The Met Office is forecasting heatwave conditions in the UK by the end of this week which means bottles of sun cream will be in regular use. Temperatures are expected to gradually hot up as the week progresses, reaching up to 28C in parts of England on Wednesday, July 9, before climbing to 30C on Thursday and 32C by Friday. Much of England, Wales and parts of Scotland will be basking in a heatwave over the weekend and this latest bout of hot weather is forecast to last longer than previous heatwaves this summer, so slathering yourself in sun cream will be absolutely necessary to protect against the sun.
UV rays are typically strongest between 10am and 4pm but you can still be exposed to UV radiation even when the weather is cloudy, so it’s just good practice to put sun cream on every day in the summer. But while your skin will thank you for applying it, your clothes may not as sun cream can easily stain your clothes, leaving an unsightly yellow or brown tarnish.
Sun cream stains are caused by the oils and chemical UV filters in the formula that absorb UV radiation and these ingredients can react with fabric fibres and leave a greasy stain, especially if the cream hasn’t been fully rubbed in before you put on your clothes.
But if you do accidentally smear a bit of sun cream onto your clothes, there is an easy home remedy to get it out without having to rely on chemical stain removers.
Instead, experts recommend using a combination of lemon juice and salt to soak the stain and lift it out, before washing your clothing as normal.
This method is best used on lightly coloured or white fabrics as the citric acid in lemon juice can act as a natural bleaching agent, so if you have any darker coloured clothes just test it on an inconspicuous area first to check if it’s safe to use before soaking the whole thing.
Laundry experts at Wilton London explain: “All you’ll need is Lemon and Salt, yep, that’s it. But the process is important.
“Flush the stained area and the rest of the garment with cool clean water. Squidge a squeeze of lemon juice directly on the stains. Lay your beloved white tee flat and pour salt over the lemon juice. Leave for a few hours or overnight, but no longer.
“Brush away the salt, apply our Laundry Liquid directly to the stain just before popping in the wash as normal at 30/40 degrees C. You might need to do this twice, but after a little effort, Viola!”
