Last Updated on 5 months by Susan Mayrich
Are you wondering how to remove sunblock from clothes? Stop wondering and start reading this article. Sunblock is one of the essential products you can use to protect your skin, but it doesn’t always go where it needs to. When you’re done with your day at the beach or outside in the sun, sometimes all left behind are white streaks on clothes and towels. And if you wash them without first removing those stubborn stains, they’ll be there forever!

So what now? This article will help you in removing the sunblock from your clothes. We are sharing the best tips for removing sunscreen from clothes so that next time this happens to you which hopefully won’t often be you’ll know exactly what steps to take. Let’s get started.
What Is Sunscreen?
Sunblock is creme or lotion you put on your skin to protect it from the sun. It doesn’t hurt to have extra sun protection, especially since it will eventually cause skin cancer. Sunblock isn’t like regular body lotion. Sunblock is designed to be waterproof and provide protection for your skin.
Does Sunblock Come Out Of Clothes?
You may have found yourself in a situation where you accidentally left white streaks of sunblock on your clothes. These streaks can be a pain to get out of, but it is possible.
Tips To Remove Sunblock From Clothes Easily
So, how to remove sunblock from clothes? Below are some common tips to remove sunblock from clothes effortlessly.
- Just get rid of the excess sunscreen on the fabric. Also, make sure to use cold water for this and a brush.
- Soak or pre-treat before washing the stained area with stain remover. You can use a soft cloth soaked in stain remover and apply it directly to the area.
- Let the remover sit on the stains for about 10 minutes. Make sure to treat any spots with sunscreen exceptionally well.
- If you’re dealing with a big stain (or they’re on white fabric), soak them before washing – either in cold water or with an enzymatic cleaner if the product is made for this purpose. On colored fabrics, pre-treating can be enough – spray the product directly onto the spots and let it sit for 10-15 minutes before laundering.
- Wash the machine on the usual cycle with the heavy-duty laundry detergent recommended on the garment label at the hottest temperature.
- Unload the garments when the cycle is complete, check if the stains persist repeat the process before drying in the dryer.
Why Is Sunscreen A Tough Stain?
Sunblock is designed to be waterproof and provide protection all day. All these factors make sunblock a tough stain to get out of your clothes.
How To Remove Yellow Unscreen Stains From White Clothes?
The best way to remove yellow sunscreen stains from white clothes is to pretreat the stain with a laundry prewash treatment. You can find laundry prewash treatments in the laundry aisle at grocery stores and other household stores. We soaked the clothes in warm water with detergent overnight. Then wash them, as usual, using color-safe bleach. Let the clothes dry, and the stain was gone!
How To Remove Sunscreen Stains From White Clothes?
Stains are one of the most significant causes of concern for people looking at whitening their clothes. Colors are not only tricky to remove, but they also make the clothes look worn out or unattractive. Below are some steps to follow when removing stains from white clothing caused by sunscreen.
- Pour a small amount of liquid detergent onto the stained area of the garment. You must use liquid detergent instead of bar soap because bar soap can cause stubborn stains. Rub the detergent into the stain using your fingers until it has been broken up and loosened from the fibers to be removed more easily.
- Pour cold water over the stained area of the garment until the detergent is rinsed out. Mix a solution of water and hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle. One part of hydrogen peroxide should be combined with four pieces of water.
- Spray this mixture onto the stained area of the garment from about one foot away so that it is soaked but not saturating. Rub the hydrogen peroxide solution into the stained area of the garment with your fingers or soft cloth until it has been thoroughly broken up.
- Rinse the hydrogen peroxide using cool water until all of the liquid is removed from the garment by applying pressure over it to remove any excess that could lead to bleaching.
- Apply liquid detergent to the stained area of the garment by dabbing it with a sponge or soft cloth to remove any remaining particles of hydrogen peroxide, sunscreen, or attached stains.
- Rinse the detergent using cold water until all of it has been removed from the garment.
- Apply a stain remover solution to the stained area of the garment. Spray it onto the stain, and allow it to sit on it for several minutes before rubbing it in using your fingers or scrubbing at it with an old toothbrush to remove any stubborn stains still attached to your fiber’s clothing.
- Rinse the stain remover using cool water until all of it has been removed from the garment. Repeat as necessary if there is still a visible sunscreen area on your clothes after applying and rinsing off the stain remover solution.
How To Get The Sunscreen Out Of Black Clothes?
Start by washing the clothes with soap and water. If this does not work, add a few drops of dish soap to the wash cycle and rerun it. If you haven’t already, try using sunlight or allowing the clothes to dry in the sun.
Will Vinegar Remove Sunscreen Stains?
The answer is yes. For this method, you’ll need to take several cups of white vinegar and pour it on your clothes. Let the clothes remain in the vinegar for at least five minutes before washing them with soap for the best results.
How To Remove Sunscreen Stains From Plastic?
Sunscreen stains are not just a concern for white clothes but also for any type of fabric, including plastic. Below are some steps to follow when removing sunscreen stains from plastic. You may also be interested to know about common clothing problems.
- Pour dish soap onto the stained area of your plastic. Use enough so that there is at least one tablespoon covering the stain. Rub it with an old toothbrush or soft cloth to break up the pigment. If you can’t find dish soap, try using laundry detergent instead.
- Rinse the soap using warm water, which should also be mixed with three tablespoons of white vinegar to remove the residue left by dish soap or laundry detergent, which could cause stubborn stains to develop.
- Apply liquid detergent to the stained area of the plastic by dabbing it with a sponge or soft cloth to remove any remaining particles of sunscreen, dirt, or stains.
- Rinse out the detergent using warm water mixed with vinegar until all of it has been removed from the garment by applying pressure over it. If there is still a visible sunscreen area on your clothes after applying and rinsing off the detergent solution, try using a commercial stain remover instead of dish soap and vinegar.
- Wipe away any remaining stains if they remain on the plastic by using a commercial cleaner. If this does not remove all the colors, try scrubbing it with an old toothbrush.
- Rinse the plastic with water and dry it to prevent it from developing sun damage or hard stains in the future due to residue left by the commercial cleaner.
How To Get The Sunscreen Out Of Car Upholstery?
Removing sunscreen stains from your car’s upholstery can be done in some ways. Some people use sunscreen to protect their upholstery from sun damage, so it can be difficult to remove because you need to remove the residue left by the sunscreen for your car’s upholstery not to develop sun damage or hard stains in the future. If this sounds like your situation, here are some steps you might want to follow:
- Spray a commercial cleaning solution onto the stained area of your upholstery and allow it to sit for at least three minutes before blotting it dry with a clean cloth or sponge. Make sure you test a small part of your car’s upholstery to ensure that this solution does not damage your car upholstery.
- Apply dish soap onto the stained area of your upholstery with a damp cloth or sponge to remove any stubborn stains that are still attached to the fibers of your car’s upholstery. Repeat as necessary if there is still a visible sunscreen area on your clothes after applying and rinsing off the detergent solution.
- Scrub the sunscreen residue off your upholstery using a toothbrush or other scrubbing brush that will not damage your car’s upholstery after you have rinsed it with water.
- Spray the commercial cleaning solution onto the stained area again and blot it dry to remove any remaining sunscreen residue. You can also use a dry cloth or towel to blot it dry.
- Spray your car’s upholstery with a commercial protectant to prevent sunscreen residue from developing hard stains on your upholstery in the future. Make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions and read any warnings before doing this step.
It’s A Wrap!
We are happy to answer your question: how to remove sunblock from clothes? We have discussed various tips to help you eliminate sunblock from your garments. You can use any information you think is easy to work with. Thank you, friends, for sticking with us until the end! You may also want to read about how to get caulk out of clothes and how to remove rust stains from white clothes.