Banish stubborn sun cream stains with two 'simple' items from your cupboard

Daily Mirror

7 days ago

Cleaning expert Lynsey Crombie, also known as the Queen of Clean, has shared her top tips for removing sun cream stains from clothes - including using two items you already have at home
Sun cream, also known as sunscreen, is a must-have during the summer months when we're soaking up more rays than usual. It's a saviour for your skin, warding off cancer and premature ageing, but it's not so kind to your clothes, often leaving behind unsightly stains.
The culprit behind these pesky marks is usually the chemical absorbers found in many sun cream formulas. These can leave white garments with an unwelcome yellow or orange tinge, particularly when mixed with sweat.
Standard washing machine cycles might not do the trick, but fear not, there's a nifty solution.
Lynsey Crombie, the Queen of Clean who rose to fame on Channel 4's Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners in 2013, regularly shares her top cleaning tips with over 382k Instagram fans. She even graced ITV's This Morning recently, dishing out advice on tackling those "stubborn" sun cream stains.
It turns out this is Lynsey's "most asked question" when the weather warms up, a query she faces nearly every day. Fortunately, she's got a straightforward fix that utilises a couple of household staples you're likely to have lying around.
The cleaning guru revealed that because the stain is caused by grease, you need a "degreaser" to "soak it up". One of the "easiest things to do", which can even tackle stains that have set into the fabric, is to use bicarbonate of soda and washing up liquid.
Lynsey showed how she would "sprinkle the bicarb on" the affected area, which should be slightly dampened with water first. Then she added some washing up liquid, which she described as a "degreaser".
She then took a small toothbrush to gently scrub it in, before leaving it to soak for a few hours. After that, the stain should "come off".
Alternatively, white vinegar can be used, which is often considered a miracle product in many savvy cleaners' arsenals. It's versatile, useful for everything from shining kitchen windows to swiftly removing toilet limescale.
Simply "really liberally spray it" on the stain before popping it in the washing machine.
Lynsey also mentioned a "really unusual method" involving tea tree oil. "It's actually a natural degreaser," she said.
She suggested diluting it with water and applying it directly to the stain, claiming it should "combat it". According to the clever cleaner, this technique can be effective on various greasy stains, including those from body moisturiser.
In the comment section, people began sharing their own tips. "Lemon juice and sun works for me," said one person.
Another chimed in: "Haven't tried yet but I was given the advice yesterday to hang it on the washing line on a sunny day and the yellowness will disappear!".