Suncream and washing help

[bookh]

Ahhhhhh, sun cream has ruined all my children's clothes. They absolutely need to wear it, that's fine. But my baby girls hat looks like she is a heavy smoker, her vests are yellow stained, my toddlers shorts and sleeves are ruined.

Tried all the usual things, vanish, sunny day, hot wash, whitener.

Is there a secret mum trick I'm missing.

Soaking in sterilising fluid/tablet

You have to hunt down the creams that don’t stain clothes - I learned the hard way too.

@MissyB1 which creams can you recommend?
I wrecked my favourite white broderie dress with suncream stains last summer...

I think the stain is an ingredient called avobenzone. I think mineral sunscreens stain too but maybe that is the zinc?

I decided to ignore the stains. The kids don't care and anyone that does care isn't worth worrying about.

tide.com/en-us/how-to-wash-clothes/how-to-remove-stains/sunscreen-stains

Nivea actually do one now, it has a picture of a T shirt on it I think. Also one called Calypso.

Oh found another! Eucerin, boots sell it, not cheap but it will be a good sun cream.

I had similar after a holiday- all white clothes ruined with yellow staining. Avoid Boots own brand this was awful for staining, currently using Nivea and Child’s Farm and not been so bad. I soaked the white clothes in a white vinegar solution after Googling it and it helped a bit - but made clothes stink of vinegar so needed extra washing! I put sun cream on under rather than over clothing eg when putting on my DD chest I go under her T-shirt to rub it on, rather than pop a blob on the visible skin as have found less gets on clothes this way

Jeez mine are proper fifty fag yellow. Childs farm factor fifty. Beautiful white romper, destroyed.

Oh of course I don't mind a bit, live on a farm, everything filthy, but seems such a shame that everything is just yellow.

Hang on the line in direct sunlight..

Done sterilising fluid, done sunlight.

So there really is no magic product to remove the stain once there?

Just a case of better cream and application going forward.

Are you on mains water OP?
It could be minerals in the water reacting to the suncream chemicals.

Apparently tea tree oil removes it.

I have found running the tap warm with the item underneath, dab of washing up liquid then scrub with a nail brush. Followed by Ariel biological powder not the liquid on a 40 degree wash in the machine (might need an extra rinse because of the washing up liquid). Then hung in direct sunlight outside, rotating the item so all bits with cream get direct sunlight removes the marks. Superdrug cream is dreadful for staining levels yellow/green stains but this method save our clothes after an abroad holiday May halfterm 2 years ago, they were all mostly brand new as well being the start of summer.

Hill farm private water supply so just off hill and into a filter really.

Yeah all new summer clothes

Not sure it's avobenzone- I've found ambre solaire to be one of the worst and it doesn't have that listed.

Also don't think it's the water - I've just found a bottle from last year with old cream on the cap. It's a beautiful rusty orange.

It stains my son's skin orange as well as clothes. At least it washes off him though

I use dry oil spray, can't remember the brand name but the bottle is orange. That doesn't stain and isn't greasy either.

Try spraying with elbow grease before washing

? maybe get clothes with a swirly pattern so it doesn't shew up so much, and avoid plain white of course.

Just want to say I’m with you OP, suncream ruined DD’s brand new beautiful white top the other day. Annoying isn’t it!

@justaweeone

Try spraying with elbow grease before washing

Just coming on to say this. Spray a load of elbow grease on it, scrub it and stick it in the wash. This sometimes only works if you do it straight away though.

The spray ones in aerosol bottles tend to not stain clothes so that's what I use now.

I can't be too precious about my DS clothes. Want to slap the SPF on thick and don't have time to do anything more than bung clothes in a machine. I only buy "play" clothes though - nothing I would be bothered about getting stained with food or whatever. I've bought one nice outfit for his 1 year photo though and I would be sad if something happened to that.

Looking at elbow grease now thanks.

Yeah as I say not precious usually, just a bit sad that they are so bad. Don't remember this last year. Also two girls very close together so poor second Dd will be very yellow by next summer.

No real advice other than to avoid white / light tops on days when suncream is essential. Also long, but light clothing and a good sun hat and / or collar that gives shade in the face and neck. I would stick to mineral suncreams though because they offer better protection for your skin than chemical suncreams.

That Child's Farm one is the WORST for staining. I never got them out.

I use Ultrasun now. Not cheap but it has never stained, and we all wear a lot of white 👍🏼

bucket of cold water with bio powder.
soak for a few hours, then wash as usual.
and try to get more colourful and patterned clothes that don't show stains as much.