1. Benzoyl Peroxide — The Big Offender
The main reason? Benzoyl peroxide — a popular ingredient in acne creams and cleansers. It doesn’t stain in the usual way. Instead, it bleaches the fabric’s dye, leaving behind an orange or yellowish patch. On dark towels, the contrast is even more obvious.
Once the color is deprived from the fibers, no amount of scrubbing or soaking will bring it back. My “aha” moment came when I knew the marks matched where my face and hands touched the towel after washing up at night. Even brief contact count up over time.
2. Rust and Iron in Water
Orange marks are not always caused by chemical burns from cosmetics. If you have iron-rich water, especially well water, it might cause rusty freckles on textiles. I discovered this when visiting a buddy in the countryside. Two washes later, my white towel was covered with small orange flecks.
The solution was not extra detergent, but a rust-removing laundry ingredient. It bonds to the iron before settling into the fabric.
Hair Products and Self-Tanners
Some hair products and self-tanners leave stubborn orange or brown stains on skin or hair, even after “dry”. Friction from drying transfers pigments to towels. My clue? I have faint orange markings on my hair towels despite never used self-tanner. It turns out that my “warmth-enhancing” shampoo included exactly enough pigment to cause the damage.
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