July 9, 2025 | Posted in Blog
When the sun comes out, it’s important to protect our skin. That means putting on SPF and, of course, sun cream. As essential as it is, when it gets on your clothes or fave fashion accessory, it can feel like a nightmare.
No need to stress, there are ways to get those annoying sunscreen stains out. In this blog we’re taking a look at the easiest ways to do so, without ruining your fit.
What makes sun cream great for protecting our skin also makes it a pain to get out of common materials. This is because most formulas contain oil, a stubborn stain creator, and avobenzone, which oxidises to a yellow colour easily. Both of these ingredients take a hot minute to react with sun and water, but when they do, they can create a very visible stain that just won’t budge.
Luckily for us, they aren’t invincible…
There are a couple of super simple methods to removing sunscreen from clothes or material accessories like a scarf or bandana. These include:
The simplest thing you can try, before washing fully, is a standard pretreatment. We’d recommend using a stain-remover liquid laundry detergent (avoid powder) and rubbing that into the stained area gently. You’ll then want to leave it for at least 10 minutes before rinsing.
White vinegar has been a cleaning staple for decades and can come to the rescue here too. If you soak the stained area in it for at least 20 minutes and then give it a hot wash in the machine (make sure you’re following the garment’s washing instructions), then you might be in luck.
Because your everyday washing up liquid is formulated as a degreaser, it may be a lifesaver when it comes to a sun cream stain. Dab the mark with it and then leave to absorb the grease for 10 minutes. You can then rinse and wash.
If you apply this directly onto the stain as a pretreatment and leave for 10-15 minutes (over night for tougher stains on lighter coloured fabrics), it can work well on even high SPF stains. Rinse aid is especially good for yellow stains which is pretty impressive coming from a formula made for your dishwasher.
This can work pretty fast – just apply directly to the stain and leave for five minutes then wash like you would normally. Eucalyptus oil naturally dissovlves grease and combats sticky bonds, making it ideal for removing sun cream.
This is only really works on white clothes, but it’s a little hack you may not have known. Sun naturally bleaches so, if you’ve tried a pretreatment and washing but there’s still a slight stain on your white garment, this could help to get rid of anything noticeable left behind.
Some bags, like totes, may be washable in the washing machine and then you’ll be able to use one of the methods suggested above too. It’s best to check any cleaning instructions that come with the bag to ensure this is safe, especially when cleaning a designer bag – no stain is worth ruining your ride or die accessory after all.
For handbags that can’t be washed like that, there are other methods, but firstly, we’d recommend using a dry cloth to carefully remove the excess sun cream, dabbing to absorb as much as possible. Then what you do next will depend on the fabric.
A high-quality leather bag will need cleaning straight away if stained. If the mark is small, gentle soap and lukewarm water should do the job but, for bigger, stubborn stains, you can try a solution of white vinegar and water. If that doesn’t work, you can invest in a leather cleaner.
Always make sure you let the leather dry after washing and use a leather conditioner afterwards.
For materials similar to clothing, you can use a stain remover that’s designed to handle oily stains. Leave it for the recommended time and then you can either use soap and water to wash the area further or follow the care instructions on the bag’s tag.
Be careful when cleaning that the soap itself won’t leave a patch on your bag looking a different colour. It may be worth washing the whole bag to avoid this (and then fully drying).
Faux fur or ‘furry’ bags come in and out of fashion pretty quickly – who remembers the teddy bag trend from a couple years ago? And as fun as they are, they can be a menace to clean tough stains out of.
To remove sun cream stains from this type of bag, firstly we suggest using a comb to scoop up any access instead of blotting with a cloth as this could rub it in. Then make a baking soda paste by mixing it with a little bit of water and put that right on top of the stain. Let it dry and then comb out (you can also lightly hoover the bag as the paste will go all crumbly).
Mild washing up liquid and warm water may also work but make sure you blot with a cloth after and that the fur doesn’t dry tangled.
No matter how gentle the pretreatment or stain-removing method is, it’s risky with silk or satin. This is when it’s time to call in the professionals and take that clothing item or accessory to your local dry cleaners. Make sure they’re made aware of the sun cream stain so they can tackle it properly.
When it comes to our skin, it’s better safe than sorry, which is why you’ll be wearing high factor sun cream all over and a facial SPF (which you should be using daily btw). This makes staining your clothes more likely, but there are ways you can prevent it.
When you put sun cream on at the beginning of the day, wait 10-20 minutes for it to absorb into your skin before getting dressed. Some formulas absorb quicker if you keep rubbing it in after the initial application. Yes, this may require you standing around in your underwear for a bit, but it’ll be worth it.
It’s also worth considering changing your sun cream. Luckily for us fashion lovers, water-based formulas have been developed and they’re less likely to leave greasy stains.
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