Sun cream, or sunscreen, is incredibly important, especially in the summer when many of us will be spending more time out in the sunshine than usual. Sun cream can protect your skin from cancer and premature aging, but once it comes into contact with clothes, it can cause staining.
This happens for several reasons, but one is due to the prescence of chemical absorbers in many formulas. This can cause particularly white clothes to take on a yellow or organge stain – especially when mixed with sweat. While it can be hard to get rid of with just your ordinary rinse in the washing machine, there is a clever way to do it.
The Queen of Clean herself, Lynsey Crombie, who appeared on Channel 4’s Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners back in 2013, regularly shares her game-changing hacks with her over 382k Instagram followers. She also recently appeared on ITV’s This Morning, where she was asked how to remove “stubborn” sun cream marks. And she shared her go-to tricks which you can use this summer.
According to Lynsey, this is her “most asked question” at this time of year, and it’s something she gets asked almost every single day. Luckily she has a simple method which works for her, using two items most people already have in their cupboards at home.
The cleaning expert explained that because the stain is caused by grease, you need a “degreaser” to “soak it up”. One of the “easiest things to do”, which can even remove stains which have set into the fabric, is to use bicarbonate of soda and washing up liquid.
Lynsey demonstrated how she would “sprinkle the bicarb on” the area, which you have dampened slightly with water first. Then she added some washing up liquid, which she explained is a “degreaser”. Then she used a little toothbrush to scrub it in gently, before leaving it to soak for a few hours. Then it will “come off”.
Alternatively, you can use white vinegar, which is a bit of a hero product in most savvy cleaners’ cupboards. It can be used for many different things, from cleaning the kitchen windows to removing toilet limescale fast. All you have to do is “really liberally spray it” on the area before putting it in the washing machine.
Lynsey also shared a “really unusual method” which is a tea tree oil. “It’s actually a natural degreaser,” she explained. She recommended mixing it with water before dropping it onto the area as it should “combat it”. According to the savvy cleaner, this can work on most stains caused by greasy things, including body moisturiser.
In the comment section people started sharing their own tips. “Lemon juice and sun works for me,” said one person. Another added: “Haven’t tried yet but I was given the advice yesterday to hang it on the washing line on a sunny day and the yellowness will dissappear!”
Another added: “Spray Elbow Grease on the stain. Far simpler!”