Avoid Benzoyl Peroxide Bleaching Your Clothes – Tips to Remove the Stains

Benzoyl Peroxide is excellent for clearing up acne, but the chemical compound is known for bleaching clothes. Here are some tips on how to deal with those Benzoyl Peroxide stains on your favorite clothes.

For women with acne, Benzoyl Peroxide promises clear skin free of unsightly eruptions and inflammation; however, the compound is infamous for bleaching clothes and spoiling many a favorite garment.

Women who have had the experience of Benzoyl Peroxide bleaching clothes will be glad to know there are ways to avoid the stains, and in some cases, it is possible to remove them.

Benzoyl Peroxide stains on clothes. | Source: Shutterstock

For women who suffer from acne, Benzoyl Peroxide, an FDA-approved prescription medication, offers relief from the painful and embarrassing condition by killing the bacteria that cause the breakouts.

However, the antiseptic qualities of Benzoyl Peroxide can also adversely affect the eyes and mucus membranes, causing irritation and having a bleaching effect on colored fabrics.

Managing acne treatment with Benzoyl Peroxide without sacrificing your favorite clothes and bed linens is possible.

The stains caused by Benzoyl Peroxide can be challenging to avoid since the product remains on the skin after application and often rubs off on clothing, towels, and bed linen.

Woman washing her face. | Source: Shutterstock

Benzoyl Peroxide Bleaches Clothing and Even Your Hair

Benzoyl Peroxide is hard to avoid since it is one of the main ingredients in most effective acne medications, so acne-prone women may have to accept a certain amount of damage to their clothes and linen as the cost of having clear skin.

To add insult to injury, Benzoyl Peroxide is also more likely to damage clothes, towels, and sheets made of cotton and linen, prized natural fabrics, than synthetics.

The product doesn't just affect fabrics; it can also bleach hair. The FDA advises users to take special care when applying Benzoyl Peroxide to the face so that there is no transfer to the hair or eyebrows.

Colorful bedlinen. | Source: Shutterstock

How to Avoid Benzoyl Peroxide Bleaching Clothing?

Where there is a will, there is a way, and managing acne treatment with Benzoyl Peroxide without sacrificing your favorite clothes and bed linens is possible. Here are some tips.

#1 Go White

Opt for white towels and bed linen, which will not be stained by medication transfer. If you're addicted to colored sheets and pillowcases, lay a white towel over your pillow to avoid stains.

#2 Use an Undershirt

If you have acne on your chest and back and, apply Benzoyl Peroxide to those areas, wear a white undershirt to avoid staining your clothes or pajamas.

White clothes and towels | Source: Shutterstock

#3 Use a Benzoyl Peroxide Wash

Instead of a topical Benzoyl Peroxide cream, opt for a wash that will rinse off in the shower and is less likely to bleach your clothes. Use a white towel to dry off afterward to avoid stains.

#4 Shop for Benzoyl Peroxide Resistant Fabrics

If an all-white look in your home and wardrobe is out, shop for stain-resistant clothes and home linen. Many fabrics will not bleach, and the information will be on the label.

#5 Sort Your Laundry

Woman handwashing a garment. | Source: Shutterstock

How to Remove Benzoyl Peroxide from Your Clothes?

Some techniques may save your garment from total ruin if you get Benzoyl Peroxide on your clothes. Start with applying either an oxygen-based bleach or a dish soap and white vinegar mixture.

The bleach should only be used on white fabrics, while the vinegar and soap mix is effective on colored textiles. Neither of these solutions is advisable for leather, wool, or silk. Start by scraping the surface of the fabric to remove residue.

If using bleach, soak in a bleach/water solution for four hours before rinsing; if using soap and vinegar (one teaspoon of soap and a quarter cup of vinegar for every cup of water), use a toothbrush to apply the solution to the stains.

Allow to sit for 5 minutes before rinsing, and repeat if necessary until the stain is gone. Don't let Benzoyl Peroxide bleach the color out of your life; match bright hues to your clear-skinned smile.