But they don’t look so great on your clothes, towels, and sheets.
The purpose of self-tanners is to “stain” your skin so you look darker.
Most contain dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a color additive, that colors your skin.
The Spruce / Madelyn Goodnight
Hold the fabric with the wrong side directly under a faucet with a running stream of cold water.
This will force the self-tanner out of the fabric instead of pushing it deeper into the fibers by rubbing.
Tip
Self-tanning formulas are a combination stain of dye and oil.
The Spruce / Almar Creative
Start by removing the oily portion first and then tackle the dye stain.
Take your time and the stain usually comes out with some effort.
If the stain remains, move to the next steps to remove the dye.
The Spruce / Almar Creative
High heat can permanently set self-tanner stains.
Hopefully, you got it all out!
Place the hydrogen peroxide (3% solution) on a cotton swab and dab it on the stain.
The Spruce / Almar Creative
If you are not sure if the garment is colorfast, test the hydrogen peroxide on an interior seam.
If there is any transfer of color, do not use.
Allow the hydrogen peroxide to soak into the fabric for 10 minutes.
The Spruce / Almar Creative
Rinse with cold water after treating with hydrogen peroxide.
Vegetable Glycerine
For tougher stains, try rubbing pure vegetable glycerin into the stain.
The glycerin can help break down the stain.
The Spruce / Almar Creative
Then, repeat the dish detergent and peroxide steps.
The self-tanner stains should come out after one or more attempts unless its permanently set.
Don’t wait for the color to appear.
The Spruce / Almar Creative
Try hydrogen peroxide, which is a punch in of oxygen bleach.
Line dry and check to see if the stain is gone.
The quickest way to treat self-tanner stains on clothes is to tackle it as soon as possible.
