Laundry Patong
Sunscreen is the number one stain we see in Patong. It is invisible when you put your shirt on and bright orange or yellow by the time you get back to the hotel. Here is how it happens, and what actually works to get it out.
Why sunscreen leaves an orange stain
Most sunscreens contain avobenzone, a UV filter that reacts with the iron and minerals naturally present in tap water. That reaction is what turns a colourless mark into a rusty orange one. Add the oils and waxes used to make the cream water resistant, and you get a greasy stain that plain cold water simply cannot lift.
Two practical consequences:
- The stain often appears after the first wash, not before.
- The longer it sits in the sun and heat, the harder it sets.
What to do in the first hour
- Scrape, do not rub. Lift the excess cream off the fabric with a spoon, a card or your fingernail. Rubbing pushes the oil deeper into the fibres.
- Absorb the oil. Sprinkle talcum powder, cornflour or even baby powder on the mark and leave it for fifteen minutes, then brush it off.
- Use a grease-cutting soap. Work a small amount of dish soap into the stain with your fingers and let it sit for ten minutes.
- Rinse from the back. Hold the fabric with the stain facing down and run water through the back of the cloth, so the stain is pushed out rather than through.
The washing step that makes the difference
Sunscreen needs warm water and an enzyme detergent. Cold water leaves the oily film in place, and that film is what holds the orange colour. Check the care label first, then wash as warm as the garment allows, usually 30 to 40 degrees for cotton beachwear.
For white cotton, an oxygen bleach soak (the powdered kind, not chlorine) for one to two hours before washing works very well. Chlorine bleach is a bad idea here: it can react with the sunscreen residue and lock the yellow tone in permanently.
Be careful with swimwear
Bikinis, rash guards and swim shorts are usually elastane blends. Hot water, strong bleach and tumble drying will damage the elastic long before they remove the stain. Rinse swimwear in cool water straight after the beach, wash it by hand with a mild detergent, and dry it in the shade.
Check before you dry
Always look at the fabric while it is still wet. Heat from a dryer sets any remaining stain and makes the next attempt much harder. If you can still see a shadow, treat it and wash it again before drying.
When to hand it to a laundry
Old stains, delicate fabrics, and light-coloured clothes you care about are worth passing to a professional. If you send a bag to us, tell us where the sunscreen is and how long it has been there — that single detail changes how we treat it. We cannot promise every stain will come out, but a stain we know about is treated by hand before it goes anywhere near a machine.
Leave your bag at your hotel reception before 3:00 PM and it comes back the next day. Message us on WhatsApp to arrange a pick-up in Patong.
