it works on fresh and set-in stains, and set-in marks can come out, but with more effort. Every stain is easiest to remove in the minutes after it happens, before it dries and bonds. That is the argument for keeping the small bottle where stains happen, a changing bag, a car, a nappy bag, rather than in a laundry cupboard where it is found an hour later.
Is it safe on baby clothes and soft toys?
That is the case the EPA Safer Choice certification makes, and it is the strongest claim Miss Mouth's has, because the ingredients were reviewed against the agency's health and environmental criteria rather than described as gentle by the brand. Two caveats keep that in proportion. The certification addresses ingredient safety, not cleaning power. And safer is not the same as edible: keep it out of reach of the children whose clothes it is cleaning, and rinse or wash treated fabric properly. Because it can bleach or damage some fabrics, patch test coloured items first.
How do I make sure I get the size I am paying for?
Check the size selector and your basket before you pay. Messy Eater is sold as a 4 fl oz (120ml) spray and as a 32oz refill, and this review covers the small spray bottle. The spray is the one to start with, since it is the version you can carry; buy the refill once you know it suits your stains.
