PersonalStainFilter: Help for Pyridium stains

December 23, 2006 7:14 PM

Do you have any solutions for the stains Pyridium leaves?

My mother takes a lot of Pyridium (a UTI medicine that turns your pee orange and leaves disgusting flourescent stains), and as a result, her clothing is constantly stained.

For other reasons, I'm going to start doing her laundry and I really don't do well with anyone else's personal stains.

Does anyone have any advice for how she can treat these stains before I do her laundry? (I'm going to do it once every two weeks). Would a bucket with a weak bleach solution help? How long can she leave her underwear to soak?

I also tried to find her black underwear in the style she likes (big women's briefs) so that might also be a possible solution to this issue, if you have any sources. All I can find is white and various floral patterns.

Thanks for your help with this sensitive (to me anyway) subject.

posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (9 answers total)

No personal experience, but this post on DoItYourself.com says that sodium dithionate or sodium hydrosulfite, both reducing agents, will remove the stains. Since household bleach is an oxidizing agent, I don't think it would work.

That thread says you can get both compounds at a pharmacy.
posted by Quietgal at 7:38 PM on December 23, 2006

These come in black.

If you are near a K-mart, Walmart, Target, Sears, JC Penney, etc. look for the brands Hanes Her Way or Fruit of the Loom. The sell full coverage cotton briefs in black. Jockey is another brand that sells briefs. They can be found in department stores.
posted by LoriFLA at 7:57 PM on December 23, 2006

Plus-size panties are available in various colors at Bare Necessities.

Get a lingerie bag (and whatever decorative baskety thing needed) for between-laundry accumulation.

Best wishes to both of you -- and it's so very good that you're willing to help her, despite your queasiness.
posted by vetiver at 8:52 PM on December 23, 2006

I don't know if pyridium stains worse than uristat but I once had some uristat in my pocket and forgot. Threw my pants into the washer - a light color load, no less - and it turned everything orangey-yellow. Lots of oxyclean got rid of all the stains.
posted by necessitas at 9:42 PM on December 23, 2006

Another reducing agent you can apparently try is Thiox, but I imagine it might strip any and all colours off the garment. Might be worth a try with white clothes, though.
posted by greatgefilte at 10:52 PM on December 23, 2006

I took something similar for a UTI a few months ago, but I didn't have any problem with... ah... personal stains. The color of my urine was so cool I almost took a picture to share with the internet.

I know it doesn't help with the current stains, but in the same vein as buying new undergarments: could she wear a panty liner? Or will she be taking the drug long-term?
posted by rhapsodie at 10:52 PM on December 23, 2006

Get her a box of panty liners.
posted by onhazier at 5:26 AM on December 24, 2006

I haven't had to deal with this problem, but I tend to try hydrogen peroxide on anything water soluble first. It's like a quarter a bottle on sale, and it wouldn't cost much to do the experiment. I stuff the offending corner of the clothing into a disposable cup, like styrofoam, and let it soak overnight or more. If she doesn't like the feel of panty liners as a long term solution (that doesn't sound very confortable, with the plastic backing and all), perhaps you could buy a 12 pack of cheap washcloths in a dark color and lay one over the middle bit, either folded or rolled or some combo.
posted by unrepentanthippie at 1:09 PM on December 24, 2006

Another source for plus-size underpants: Just My Size.
posted by wryly at 1:21 PM on December 25, 2006