How to get stains out of school tops?!

[OneHardyMintZebra]

Apologies in advance as there is probably a very easy solution and I’m just terrible at washing! But how on earth do people get suncream stains out of white tops? I’m constantly buying my DC new PE tops and polo tops because they turn all yellow around the neck line. It’s driving me bonkers! I’m tried vanish stain remover, bicarbonate of soda. What is the trick? Or is it that I’m buying dodgy suncream (I do usually get supermarket own brands tbf)

I dont get sun cream stains out. For the last few weeks of term i just send them with stained collars. They get fresh shirts for starting again in September

Don't bother. If they don't come out with the normal stain spray and a bit of sunshine then they aren't worth worrying about.

Sunlight might bleach them a little but I just resign myself to them at this time of year! If they’re white a bleach soak might get them out, not tried it myself though.

Buy tops that aren't white. Suncream stains clothes.
You can try things like lemon juice and sunshine, but it might not work.

She says school tops, so you generally don't get a choice about needing white ones.

I still stand by just not caring that much as the easiest approach

I don’t know if it gets sun cream out, however if I get difficult to remove stains on whites, I use this from Ace. I soak them overnight and they come up a treat.

I thought maybe off-white or a pale colour might be acceptable. @DappledThings School Polo Shirts

Forgot to clear the quote.

Thank you! I’ll give it a go and if not resign myself to the fact it can’t be done! I swear I don’t see any other children with stained tops though hence asking, as I didn’t want my DS to be the only one in dirty looking clothes!

Washing soda or borax substitute can strip stubborn stains out. I make a warm solution with washing powder then cool down & soak for a few hours then launder as normal.

I usually do a bleach soak of them and it gets some of the stains out. BUT the downside is that bleach reacts with most suncreams and turns the stained areas fluorescent pink. If you leave it soaking longer, the pink will also eventually fade.

But too many bleachings also turn the fabric yellow.

I honestly never believed the sunlight bleaching thing and never pegged much out while I was working FT out of the home but this week the sun bleached out stains from 2 white PE polos- one sun cream and the other curry! I’m thrilled, even if it just means I can hand them on rather than bin them.

I rub Fairy Liquid in and the soak in a white stain remover. Hand in bright sunshine and it seems to do the trick.