First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Brush off any excess.
- Rinse under cold running water. Higher water pressure helps.
- Blot rather than rub.
- Don't let it dry into the fabric.
Sunscreen on clothes is a two-part problem: an oily layer that behaves like any oil stain, and in some formulas a rust-colored layer that forms when avobenzone reacts with iron in hard water. The oily part usually lifts after a few rounds of pretreating and soaking, but the orange mark is harder, especially on synthetics, which hold it more than cotton does. If the stain has already survived a wash, it may only fade rather than lift completely.
Check the care label before you go heavy on any product, especially on silk or wool. For sunscreen stains on white clothes, an oxygen bleach powder made for whites is worth trying on yellow marks. Don't put the item in the dryer until the mark is gone, since heat can set what's left.
8 items
What you'll need
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- Soft brush or spoonLifts off the loose sunscreen before it can soak in. (opens Amazon)
- Liquid laundry detergent or liquid dishwashing detergentBreaks down the oily part during the pretreat. (opens Amazon)
- White vinegarGoes into the soak for a greasy residue that remains. (opens Amazon)
- Liquid hand dishwashing detergentUsed in the vinegar soak. (opens Amazon)
- Oxygen bleach powderMakes the oxygen soak that follows the vinegar. (opens Amazon)
- Pre-wash stain removerTreats the spot just before the wash. (opens Amazon)
- Color-safe oxygen stain removerGoes in the wash for colored loads. (opens Amazon)
- Commercial rust removerOnly for an orange or rust-colored mark that survives the wash. (opens Amazon)
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7 steps
How to get sunscreen out of clothes
Step 1 of 7
Brush off and rinse with cold water
Brush off any loose sunscreen first so you don't push it deeper. Rinse the stain under cold running water, holding it under a steady stream, since higher water pressure helps. Blot the wet spot with a clean towel instead of rubbing it.
Step 2 of 75-10 minutes
Pretreat with liquid detergent
Put liquid laundry detergent or liquid dishwashing detergent directly on the stain and work it in gently with your fingers. Let it sit 5-10 minutes, and keep the spot from drying out while it does.
Tip. Work from the edge of the stain toward the center so it doesn't spread.
Careful. If you used dishwashing liquid, rinse it out before the wash so it doesn't oversuds the washer.
Step 3 of 715 minutes
Soak away greasy residue in vinegar
This soak is only for a greasy residue that is still there after the pretreat. Mix 1 tablespoon white vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon liquid hand dishwashing detergent into 1 quart warm water, soak for 15 minutes, then rinse with plain water.
Step 4 of 730 minutes
Soak in oxygen bleach solution
Dissolve 1 tablespoon oxygen bleach powder in 1 quart warm water and soak the item for 30 minutes. Then treat the spot with a pre-wash stain remover for 1 minute before it goes in the wash.
Careful. Test colored items on a hidden seam first, and skip the soak if any dye comes off.
Step 5 of 7
Wash in the hottest allowed water
Wash the item in the hottest water the care label allows, with your regular detergent. Add a color-safe oxygen stain remover for colored loads, and use cool or warm water for synthetics since they can't take hot water.
Step 6 of 7
Air dry and check the spot
Hang the item to air dry and look at the spot in natural light. If any stain is left, repeat the pretreat and wash before doing anything else.
Tip. Check in daylight rather than under a dim bulb, since faint marks are easy to miss.
Careful. Keep it out of the dryer and away from the iron until the stain is gone, since heat sets the oily part.
Step 7 of 7
Treat any orange mark as rust
An orange or rust-colored mark is the avobenzone reacting with iron, so it needs a rust remover rather than more detergent. Test a commercial rust remover for colorfastness on a hidden spot, then apply it to the dampened stain, rinse, wash and air dry.
Careful. Use the rust remover only as its label directs and wear heavy-duty rubber gloves, because these products are strong acids.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for sunscreen
A liquid pretreater or heavy-duty liquid laundry detergent handles the oily part, and a color-safe oxygen stain remover fits colored loads. Keep a commercial rust remover as a separate product for the orange mark only.
Shout Triple-Acting Laundry Stain Remover
Puracy Laundry Stain Remover
Clorox 2 Laundry Stain Remover and Color Booster Powder, 49.2 Ounces
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on this fabric, and its directions fit the steps above.
Finished the steps? How does it look?
Nice work. Let it dry completely and check it again in good light before using any heat. Here is what done looks like:
How to tell it's really gone →A faint mark usually needs one more round, not a stronger product.
See what to do for what you're seeing →If the stain was already dried or set, the method changes.
Old, dried or set-in stains →When to call a professional →Pick what it is on
Sunscreen on every material
No match. Try the main search for anything else.
How to tell it's working
Check the spot once the item is fully dry, in good light. If you still see an oily sheen or an orange tint, the stain isn't finished, so repeat the pretreat and wash.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your fabric
Whites and white shirts
An orange or yellow-orange mark on white cotton or linen is the rust part, so it gets the rust treatment rather than more of the regular steps. The rest of the stain still follows the steps as written, so only the orange tone changes the plan.
A whole load of rust-discolored whites needs more than a spot treatment. Soak the load in detergent with 1 cup oxygen bleach for 10-15 minutes, then wash as usual. This soak is for the whole load, not a single mark, so use the spot steps for one stain.
Colors and denim
Colors and denim follow the same steps, with the color-safe oxygen remover in the wash doing the extra work. Dye can run during the oxygen soak, so watch the water color as the item soaks.
Black clothes show the rust mark less clearly than white, so check the spot in good light once the item is dry. A faint mark is easy to miss on dark fabric, so take a second look before you call it done.
Silk, wool and delicates
Silk, wool and other protein fibers can't take the oxygen soak, enzyme detergents, chlorine or rubbing, so skip every step that uses bleach or detergent on the spot. Blot the mark gently with cool water on a clean cloth and leave it alone after that.
Take the item to a dry cleaner and say it's sunscreen with a possible rust part. Wool felts and shrinks when it is agitated, so keep it out of the washer.
Swimwear, towels and dry-clean-only items
Swimwear with spandex or other synthetic stretch fabric follows the synthetic rules from the wash step, and spandex can't take chlorine bleach. Towels can take the full steps, including the hottest water the label allows.
Dry-clean-only items stay out of the washer, so blot the spot with cool water and take it to a dry cleaner. Tell them it's sunscreen so they can pick a solvent that suits the fabric.
Old, dried or set-in stains
An old stain that made it through a wash but never went in the dryer is the most workable case. Repeat the detergent pretreat and let it sit the full 5-10 minutes, then wash it again with a color-safe stain remover.
A stain that has dried into the fabric is harder to lift than one that's still wet. Polyester and other synthetics hold the rust part more than cotton does, so collars on those fabrics are the hardest case.
If the item has already been through the dryer, be realistic: the oily part may not come out completely. Once the mark is orange, use the rust remover from the last step on a hidden spot first, and accept that a faint mark may remain after several rounds.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on sunscreen?
Several household remedies come up for sunscreen, but a liquid detergent pretreat and an oxygen soak do most of the work. Some remedies work for sunscreen, others aren't needed, and a few can damage fabric.
Works3Skip3
Chemical safety
Never mix these
Some products in this guide react dangerously with each other. Use them one at a time and rinse with water in between.
Oxygen bleach (OxiClean) + Vinegar
OxiClean's maker says it should not be mixed with household chemicals other than detergent in the wash.
If they mix by accident: Don't use the mixture; ventilate the room and avoid breathing fumes or touching it; call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for disposal advice or if anyone feels unwell.
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't use chlorine bleach on an orange mark
Chlorine bleach sets rust and makes it more intense or permanent. If the mark is orange or yellow-orange, leave the bleach on the shelf and use the rust treatment.
Don't mix chlorine bleach with vinegar or rust remover
Mixing chlorine bleach with vinegar or an acidic rust remover releases chlorine gas. Rinse everything fully between treatments so the products never meet.
Don't rub the stain or use bar soap
Rubbing works the oil deeper into the weave, and bar soap sets many stains. Use liquid products only, and blot instead.
Troubleshooting
If the stain is still there
Pick what you're seeing:
A greasy shadow is still there after the wash
Soak it 15 minutes in 1 quart warm water with 1/2 teaspoon liquid hand dishwashing detergent and 1 tablespoon white vinegar, rinse with water, and wash again.
The mark left behind is orange or rust-colored
Test a commercial rust remover for colorfastness, apply it to the dampened stain per its label wearing heavy-duty rubber gloves, then rinse, wash and air dry.
The stain survived a wash but the item never went through the dryer
Apply liquid dishwashing detergent for 5-10 minutes, rinse, wash hot with detergent and a color-safe stain remover, and air dry.
A whole load of whites has rust discoloration
Soak in detergent plus 1 cup oxygen bleach for 10-15 minutes, then launder.
When to call a professional
If a mark survives the rust treatment on a valuable piece, a dry cleaner is the next stop. Tell them it's sunscreen with a possible rust part, so they can pick a solvent that suits the fabric.
Questions
Does sunscreen stain clothes?
Yes. Sunscreen leaves an oily stain, and in some formulas it also leaves a rust-colored mark. Start with cool water and detergent right away, because the stain is much harder once it dries.
Do mineral, zinc, tinted, spray, oil, and waterproof sunscreens stain differently?
The oily part is handled the same way across formulas, so the steps here work for any of them. The rust part depends on the formula, so the fabric itself tells you whether you need the rust treatment.
What do yellow, orange and pink sunscreen stains mean?
Yellow and orange marks are the rust part, so they need the rust treatment rather than more detergent. Pink marks don't follow the rust pattern, so begin with the oily-stain treatment and switch only if an orange tone appears.
Why does sunscreen leave orange marks?
Avobenzone in some sunscreens can react with iron in hard water and leave orange, rust-colored stains. The rest of the stain is oily and is handled like other oil stains. Synthetic fabrics hold that rust more than cotton does.
How do I stop sunscreen from staining my clothes?
Only the rust part depends on the formula, so the oily part will still need treating whatever sunscreen you buy. Treat spots fast and don't let them dry, since that is the prevention you can fully control.
What stain remover works on sunscreen?
Liquid detergent or dishwashing liquid handles the oily part, and an oxygen bleach soak plus a color-safe oxygen remover help the rest. Use liquid detergent or dishwashing liquid for the oily part, plus an oxygen bleach soak; a commercial rust remover is only for the orange mark.
Related
How we know this
Every method, amount and warning here comes from university extension services, industry bodies and product makers. We read them, check every step for unsafe combinations and changed amounts, and write it up so you can follow it.