Sun cream stains can be a real challenge to remove, but there’s one natural item that may help reduce their appearance and restore your clothes
Sun cream stains can be a real challenge to remove, but there’s one natural item that may help reduce their appearance and restore your clothes(Image: Halyna Romaniv via Getty Images)
Maintaining the pristine appearance of white and pale-coloured garments can prove challenging, but many don’t realise that summer sun cream could be wreaking havoc on their wardrobe. White clothing is especially susceptible to staining due to the absence of pigment in the fabric.
This makes it easier for dirt, grease, and grime to penetrate the material, rendering marks more noticeable. When sun cream’s chemical makeup interacts with white fabric, it can cause discolouration or yellowing, making stains even more prominent.
Cleaning expert Anna Louisa, who goes by Anna Louisa at Home on TikTok, recently revealed several popular household tips, including her preferred technique for tackling sun cream marks.
Soak the clothes in citric acid before washing(Image: Getty)
There’s one natural ingredient that’s ideal for this task, serving as an excellent pre-treatment for stubborn stains and marks. The solution involves soaking your stained garments before washing, reports the Express.
How to get rid of sun cream stains
For removing sun cream stains, Anna Louisa advises treating white clothing before placing them in the washing machine. Using a bathtub, bucket, or large basin filled with water, immerse the stained items with citric acid.
Anna Louisa also suggests incorporating one scoop of Napisan or Oxi Action. Citric acid proves particularly effective on stains that have caused discolouration in clothing.
Good Housekeeping advises leaving the items to soak overnight before running them through a standard wash cycle the next day. After the garments have had sufficient soaking time, wring out any surplus liquid.
Pop them in the washing machine on a typical cycle and witness the stubborn sun cream marks vanish. Anna Louisa also recommended adding white vinegar to the machine’s dispenser instead of fabric conditioner.
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She noted that this will help eliminate any “lingering odours and residue”. Citric acid possesses natural bleaching properties, helping to revitalise any faded or lacklustre whites.
It also helps break down the sun cream residue adhering to the garments’ fibres, making it an excellent choice for pre-treating marks before laundering.
If sun cream stains remain untreated, the oils, emulsifiers, and chemical UV filters contained in the sunscreen will react with fabric dyes, and may also combine with minerals found in water or sweat. This can lead to discolouration, fading, or yellowish-brown patches, especially on synthetic fabrics like polyester or nylon.
Catherine Green, sustainable cleaning expert at Smol, told Woman & Home: “Citric acid is a brilliant, natural cleaner that’s perfect for tackling limescale, soap scum, and mineral deposits.”