Our Hack for Pesky Sunscreen Stains

Have you ever pulled a piece of clothing or bedding out of your washing machine and found rust-colored stains all over? Unfortunately, the culprit might be your sunscreen.

Some sunscreens and lotions include an ingredient called Avobenzone, which reacts with the iron in water and causes orange stains to appear in the wash. But fear not, we have a secret weapon! The next time this happens, reach for some Bar Keepers Friend.

Try Bar Keepers Friend on rust stains

Bar Keepers Friend contains oxalic acid—found in many vegetables like rhubarb and spinach—and is a true enemy of rust. While it might not be a laundry product, in our experience, it works incredibly well to save t-shirts like the one pictured here (and we've saved a ton!).

How to pre-treat with Bar Keepers Friend

Put gloves on and generously sprinkle Bar Keepers Friend over the affected areas. Add water to create a paste, then let it sit for 10-15 minutes. You'll notice the orange rust stains start to lift almost immediately. Afterwards, wash normally with detergent.

⚠️ Some things to note:

It might look worse before it gets better.

If you pull your shirt out of the wash and find what looks like more rust stains in different spots, don't panic. As long as there's still sunscreen residue within the fibers, the stains will continue to appear in the wash, so REPEAT the Bar Keepers Friend step and KEEP WASHING until the garment shows no more traces of rust.

It's always a good idea to spot check.

If your item is one-of-a-kind or has sentimental value, always spot check in a less noticeable area first (as you would do with any product).

Do not use bleach.

It will make your sunscreen stains worse!

To watch our process step-by-step, go to this reel. To hear our co-founder Corinna Williams share her thoughts on sunscreen stains, watch this reel.

Last but not least, avoid these stains from happening in the first place by choosing sunscreen without Avobenzone, allowing your sunscreen to fully dry before putting on clothes and rinsing off before bed.

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Photos by Corinna Williams