We all know the importance of wearing sunscreen, not just for preventing a nasty burn, but for reducing your risk of skin cancers. But while we encourage you to lather up, it's difficult to keep the lotion from transferring onto your clothes, or spilling onto your carpet and furniture.
Sunscreen contains a moisture-resistant oil, leaving a pesky mark on dark clothes or yellow stains on white clothes. It's a tricky stain to remove, but with our handy guide, you'll get it out in no time.
GHI Tip: Apply sunscreen at home or in your hotel room and allow it to dry thoroughly before dressing and going out into the sun. Wash your hands well to avoid transferring it to clothes while you dress.
As always with stains, the most important thing is to act fast. Follow the advice below, depending on what material your stain is on.
For washable fabrics, gently scrape off any solid residue with a blunt knife. Spot-treat the affected area with a pre-wash stain remover such as HG Suntan Lotion Stain Remover or Stain Devils Fruit and Drink (despite the name, this is actually great at removing sunscreen). Follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully.
Flush with cool water and rub a little liquid biological washing detergent into the affected area, then machine-wash on as high a temperature as the fabric allows.
For silk, you'll need a stain remover safe for delicates such as Ace Gentle Stain Remover, pre-treat the stain before washing at 30°C on the delicates cycle. Alternatively leave it to the professionals and take to your local reputable dry cleaner.
As with most stains, if you've spilled sunscreen on your carpet, it's best to act fast. Start by removing as much of the sun cream as you can using a damp cloth - try not to over-blot the affected area of carpet, as this can push the fluid further in. Then, use Dr Beckmann's Carpet Stain Remover on the affected area, following the instructions on the packaging. Always use the recommended amount as using too much stain remover means the area will take longer to dry.