On a scorching summer day, applying sunscreen helps to block out harmful UV rays and prevent skin damage from sunburn. However, sunscreen contains oils and chemicals that can easily leave stains on swimwear or regular clothing, affecting their appearance. So, is there a way to effectively remove sunscreen stains from clothes?
According to the American dry cleaning company Tide Cleaners, sunscreen may be beneficial for the skin but not necessarily for clothing, as it can leave behind oily residues especially on white clothes, leading to yellowish stains.
When it comes to removing sunscreen stains from clothes, the website offers some tips:
If the sunscreen hasn’t been on the clothes for too long, the stains are usually easy to deal with. The longer the sunscreen stays on the clothes, the harder it becomes to remove the oils and chemicals.
Therefore, when you take off your clothes, don’t just toss them in the basket. If you can’t wash them immediately, you can start with pretreatment.
For sunscreen on swimwear, rinse with cold water before washing. For other garments, use laundry detergent or a stain remover stick for pretreatment.
The oils in sunscreen are the main culprits damaging clothes, so it’s crucial to remove them as much as possible. For particularly greasy stains, you can sprinkle cornstarch on the affected area to absorb the oils.
Before rinsing or pretreating the stain, apply cornstarch to the stain, let it sit for about half an hour, then brush off the powder before pretreating.
White clothing is especially susceptible to oil stains. Even after washing off all the oil stains, you may still notice stubborn stains or shadows on white clothes. However, if you have some lemon juice at home, you can use it to get rid of these tough stains.
After washing white clothes, spray lemon juice on the stains, then hang the clothes outside on a line to dry in the sun. The combination of lemon juice and sunlight acts as a natural bleach, restoring the bright color of your white clothes.
The UK branch of the German laundry detergent brand Persil also mentions a similar method using lemon juice on their website.
Their cleaning expert advises, “After washing, hang white clothes in the sun to dry. Sunlight can naturally bleach white clothes with stains in a very safe and gentle manner.”
“Lemon juice can enhance the bleaching effect of sunlight, so for very stubborn stains, you can spray a little lemon juice on the yellow stains before air-drying.”
You may consider using chemical bleach. These bleaching agents usually need to be diluted before applying to clothes. Be sure to read the instructions, keep the area well-ventilated, and ensure children and pets are far away.
Tide Cleaners’ website suggests you can also consider changing your sunscreen. By using a sunscreen that doesn’t leave stains, you won’t have to spend time on cleaning stains.
The website points out that the main ingredient in sunscreen that causes staining issues is Avobenzone. Almost all sunscreens contain this ingredient, but sunscreens designed for infants and toddlers typically do not include this, so it’s worth looking for.
Such sunscreen is gentle not only on your clothes but also on your skin. For those with sensitive skin, this is a good choice.
Previous reports by Dajiyuan have highlighted that lemon juice is an effective and inexpensive natural cleaning ingredient that can remove various stains without damaging fabrics, even the most delicate ones.
Deyan Dimitrov, the founder of the UK laundry company Laundryheap, emphasized that rubbing pure lemon juice on areas with grease marks on clothes and letting it sit for some time can help. Once the lemon juice dries, you can then wash the clothes in the machine, leaving them clean as new.