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Original poster

Oh my giddy aunt, IT WORKS!

147 replies

Nohomemadecandles · 21/07/2021 08:01

The sunlight bleaching out tomato pasta sauce stains thing!

Hung out some washing (thanks previous thread) about 7pm to dry overnight.

Noticed a white polo with orange stains. I was about to put it in the bin then I thought,

NO, HANG ON. LET'S SEE IF IT WORKS!

Just been out to retrieve my laundry and IT'S GONE! The stain, not the laundry

How could I have doubted you, MN?

Grin
OP posts:
RockingMyFiftiesNot · 21/07/2021 08:47

I've never tried sunlight on stains, but I know it bleaches.... on holiday, I hung some hand washing on a clothes drier outside. Including a brand new green top, which I hung over one of the lines, rather than peg it so it didn't go out of shape. Went out for the day, came back to a ruined top. The sun had bleached a line where it had been hung, so noticeable I had to bin it.

UtterlyUnimaginativeUsername · 21/07/2021 08:48

Has anyone found anything to take out suncream stains yet?

Original poster
Nohomemadecandles · 21/07/2021 08:50

@AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair Grin Magic, I tell you. MAGIC!

OP posts:
2bazookas · 21/07/2021 08:59

My granny used to lay stained whites across the top of a hedge (gets more sun-bleaching that when hanging vertical from washing line)

I've always done the same.

MareofBeasttown · 21/07/2021 09:03

@Unsuremover

I was furious when this worked. My mum and gran kept phoning me on good sunny days when ds was a new born so that I could get his whites out. How dare they! I had so much to do, I didn’t need into indulge in old wives tales as well. And he didn’t have whites! He had clothes that were mostly light coloured. Ugh. Big poomani of the yellow baby kind, had caught his sheet, I was going to bin it but I only had 1 spare so washed and dried it until I could replace it. And of course in the sun it bleached to good as new. It’s a strange feeling to be furious with laundry.
Lol!
MathsFiend · 21/07/2021 09:04

@UtterlyUnimaginativeUsername

Has anyone found anything to take out suncream stains yet?
Change your suncream! I used to always use Boots Soltan, and loads of stuff was ruined after holidays, particularly swimming costumes. Now use Ambre Solaire dry mist and no longer have suncream stains.
rishisboater · 21/07/2021 09:12

You left your washing out overnight?!

BiBabbles · 21/07/2021 09:16

I've been watching the weather report for later this week as I've been planning, once they're out of school to give all of my DDs' school shirts (and a few other stained things) a good soak then some time in the sun to see what can be salvaged after seeing it recommended so much.

The deodorant stains are the worst especially on those and on DS's light running shirts, not sure if the teens are overly slathering it on when wearing these or it's the material of the shirts as it's not on their other clothes (I loathe the white school shirts), but I'm hoping the magic will help them Grin.

DobbyTheHouseElk · 21/07/2021 09:19

I did this on all off DC bibs when they were teeny. Always bleached the stains out.

Works every time.

noideawhatusernametochoose · 21/07/2021 09:20

Ah... but maybe it wasn't the sunlight.
You left it out overnight.
It was the getting darked on, and the spider willy treatment that got rid of the stain..... Grin

BertieBotts · 21/07/2021 09:20

It doesn't even need to be that sunny. Leaving things out in the rain also works as it stays wet. But does work best on sunny days.

LavenderAskew · 21/07/2021 09:22

@UtterlyUnimaginativeUsername

Has anyone found anything to take out suncream stains yet?
No - you might have to venture into the realms of dark magic for this solution.

Funnily enough I only recently discovered that the sunlight and tomato stain on a white clothes wasn't a myth. My 17 year old managed to have an altercation with a pot of sauce and it didn't wash out for him (even with washing up liquid) and I said 'oh there's a urban myth that sunlight will get it out - you might as well try it". Low and behold it was gone!!

I think it took so long for me to discover because proper sunny days are unusual where I am and one had never coincide with a tomato stain catastrophe before!!

Herja · 21/07/2021 09:24

If it's a bad stain, it won't always come out fully first time, leaving a very pale almost stain.

Re wet it (just cold water) and whack it back out. Next time it's dry, the stain will be gone completely.

woodfort · 21/07/2021 09:24

@butterpuffed

I'm old enough to have used cloth nappies for my elder DS. They had liners but the stains used to get through. They always used to come out after being on the line outside, itdidn't even have to be sunny, just not damp weather !
Oh yeah, sun is magic on cloth nappies.

I also have kept some of them out for days and days and let them get caught in a few downpours and they end up lovely and soft.

olidora63 · 21/07/2021 09:27

Oh that explains why my sons white shirt came out of washing machine with tomatoe purée feint stain and when I went to show him when dry the stain had disappeared….brilliant 😊

Original poster
Nohomemadecandles · 21/07/2021 09:27

@Unsuremover I actually honked at that! Grin

@rishisboater not only that. I washed it SPECIFICALLY to hang out overnight. Another thread inspired me. Laundry Mountain is shrinking!

OP posts:
ToffeeNotCoffee · 21/07/2021 09:29

I did this. I put my laundry on the rotary drier outside on Monday night so it would be dry by Tuesday lunchtime.

Lots of spiders. Lots of willies. Laundry clean and dry the next day. (I used the overnight spider willy service.)

I once hung my laundry outside and was disappointed to see a tomato sauce/Bolognese/peach juice/tomato juice stain on a t-shirt. Thought nothing more of it.

Took the laundry in later and noticed the stain had gone.

I mentioned it to someone and they said, 'yeah, sunshine.' I thought, oh really. We were living in New Zealand at the time.

Anyway, a couple of days ago I did the same thing with an old stain sauce or juice stain and it got rid of most of it. Works in this country too !

Catsintheboxroom · 21/07/2021 09:29

This is why I use really hot days to get the mattress toppers and protectors on the line too. Good spray of febreeze and it’s good to go!
In fact anything that’s difficult to wash!

LouNatics · 21/07/2021 09:30

I also learned this when using cloth nappies. Sunlight natural bleach.

ineedaholidayandwine · 21/07/2021 09:32

I also find Vanish Gold Oxi Action Fabric Stain Remover Powder Whites works very well

rishisboater · 21/07/2021 09:33

@Nohomemadecandles it might have got the stains out but your washing has been darked on now so you'll have to burn it

ToffeeNotCoffee · 21/07/2021 09:35

@Herja

*If it's a bad stain, it won't always come out fully first time, leaving a very pale almost stain.

Re wet it (just cold water) and whack it back out. Next time it's dry, the stain will be gone completely.*

Thanks. I didn't think of that.

Needsleeeeepsendheeeelp · 21/07/2021 09:36

Does this work on old stains?! DS spilt choc ice cream down a brand new, gorgeous jumper and it didn't come out in the wash. Was going to dispose of as I'd assumed the stain had set, but is sunlight magical enough for this?!

NotSorry · 21/07/2021 09:36

I discovered it by accident when my DC were babies - I’d put the tomato stained bibs on the line and when I took them in they were white! I was astonished!

armanted · 21/07/2021 09:38

Not everyone has access to outside space, but surely people don't throw away white items without giving neat bleach a go first.