Seasons and life · 1 min read
Sunscreen Stains: Summer Laundry Survival
You wore sunscreen. Good job. Now your white tee has a mysterious orange shadow. Less good.
Quick answer: some sunscreen ingredients react with minerals in water and turn orange or yellow. Pretreat with a little dissolved sheet, wash cold and skip chlorine bleach, which can make it worse.†
Why it turns orange
Some chemical sunscreen filters can react with iron in tap water. That leaves rusty-looking stains.†
It's not rust. Your shirt didn't go out in the rain. It just went to the beach.
Mineral vs chemical
| Type | Stain style |
|---|---|
| Mineral (zinc, titanium) | White, chalky marks |
| Chemical | Greasy, can turn orange† |
How to get it out
- Scrape off any extra.
- Pretreat with a sheet dissolved in a little water. Rub gently.
- Let it sit 15 minutes.
- Wash cold. Hot water can set oily stains.
- Skip chlorine bleach. It can deepen the color.†
- Air dry and check before tumbling.
Prevent it
- Let sunscreen soak in before getting dressed.
- Wash swimsuits and beach towels soon after use (read it).
FAQ
Why does sunscreen stain orange? Some filters react with iron in water.†
Does bleach remove sunscreen stains? Chlorine bleach can make them worse.
Will hot water help? No. Wash cold first.
Can I remove old sunscreen stains? Try pretreating and soaking. Older stains are harder.
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