Keeping white fabrics white

[ny biker]

I know I'm not the only person here who has problems with white cycling tops turning yellow due to contact with sunscreen. Has anyone found a good solution for this?

Someone in a local cycling club suggested this, which I have not had a chance to try yet:

For sunscreen stained cycling jerseys: combine regular blue Dawn dishwashing liquid 50:50 with hydrogen peroxide. Soak for 10-15 minutes. You may have to rinse and re-soak, but usually a little rubbing on the tougher areas and you're done. This will NOT fade the colors. Rinse by hand really, really well -- do NOT put in your washer, as that much Dawn will foam out of your laundry room and into the neighbor's yard!

[Biciclista]

white? I have nothing white. seems like an accident ready to happen.

[ny biker]

Not really. I have a couple of jerseys that are all-white or mostly white, which I tend to wear for rides in the evening when I will be riding near or after sunset. Plus I have several tank tops with white trim around the neck and arm openings. And then there are the Cool Wings.

I have no problems with grease or other dirt on these tops. Just the sunscreen making them look dingy.

[Becky]

I haven't really noticed a recent issue with my whites turning yellow. I don't know if that's because I switched sunscreens (either Vanicream or something that's all zinc), or because I've started dumping half a cup of Biz in with every cycling/fitness load.

[Eden]

I'd be seriously careful with peroxide - it's a really effective bleaching agent.... it might bleach out your colors too if you've got any white/color mixes, so test it first. I've had benzoyl peroxide (zit cream) bleach out synthetics when I accidentally got some on clothes.

You could try an oxyclean soak - I did that with a vintage dress I bought that had sweat stains. I was *amazed* - it took a good couple of hours to soak out all the yellow, but it came perfectly clean without fading the colored stripes at all. Those yellow marks had probably been on there for a good 60 or 70 years... (the dress is probably vintage 40's). Then I did it again after the DJ at the wedding I wore it to dumped a glass of red wine on me I'd made it the entire night without a mishap and 10 min before we left..... but it all came out, so in the end no harm done.