Since the pandemic, hand sanitizers have become the part and parcels of our lives around the world. There is no single being on this earth who haven’t used a hand sanitizer for saving oneself from the deadly virus.
While hand sanitizers have saved our lives to a great extent but they have been quite tough for our clothes.
Sanitizers won’t stain your clothes for sure but the alcohol content in it which is almost 60% will definitely fade the colour of your clothes when dropped on them. Even the alcohol free sanitizers contain benzalkonium chloride which is also proven to discolor your clothes.
Is there a way out of it?
Yes of course! Let’s find them out in this post…..
What is a hand sanitizer made of?
Though the basic ingredient that is alcohol in the form of ethyl alcohol, isopropanol, propylene glycol, rubbing alcohol is present in almost all hand sanitizers, yet the composition and the ratio of the ingredients may vary from brand to brand.
On the other hand alcohol free sanitizers are known to contain a killing agent, benzalkonium chloride.
Apart from these, hand sanitizers also contain aromatic ingredients and moisturizing agents that are incorporated for the purpose of soothing the skin so that the harsh chemicals do not have any adverse effects on the skin of humans.
Does hand sanitizers stain fabrics/clothes?
Alcohol in any form is considered as an excellent bleaching agent and is used as stain remover for clothing.
But when applied in fabric that does not need the assistance of alcohol, will definitely dye the fabric in lighter shade. When the part of fabric which receives the alcohol becomes light in colour, you might call it as a stain.
Fabrics that are prone to be dyed in lighter shade with hand sanitizers are cotton, jeans, leather, silk and muslin.
Does hand sanitizers stain jeans?
Jeans is usually a type of cotton woven in different pattern. Therefore, hand sanitizers will definitely effect jeans when it drops on it.
Hand sanitizer will blench the fabric and will irritate the jeans turning it into whitish spots.
How to remove hand sanitizer stain from jeans/fabric?
First of all I will repeat again and again, it’s not a stain, it’s actually the fading of the dye that causes discoloration giving it the impression of stain.
So, no stain remover is gonna do the job for this. And use of any bleaching agent is a waste, because the alcohol has itself bleached and blenched the fabric and as a result you have got that fading mark.
The only little things that can be done when a hand sanitizer drops on your jeans or any fabric are:
1. Wipe off with a wet tissue paper
When you are out and want a quick fix for your fallen hand sanitizer on your clothing, the most handy thing available with you would be a wet facial wipe or at least a tissue paper which you can soak in water.
Rub the spot instantly with the wet tissue and don’t get the sanitizer a chance to settle on your jeans.
2. Wash off with cold water
Cold water is the best solution to blazing agents like alcohol. Wherever you are, you will at least have water with you. Just pour some water on the spot and rub off with a cloth. Let it dry and the alcohol would be gone without fading the fabric.
3. Wash off with a mild shampoo
Water would be the temporary treatment when you are out. Once you are back home, take the clothing and soak it in a bucket of water mixed with a mild shampoo. Gentle scrub off the spot with hand and then rinse with cold fresh water again. Dry the cloth.
4. Use fabric softener
After washing the cloth in a mild shampoo, dip it in a bucket of water mixed with a fabric softener because alcohol is drying for fabric and damages the part of the fabric on which it falls on to. This process will help to revive the clothing and maintain its elasticity and colour.
5. Use liquids that are for retaining the colour of clothing
We all have liquids in our washroom that’s for retaining the colour of our favorite clothing like revive, comfort, etc. Dip the clothing in one of such liquids and let it soak in it for a few minutes. Take out the clothing and let it dry.
6. Make a DIY design to cover the spot
If you know stitching, or at least have time to visit the tailor, try creating a design with threads on to the spot where the hand sanitizer has been dropped.
This is a fix for clothing which has already faded it’s colour post a hand sanitizer drop. The design will help to cover up the spot and also give your jeans a new design and style.
7. Turn it into a ripped jeans
If stitching a design is too much for you and no solution is working to bring back the original colour of your jeans, try cutting out that part of the jeans while giving it the look of a ripped jeans. You will definitely look cool in those!
See also: Can You Wear Ripped Jeans to Church?
And it’s a wrap!
While hand sanitizer will not stain your clothing, it will definitely fade that particular part which is any way going to look dull and won’t match with the rest of the colour of the clothing.
Trying the above mentioned hacks can help you solve the problems and you will at least not have to get rid of the entire clothing forever.
Hope this post was useful to you, if so please do stay tuned for more such exciting posts in our site.
Till then, keep it stylish, keep it going and have a great day ahead!
