Rust and mineral family: acid, never chlorine
How to get sunscreen on towels out
Orange-brown patches on pool towels: sunscreen plus iron in water, made worse by chlorine.
Do this first
Rust remover per label
Fresh stain
- Rust remover per label
- Dish soap for oil
- Wash
Dried or old
- Repeat
- Fabric care
- No chlorine.
- Time
- 30 min
- How to tell
- Look: orange patches; Feel: normal; Smell: none
Where this fix comes from
- University of Illinois Extension, Stain Solutions
- Household folk practice, checked against the guides above
We check every fix against these published guides. We do not run a test lab of our own.
Before you start
- Test on a hidden seam first.
- Never mix cleaners.
- Keep it out of the dryer until the stain is gone.