Jeeves has experienced this issue first hand. We had a nice bright white polo shirt that after a trip to the beach and a wash, ended up with blotchy orange stains.

Why does after washing a garment that sunscreen has gotten on, does it turn orange?

Sunscreens with the ingredient, avobenzone will chemically react with water with a high iron content (hard water) and cause rust stains.

Chlorine or oxygenated bleaches will not remove rust stains, they actually make them worse. To remove rust stains, you need products such as “Rust Away Stain Remover” or other rust stain removers, but check the label instructions for use on fabric. These types of cleaners are usually very strong acids and could damage some fabrics.

For a non-chemical DIY solution, you can use the juice of a lemon and salt. Rinse the garment in cool water, apply the lemon juice to the stain and add a good amount of salt over the stained area. Let sit overnight, brush off the salt and launder as usual (no bleach, of course).

If the stain did not come out entirely, repeat the process.

Jeeves uses has a process to remove the most stubborn rust stains, so if your stain does not come out, we may be able to solve the problem for you.

You can contact Jeeves, here for additional advice. (http://www NULL.jeevesny NULL.com/contact/)

The best advice is to avoid sunscreens with avobenzone, so read the label before purchasing.

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