Laundry Experts Reveal the Best Way to Get Rid of Sunscreen Stains on Clothes

Sunscreen is one of those everyday essentials that can quickly turn into a problem on laundry day. It’s designed to be durable enough to stay put through heat, sweat, and water, which is exactly what makes it so stubborn once it ends up on clothing. Those same protective ingredients that help shield skin from UV rays can bind tightly to fabric fibers, especially when they sit untreated.

Luckily, most sunscreen stains are preventable when you understand why they happen and are willing to make a few quick tweaks to your routine.

The best sunscreens are built with ingredients that are meant to stay put on your skin, which is exactly why they're not as kind to your clothing. “Sunscreen contains oils, waxes, and UV-filtering ingredients designed to stay on skin, so they can cling to fabric fibers, says Noah Pinsonnault, a reviews analyst in the Good Housekeeping Home Care & Cleaning Lab. Products containing avobenzone can be especially troublesome, because they may react with minerals in hard water and cause orange or rust-colored stains.”

Apply sunscreen before getting dressed, and make it the very first step in your routine when possible. Pinsonnault recommends waiting 10 minutes before putting on clothes to allow the oils and emollients in the formula to settle into the skin’s surface instead of sitting wet and transferable. (Yes, even sprays need a chance to dry.)

A few other small habits can also help reduce staining:

• Dress in older or less delicate clothing when applying sunscreen if possible, especially for kids who tend to move quickly after application.
• Be mindful of high-transfer areas like shoulders, necklines, waistbands, and straps. These are the most common points of transfer, since clothing sits closely against the body in these higher-friction areas.
• Put on clothing before adding accessories or gear that create friction (like backpacks, life jackets, or sports equipment), since rubbing can help sunscreen transfer and set into fabric.
• Be extra mindful during reapplication, when sunscreen is more likely to transfer onto straps, waistbands, and towels before it has fully set on the skin.

Even with careful application, sunscreen stains are inevitable during peak summer months—especially on kids’ clothing, swimwear, and anything worn repeatedly outdoors. The key to successful removal is acting quickly and treating it like the oily stain it is.

1. Pretreat the stain as soon as possible. A small amount of liquid dish soap or liquid laundry detergent, like top-tested Tide Original, works best, because these products are designed to break down oils and grease. Gently work it into the fabric with your fingers, then let it sit for about 10 to 15 minutes before washing.
2. Wash the item according to its care label, using the warmest water safe for the fabric. For white washable items, chlorine bleach can help with lingering discoloration. For colors, stick to oxygen bleach instead.
3. Don't dry the item if the stain is still visible after washing. Heat can set the stain and make it significantly harder, or even impossible, to remove. Instead, re-treat the area and wash again before it goes anywhere near the dryer.

Brigitt Earley

Contributing Writer

Brigitt is a writer, editor and craft stylist with nearly 15 years of experience. She specializes in lifestyle topics, including home, health, parenting, beauty, style, food, entertaining, travel and weddings. She has written for Glamour, People, Good Housekeeping, Women's Health, Real Simple, Martha Stewart, Apartment Therapy, The Spruce, and more.