How to remove sunscreen stains, including orange marks

How to remove sunscreen stains

1. 1

   Blot and pretreat fresh sunscreen

   Blot off any excess, then work liquid detergent or a prewash stain remover into the greasy mark.

   Why: Sunscreen's base is an oil-and-water emulsion, so it comes out like any oil stain once detergent surrounds the oil.

2. 2

   Wash hot, with no chlorine bleach

   Wash in the hottest water the fabric allows. Leave chlorine bleach out of the load.

   Why: Heat helps lift oils. Chlorine bleach in an alkaline wash can turn sunscreen ingredients into stubborn colored stains.

3. 3

   Check for orange or yellow spots

   Look at the item before drying. Orange, rusty or yellow spots where sunscreen was are the iron reaction, not dirt.

   Why: Avobenzone and some other UV filters form colored complexes with iron and alkaline wash water.

4. 4

   Orange spots: enzyme soak or rust remover

   Soak in a color-safe enzyme cleaner, then wash in the hottest safe water. If that doesn't work, wear gloves and apply a fabric rust remover per its label, rinse well and wash.

   Why: These are Iowa State Extension's two fixes. A rust remover targets the iron that gives the spots their color.

5. 5

   Air-dry and check

   Air-dry and check in daylight before using the dryer.

   Why: Heat sets leftover residue.

Why sunscreen leaves orange stains

Sunscreen lotions are emulsions of oil and water carrying UV filters. A fresh smear is mainly an oil stain and washes out with detergent. The surprise comes later: some filters, notably avobenzone and oxybenzone, soak into the fabric, and in an alkaline wash they can form colored compounds. If the wash water contains iron, as hard or well water often does, they form deeper orange complexes.

A patent on sunscreen stain treatment reports that ordinary detergent, booster and bleach combinations work poorly on these marks, and that chlorine bleach in an alkaline wash makes them harder to remove. That's why Iowa State Extension rules out chlorine bleach and recommends a rust remover: the iron is what holds the color.

By situation

Orange spots on white shirts and towels

Whites show the reaction most. Use the enzyme soak first, then a rust remover if needed, and skip chlorine bleach. Test rust removers on colored items, because some are for whites only.

Swimwear

Most swimwear contains spandex, which chlorine bleach damages. Rinse after wearing, pretreat with detergent and wash gently.

It already went through the dryer

Try the enzyme soak or rust remover, but results are less certain once the residue has been heated.

Every load comes out with orange spots

If it happens to laundry without sunscreen too, the cause may be iron in the water supply rather than a single stain. See rust stains for iron marks on fabric.

Silk and dry-clean-only items

Take them to a professional and say it's sunscreen. See sunscreen on clothes for more by fabric.

What not to do

• Don't use chlorine bleach on sunscreen stains. It can make the orange discoloration harder to remove.
• Don't get dressed before sunscreen has dried. Letting it dry on skin first reduces how much transfers to clothing.
• Don't put stained items in the dryer. Heat sets the stain.
• Don't mix rust remover with bleach. Rust removers are acids, and acid plus chlorine bleach releases chlorine gas.

Other methods that work

Dish soap

Removes the oily base of fresh sunscreen. Iowa State lists dish soap for oil-based stains.

Caution: Rinse it out before washing.

White vinegar

A mild acid sometimes suggested for orange marks. No cited source supports it; treat it as traditional, with weak evidence.

Caution: Never use it with bleach.

Carpet solvent sequence

For sunscreen on carpet, the Carpet and Rug Institute uses a dry-cleaning solvent on a cloth, then a dilute dish-detergent solution and a warm-water rinse.

Caution: Apply solvent with a cloth, never poured.

Stain still there?

Orange spots got worse after a bleach wash

Chlorine bleach has deepened the reaction. Try a fabric rust remover per its label, but expect partial results.

A greasy patch remains on a towel or shirt

Pretreat again with full-strength liquid detergent or dish soap and wash in the hottest safe water.

Safety

• Rust removers are acids. Wear gloves, ventilate, follow the label and never mix them with bleach.

Never mix cleaning products; see chemicals you must never combine.

Questions

Other oil and grease stains

• Grease and oil stains
• Petroleum jelly stains