Don't Throw Out Your Favorite Swimsuit—5 Ways to Remove Sunscreen Stains From Swimsuits Fast

Table of Contents

Key Points

• Sunscreen sticks to swimsuits because of oily ingredients that cling to synthetic fibers and resist basic washing.
• Baking soda, vinegar, and dish soap each offer an easy at-home fix; just rinse, apply, let sit, and wash.
• Knowing how to treat these stains means you can save your favorite swimwear instead of tossing.

Summertime means long day at the beach, soaking in the sun—and when you're out in the sun all day, sunscreen is a must. But what happens when sunscreen gets on your swimwear and you can't get the stain out? Is it time to say goodbye to your favorite swimsuit or do you just have to endure that stain forever?

Have no fear, we've rounded up three of the easiest ways to get sunscreen stains out of swimsuits so you can get back to enjoying the beach.

Why Sunscreen Stains Swimsuits

Many sunscreens, especially mineral or water-resistant kinds, contain oils and other ingredients that bond with swimsuit fabric. These can leave yellow or greasy stains that are tricky to remove with just water or regular detergent alone.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is a great option for cleaning sunscreen stains because its fizzy reaction can lift stains with ease. To clean sunscreen stains off of swimsuits with baking soda:

1. Rinse the swimsuit thoroughly under cold water.
2. Create a baking soda paste by mixing one part baking soda and one part water.
3. Spread the paste on top of the swimsuit stain. Do not scrub. Let this mixture sit for about an hour.
4. Rinse the baking soda paste off the swimsuit with cold water again and toss it into the washing machine.
5. Hang to dry.

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Hang In the Sun

Hanging swimsuits out to dry in the sun is a great way to get it to dry faster, and it's a natural deodorizer too!

Vinegar

This method is best for particularly stubborn stains that you haven't been able to get out. Vinegar can be a great tool for breaking down sunscreen stains , but vinegar can also discolor certain fabrics—especially when not diluted enough. Always spot test on an inconspicuous area before applying it directly to the sunscreen stain.

To treat sunscreen stains with vinegar:

• Rinse the sunscreen stain out under cold water.
• Mix vinegar and water together in a 1:1 ratio.
• If possible, fully submerge the sunscreen stain—not the entire swimsuit—in the vinegar and water mixture. Otherwise, you can put the mixture in a spray bottle and spritz the stain until it's saturated.
• Let the swimsuit sit in the vinegar mixture for 30 minutes. If you're using a spray bottle, you may need to spray it again during this time if it dries.
• Rinse under cold water. If the stain persists, use the dish soap method.

Dish Soap or Castile Soap

Dish soap is something everyone has at home, making it an easy stain-removing solution that you can grab right away. To remove sunscreen stains with dish soap or Castile soap:

1. Rinse the swimsuit under cold water.
2. Spread dish soap along the sunscreen stain.
3. Gently rub the dish soap into the sunscreen stain, being careful not the scrub too hard as that can cause stains to settle in.
4. Rinse the dish soap off the sunscreen stain and repeat if necessary.
5. Toss into the washing machine and hang to dry.

Read the original article on The Spruce