Whilst the sunny weather can lift our mood and give us the perfect excuse to spend time outdoors, it can also wreak havoc on our wardrobes.
From stubborn suncream stains on white t-shirts to berry splashes from alfresco lunches and grass marks from lounging in the park, our clothing can take a real beating.
With light colours and delicate fabrics on constant rotation during the warmer months, tackling seasonal stains the right way is essential. To help cut through common stain-busting myths and share simple, budget-friendly solutions, Nicola Barker, Head of Buying at Suit Direct, reveals her top tips for keeping your summer wardrobe looking its best, with no harsh products required.
Why you should never bleach whites after wearing suncream.
If you’ve ever soaked your holiday whites in stain remover, whitening powder, or bleach, only to discover pink and red splodges all over your clothes afterwards, you’re not alone. It’s a frustrating surprise, especially when you know there wasn’t a rogue red sock that slipped its way in. The culprit? Suncream.
Suncreams contain UV-filtering ingredients which can react with whitening agents or bleach and cause rust-like staining. The good news? If you’ve made this mistake, it can be easily fixed.
First, wash your clothes as normal and while they are still damp, either hang up or lay your clothes out flat in direct sunlight. You will need to leave your clothes at for at least a few hours, if not over the space of a couple of days, and the UV rays from The Sun will help to break down the chemical bonds in the stains and they will gradually lift.
This will work best if this staining is fresh and haven’t been set with heat from tumble drying.
How to wash whites after using suncream (without ruining them).
If you know your clothes have suncream on, rinse thoroughly with cold water to remove any excess oils or ingredients that can react to different laundry detergents and cause staining.
If you have some yellow staining on your whites from suncream, avoid bleach or whitening powders which can worsen the stains and cause pink and red stains to develop. For tough stains, you can pre-treat the yellow stain with a bit of washing up liquid and cool water, gently dab it into the stain and let it sit for at least half an hour to break down the oils in the suncream. For tougher stains, you can dab the area with white vinegar or fresh lemon juice and leave for half an hour, rinsing thoroughly after to help lift the staining.
After using these pre-treatments, pop your whites in a cool or warm cycle using your regular detergent, avoiding whitening powders. Instead of tumble drying, air dry your clothes in an area with good sunlight exposure – the UV rays will act as a natural bleaching agent and help fade any remaining yellow marks.
Can you use boiling water on stains?
A hack that is going viral on TikTok is pouring boiling water directly onto berry stains to remove them. This is one of those laundry tricks that sounds risk, but if done correctly, works wonders.
You can use boiling water to lift berry stains (from strawberries, blueberries, blackberries etc.,) on white fabrics that are made from sturdier fabrics like 100% cotton, linen, or canvas if the berry stains are fresh – ideally, the berry stain should be treated with boiling water immediately, or within half an hour of the stain happening. Berry stains are water-soluble before they dry, meaning they can be diluted down, and water can flush out pigments before they set in.
To do this, stretch the stained fabric over a sink and pour boiled water directly from the kettle over the stain – be careful when doing this, and pour the water slowly to build momentum. The stain should lift out with ease, and you can follow up with a regular wash.
Don’t try this on delicate fabrics, or anything coloured, as the boiling water can damage fibres or cause dye transfer.
How to tackle mud and grass stains.
Mud and grass stains are inevitable during the summer months, and they are surprisingly stubborn. These stains cling to fabric and can be made worse if treated incorrectly.
For clothing that is covered in mud, you might think acting fast is the best way to tackle the stain but trying to remove it while wet can cause the stain to spread. Instead, let the mud dry completely and gently brush off the excess with a soft-bristled brush or an old toothbrush.
One the loose dirt is gone, you can pre-treat any staining with a small amount of washing-up liquid and cold water, by gently dabbing it into the area and leaving for half an hour before popping in a cool or warm cycle.
After washing, check to make sure the stain is gone, you don’t want to tumble dry clothing if there’s still a mark there as this will lock in any leftover residue – if the stain is still visible, repeat the treatment. If possible, dry clothes in direct sunlight to help naturally fade any remaining marks.
Grass stains require a little more attention. You can pre-treat the stain with washing-up liquid and water or mix baking soda and water into a paste and apply directly onto the grass marks. Let these mixtures sit for up to half an hour before popping in a cold wash – grass stains are protein based which means they can be set permanently into fabric if they come into contact with heat.
After washing, if the stain hasn’t lifted completely, repeat the treatment or try an oxygen-based stain remover such as Vanish Oxi Action before washing again. Ideally, you’ll dry your clothes in sunlight to help fade any lingering marks.
About Suit Direct:
Suit Direct is one of the fastest growing menswear retailers in the UK, dedicated to Dressing Men Well. Our vision is to be the go-to destination for contemporary and inspiring menswear brands. Catering for all ages, Suit Direct specialises in modern, stylish formalwear for every occasion – from weddings to partywear, from three-piece suits to mix-and-match separates.
