Cleaning guru Lynsey Crombie revealed the three home remedies she uses to get rid of annoying sun cream stains on clothes, including one she dubbed “unusual”. The Queen of Clean appeared on ITV’s This Morning to all things cleaning, especially when it comes to stains.
She explained that during the summer the most burning question she’s asked is ‘how to remove sun cream stains’. Lynsey said she gets asked the question nearly every single day. However, she ensured that removing sun cream stains isn’t as dire as it may appear.
Lynsey said: “Okay, so this is my most asked question at this time of year.”
She explained that as sun cream is a grease-based product, you need ingredients which have natural degreasing properties to lift the stain and “soak up the grease”. She hailed using tea tree oil for stain removal, even if it might sound strange.
Lynsey said: “And a really unusual method for sun cream stains is actually tea tree oil. It’s actually a natural degreaser in there, so don’t use too much and dilute it with water, so don’t just drop it on, mix it with water and that combats it as well.”
Tea tree oil can be useful for stain removal as it contains antibacterial and antiseptic properties.
If sun cream stains are left untreated or uncleaned, the oils, emulsifiers, and chemical UV filters in the sunscreen will react with fabric dyes. It can also react with any minerals from water or sweat.
This can lead to discoloration, fading, or yellowish-brown stains, especially on synthetic fabrics like polyester or nylon. While Lynsey praised tea tree oil, she did offer some other home remedy alternatives, including everyone’s favourite ingredients.
To help lift stains which have set into the fabric, you can use a combination of baking soda and washing up liquid. Lynsey said: “Sprinkle the bicarb on, dampen it slightly first then add some washing up liquid, little toothbrush, leave it to soak.”
The cleaning guru advised to leave the mixture to get to work for a couple of hours, promising the stain will disappear. Or you can use a solution of white vinegar, covering the stain liberally and leave to soak.
